Note that All Souls service starts at 8pm on Thursday Nov 1st, not at 7.30pm as previously advertised.
Fr Robert
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Monday, 22 October 2007
Autumn - thinking about life and death
As autumn leaves fall, there's something appropriate about the way the church and civic calendar thinks about issues of life and death.
All Saints Day (which we will celebrate at lunchtime - 12 noon - on Nov 1st) is technically about 'mopping up' all the saints who don't get celebrations of their own during the church calendar. But of course it's about more than that. It's about celebrating the way God moves in people's lives and especially in certain lives which have since been recognised by the Church.
Then there'e All Souls (which we will celebrate technically on its eve, on the evening of Thursday 1st Nov at 7.30pm).
Now some don't believe both festivals should exist: see Tom Wright's book here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Saints-N-T-Wright/dp/0819221333/ref=sr_1_1/202-1346281-5968638?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193042993&sr=8-1
But we do.
All Souls can be a time for a personal remembrance of those particularly dear to us, not denying that their heavenly 'status' may be the same as those who have been formally 'canonised' (and here Tom Wright's book is helpful), but equally not having to make claims about our loved one's levels of holiness either. It's just that we love these people and we still pray for them, even though they aren't around in this life.
It's one of the most moving services of the year. Do consider coming if you want to remember someone, even if you don't come to church at other times.
And then, by quirk of armistice date, Remembrance Sunday follows soon after: Sun Nov 11th this year. And we'll all remember in particular those who have died in battle.
In between, some of us will be travelling on a pilgrimage to Walsingham, recently voted the holiest location in the United Kingdom.
Do join us on any of these times. You will always be welcome
All Saints Day (which we will celebrate at lunchtime - 12 noon - on Nov 1st) is technically about 'mopping up' all the saints who don't get celebrations of their own during the church calendar. But of course it's about more than that. It's about celebrating the way God moves in people's lives and especially in certain lives which have since been recognised by the Church.
Then there'e All Souls (which we will celebrate technically on its eve, on the evening of Thursday 1st Nov at 7.30pm).
Now some don't believe both festivals should exist: see Tom Wright's book here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Saints-N-T-Wright/dp/0819221333/ref=sr_1_1/202-1346281-5968638?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193042993&sr=8-1
But we do.
All Souls can be a time for a personal remembrance of those particularly dear to us, not denying that their heavenly 'status' may be the same as those who have been formally 'canonised' (and here Tom Wright's book is helpful), but equally not having to make claims about our loved one's levels of holiness either. It's just that we love these people and we still pray for them, even though they aren't around in this life.
It's one of the most moving services of the year. Do consider coming if you want to remember someone, even if you don't come to church at other times.
And then, by quirk of armistice date, Remembrance Sunday follows soon after: Sun Nov 11th this year. And we'll all remember in particular those who have died in battle.
In between, some of us will be travelling on a pilgrimage to Walsingham, recently voted the holiest location in the United Kingdom.
Do join us on any of these times. You will always be welcome
Monday, 15 October 2007
Worship for all reasons
Over a thousand different people have worshipped at St George Christ Church St Paul in the last ten days.
Many were inspired to come because of the season: our Harvest Sunday was the most popular Sunday service ever in our new building apart from Easter Sunday. Over 220 people came at the 10am service to think about Harvest in the world and in our lives. We had a separate service in our Church for over one hundred children at Christ Church primary school on Thursday morning.
Then there are those honouring a new life in Christ. We've had two baptisms.
Then there are those celebrating the joy of marriage. Two hundred people came to celebrate the wedding of Christine and Jason.
And finally there are those grieving a friend or relative who has died. Often funerals happen entirely in a crematorium, but we also offer people the chance for to start this farewell service in Church. To honour a life in Church is one of the special things we can offer and do so. This happened twice last week. Both were moving occasions. Literally hundreds of mourners came.
In a sense, numbers don't matter. We aren't interested in 'bums on seats' for the sake of 'bums'. We are interested in the fact that the Church meets people's needs in a way nobody else can. And that's something we rejoice in.
Also worth celebrating is the youth away weekend, where 29 young people experienced an amazing weekend in Kent, doing a mixture of activities and worship.
What's coming up?
In particular look out for our All Souls service on the evening of Thursday Nov 1st. This is a time to remember your loved ones now in God's care.
Fr Robert
Many were inspired to come because of the season: our Harvest Sunday was the most popular Sunday service ever in our new building apart from Easter Sunday. Over 220 people came at the 10am service to think about Harvest in the world and in our lives. We had a separate service in our Church for over one hundred children at Christ Church primary school on Thursday morning.
Then there are those honouring a new life in Christ. We've had two baptisms.
Then there are those celebrating the joy of marriage. Two hundred people came to celebrate the wedding of Christine and Jason.
And finally there are those grieving a friend or relative who has died. Often funerals happen entirely in a crematorium, but we also offer people the chance for to start this farewell service in Church. To honour a life in Church is one of the special things we can offer and do so. This happened twice last week. Both were moving occasions. Literally hundreds of mourners came.
In a sense, numbers don't matter. We aren't interested in 'bums on seats' for the sake of 'bums'. We are interested in the fact that the Church meets people's needs in a way nobody else can. And that's something we rejoice in.
Also worth celebrating is the youth away weekend, where 29 young people experienced an amazing weekend in Kent, doing a mixture of activities and worship.
What's coming up?
In particular look out for our All Souls service on the evening of Thursday Nov 1st. This is a time to remember your loved ones now in God's care.
Fr Robert
Sunday, 7 October 2007
Autumn events
Well, if you come to Church this week, you'll find the baptistry with all the delight of the harvest: fruits, a harvest sun and a mobile planet.
We'll be bringing a collection of tins etc. to the Voluntary Care Centre from gifts people have brought in to us.
Thanks for everyone who made Harvest such a wonderful day and to all of you who came. It was a great service and the star of the show, perhaps typically, was Isaac Farley, aged six months, whose entrance on a wheelbarrow was a wonder to behold.
Sadly, one of the services this coming week in church will be a funeral, that of Margaret Hill, which will take place on Thursday afternoon. One of the longest standing members of our congregation, she died last week, peacefully, with her family around her, in Lewisham hospital.
Also coming up is our Youth Weekend away. Thirty young people from the churches of Forest Hill and Sydenham will be going away to the Halls Green Activity Centre in kent for a fun packed weekend.
Further ahead, we have our parish pilgrimage to Walsingham.
Fr Robert
We'll be bringing a collection of tins etc. to the Voluntary Care Centre from gifts people have brought in to us.
Thanks for everyone who made Harvest such a wonderful day and to all of you who came. It was a great service and the star of the show, perhaps typically, was Isaac Farley, aged six months, whose entrance on a wheelbarrow was a wonder to behold.
Sadly, one of the services this coming week in church will be a funeral, that of Margaret Hill, which will take place on Thursday afternoon. One of the longest standing members of our congregation, she died last week, peacefully, with her family around her, in Lewisham hospital.
Also coming up is our Youth Weekend away. Thirty young people from the churches of Forest Hill and Sydenham will be going away to the Halls Green Activity Centre in kent for a fun packed weekend.
Further ahead, we have our parish pilgrimage to Walsingham.
Fr Robert
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