Newsletter 29th March 2020

Newsletter – 29th March 2020

I hope everyone is well out there! What a strange Easter this is going to be –but let’s not forget that this is Lent and we are heading for Easter! Today is Passion Sunday, next Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. With things as they are, you are going to be more reliant on yourselves in keeping the season. However, there will be Newsletters and other material available electronically. 
We are not yet sure what we can do for those who do not use computers, but you are not forgotten and we’ll do what we can. I know networks are being set up by phone, helping to keep everyone in touch. Please do anything you can to help but your first priority has to be the safety of yourself and your family.  
For many of us, the most important thing we can do is to pray for each other and our world. At the moment we are not allowed to ring the church bell, but keeping 6pm as a time for prayer would help those living alone to feel part of the whole church. In addition, Archbishop Justin has asked that we all say the Lord’s Prayer at 11am.  
Take care and stay well                                Edith

Readings for 29th March               Lent 5
Ezekiel 37   1-14           John 11  1-45

Ezekiel 37:1-14 New International Version (NIV)

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

John 11:1-45 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,[a] “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus[b] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin,[c] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[d] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles[e] away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Two very interesting stories in today’s readings. When I first looked up the readings, I was rather dismayed – stories of death at a time when there is so much anxiety around. How was I going to deal with this in our present circumstances? We have the story of the dry bones from Ezekiel, and of the raising of Lazarus.  However when I thought more about these passages it became clear to me they are both about life.

The story of the dry bones is about life –Ezekiel summons the breath to inspire the dead –and the mighty army springs to life! This is the power of God’s word and Spirit, in partnership with the faith and obedience of the prophet. Israel will rise again, at the word of the Lord. The God who brought creation to being by his powerful word will restore his people to their life and land.

Then in the passage from John’s Gospel we have the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead - an interesting story - but what is in it for us? Well there is the demonstration of the power of life over death, there is the demonstration of Jesus’ humanity as well as his divinity. And we have the scene set for what is to come. 

Today we begin Passiontide –the final days of Lent, as we begin to follow Jesus’ final journey. This year we follow him alone as we can’t be in church with our fellow Christians. But of course we are not alone!

Prayers

A prayer for the world
God of love and hope,
you made the world and care for all creation,
but the world feels strange right now.
The news is full of stories about Coronavirus.
Some people are worried that they might get ill.
Others are anxious for their family and friends.
Be with them and help them to find peace.
We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists,
and all who are working to discover the right medicines to help those who are ill.
Thank you that even in these anxious times,
you are with us.
Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe.
Amen.

God of healing
We pray for all who are ill at this time.
For those we love, who we name in our own hearts
For those who have asked for our prayers
For those whose need is known only to you
And, from our parish, for Rosemary, Lesley and Dee
Amen

God of support
We pray for ourselves
For courage and compassion in these difficult days
For humour and common sense when things overwhelm us
For patience when we struggle with others
And help us to focus on you as we journey towards Holy Week and Easter
Amen

The photo next to the prayers was taken on Remembrance Sunday last year by a lady who lives down the street from St Thomas' Church, and she is happy for us to share it with everyone. The rainbow is a symbol of hope, and children are drawing their own pictures of rainbows to put in their windows as a sign of hope for all to see. Genesis chapter 9, verses 11-16 (below) describes God's promise to Noah and all living creatures on the earth.

13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.

All Church buildings are now closed, even for private prayer, so keeping in touch with each other and sharing prayer is even more important than ever. There will be no parish magazine for a while, so newsletters will be weekly.

If you’re missing your Sunday service and don’t have access to social media, BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a service at 8.10 am every Sunday morning. For those of you who don't usually follow social media, you can still find links to church services on our facebook page - just click on the facebook symbol somewhere over there 👉

And finally, don’t forget to put your clocks forward at 2 am on Sunday morning – I did see a comment somewhere that putting them forward about 4 months could be helpful! 

Worship for all Generations is back!

Thursday 26th March 2020 

Please do come and join us on our facebook page this evening as our popular "Worship for all Generations" service returns. It will look a little bit different than before, because it's recorded in Neil's back garden, but we're sure that everybody will be really happy to join us in worship. To see our facebook page, just click on the facebook symbol to the right of this page.

Newsletter 22nd March 2020

Newsletter – 22nd March 2020

It feels very odd not to be preparing for a service in church for Mothering Sunday.
No doubt this Mothering Sunday will be very different from what each one of us expected.
I hope you will find some joy in the day.
The church holds Mothering Sunday as a rest day from Lent, a day to relax from our Lenten observance, time to take a metaphorical deep breath as we approach the solemnities of Holy Week. Various Bible readings are used as we remember particular mothers – ranging from the mother of Moses with the story of the baby in the bulrushes, Hannah who dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord, to Mary the mother of Jesus. When we think about mothers we think about care. Perhaps that is what we need to hold on to at this difficult time. Particularly poignant at this time of the Christian year, we need to remember God cares for us and will not let us be beaten by this (hard though many will find that thought today) just as Jesus was not beaten by the crucifixion. We also need to do as much as we can for those around us who are struggling.
We are not able to worship together at the moment, but do listen out for the church bell ringing each day and do use some of the resources available (electronic or physical) to share in worship at a distance, and, if you are able, do call in church occasionally to pray there. It will be open 10am to 12.30 each day.                                         Edith

Churches Together in England have asked that we each light a candle (safely of course) at 7 pm on Mothering Sunday and put it in our window to show everyone in our community that we are praying for them. 

Please do continue to pray for those in our own church community as well as everyone worldwide, and share your prayers and kindness in as many ways as you can during these difficult times.

We don't have any public worship in our churches at the moment, and we haven't got the facilities to live stream services. However, several churches are doing this, and you can find the links by clicking on the facebook button to the right of this page.

Newsletter 19th March

Newsletter – 19th March 2020

The second part of the text above is part of the letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, advising us that public worship in all our churches should cease immediately.   

Here’s a letter from Edith to us all - 

What strange times we are living through! Fear is inevitable, but it is important not to let it get out of proportion. Easy to say, but I don’t say it lightly.

We are the Body of Christ in this place, whether church is functioning as a place of public worship or not. It is particularly important to proclaim this at this time of the year. I’m sure when we began Lent –just a few short weeks ago – I don’t think anyone foresaw the current state of affairs. 

There is so much anxiety around, not just about catching the virus but a whole range of other issues including difficulty of shopping, child care, job security and so on. It is so important we hold on to our Christian faith and share it. 

Huge as all this feels now, the bigger picture is that when Jesus rose from the dead it demonstrated God’s love for each one of us – a love we must repay by caring for all our fellow human beings. That love we show in practical ways – checking on those who are isolated (by phone), helping out where we can (but staying safe ourselves) and by prayer.

Some of you will remember that last Holy Week we organised a ‘Compline at a distance’ by letting people have an outline service so everyone who wanted could join in and know they were not alone. I plan to put together a similar simple service we can use –perhaps at the prayer times Liz mentions in the newsletter. In addition, there will be some simple sermon notes you may find useful.

Meantime take care and stay safe

Edith

The situation is changing so rapidly that whatever we plan now may have to change – but we are thinking of ways in which we can continue to share God’s love far and wide in different ways than before.

St Thomas’ Church will be open from 10 am to 12.30 pm every day for private prayer and reflection, and everyone is welcome to drop in. During difficult times many people who would not usually come into a church may need a quiet space to pray, and the current Church of England advice is that we should be open. There are notices in the porch about how to keep all visitors safe. 

Prayer times – Wherever we are, we plan to pray daily at 6 pm, and also at 11 am on Saturdays and Sundays. Edith’s already working on suitable prayers, or people could use the Lord’s Prayer. Most importantly, we should let as many people as possible know that we are doing this, so that those who are unable to get out can join us in prayer and know that they are not alone. A church bell will chime at those times as a signal to everyone within earshot that we are praying for them and with them.

We’re working on how to share prayers, readings and sermon notes, and possibly some children’s resources, in the near future.

Some people have expressed concerns about how church closures will affect applications for places at our Church of England secondary schools. The Governors of Crompton House have issued a statement in which they acknowledge these concerns, will issue guidance when the situation becomes clearer, and given reassurance that no future applications will be penalised due to the limited opportunities for church attendance. 

The biggest challenge we face is how we communicate everything that we’re doing with those who don’t have access to electronic communications – we will need help with that!

Finally, St Paul wrote his joyous letter to the Philippians whilst he was in prison. Chapter 4, verses 4-7, sends a very clear message which is very fitting to our current situation - Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything with thanksgiving.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Items for the newsletter, website and facebook pages to Liz (lizzy.dent@googlemail.com) whenever you want to send. Lots of lovely pictures please – especially now!

Urgent update 17th March

All Church services suspended until further notice 

Please see the following link to an important announcement by the Church of England.

Church of England.news -Archbishops call for the Church of England to become radically different as public worship is suspended

We'll be updating this page regularly with news from our own parish.

News update 17th March

Following the latest Church of England and Government advice, the PCC made the decision last night to suspend all parish events, including the White Hart Dinner Dance which was due to take place this Friday.

The White Hart have agreed to provisionally re-schedule the dinner dance for the 18th September, so everyone who has bought tickets can attend on that date and we won't lose the money which we have already paid.

Please could all of you who see this and know of others who would usually come to parish events but don't have access to emails and facebook pages, let them know that we're not having any events in the near future. 

All Church services are currently going ahead as normal, with some adjustments to keep everyone safe -

• Communion - only the bread will be offered, and because the altar rail cannot be cleaned every time someone touches it, we ask that communicants receive the sacrament standing rather than kneeling. People of all ages receiving a blessing will not have a "laying on of hands".
• The Peace - will still be shared verbally, and acknowledged by a simple nod, smile or wave instead of the usual handshake.
• Collection - the plate will no longer be passed around, but will be available for those who wish to make cash donations. Direct payments from your bank account are a simple and secure way of giving, and we can provide help with this as required.
• Refreshments after each service - are suspended until further notice.

There will be lots more updates coming in the next few days about how we can continue our Mission and Worship during these difficult times. Any feedback, suggestions and offers of help are most welcome - so please do let us know if there's anything more you think we should be doing!

News update 12th March

The latest update from the Church of England on Coronavirus can be found here - 

Church of England coronavirus guidance for churches

Please do have a look at it, as it includes links to digital ways of accessing church services and resources if you're unable to get out to church. 

In Leesfield Parish we have now suspended the use of the Chalice at Communion, and will be sharing the Peace verbally. You can keep up to date with what's happening by following us on Twitter or Facebook - the links are at the side of the page.

If you know of anyone who is self-isolating and doesn't have access to websites or social media, please do keep in touch with them by telephone, and let us know if they want us to contact them by telephone rather than a visit. 

Finally, keep praying - here's a prayer for those affected by Coronavirus -

Coronavirus and our church services

We know lots of people are worrying and praying about Coronavirus 🙏, and in Leesfield Parish we have considered the advice given by the Church of England. 
From this Sunday we will be sharing the Peace verbally, and acknowledging with a smile, a nod or a wave instead of the usual handshake 🤗. At present we will still be sharing the Chalice at Communion, but if you are unwell or worried about infection it is perfectly acceptable to take just the bread. Intinction (dipping the wafer into the wine) carries a high risk of infection, as well as cross-contamination which could be harmful to communicants with certain allergies, so we request that you refrain from this practice.
If you do feel unable to attend services for any reason, there are many ways of accessing Christian Worship and resources digitally, and I'll try to share as many of these as I can over the next few days.
Handwashing for at least 20 seconds is still the best way to prevent the spread of any virus, and I absolutely loved this post from a church in Gourock - Praise and hygiene all in one! 
St John's Church, Gourock - handwashing to hymns

Newsletter 8th March 2020

Newsletter 8th March 2020

There will be a Lent Taize service at St Thomas’ on Sunday 8th March at 4 pm. This is a short quiet and reflective service with candles, prayer and music, to which everyone is invited.

The next round of Parish Meetings starts with St Thomas’ DCC on Monday 9th March at 7 pm and St Agnes’ Open Forum on Wednesday 11th at 8 pm. These meetings, together with the PCC on Monday 16th, will be the last ones before the APCM at the end of April, where we review the last year and appoint Churchwardens and PCC members for the coming year. If you are interested in helping to shape the future of our churches please do come along. 

“Worship for all Generations” services continue at 6.30 pm every Thursday at St Thomas’, in the warmth of the Community Room during the cold weather.  The focus for the next few weeks will be on Prayer, and Neil has asked if everyone could write a small prayer (even just 1 line), which we can include in our worship.

As usual this year we will be admitting children (Year 4 upwards) to Holy Communion for the first time on Easter Sunday. Please see Edith or any of the Sunday School leaders for more information. Also please see Edith if you are considering Confirmation this year on Sunday the 5th July and would like to know more.  

Churches Together Lent Lunches continue on Tuesdays, 12 noon at Zion Methodist Church. The sessions are “stand-alone”, so it doesn’t matter if you have missed any – you can still come and join us. There is no charge for the lunch, but donations will be gratefully received and passed on to a local charity.  Members of our congregation are also invited to the induction service for the new minister at Springhead Congregational Church at 2.30 pm on Saturday 14th March. There will be a celebration buffet after the service, and to help with catering arrangements please RSVP to Liz Hill on 07932 750436 or by email to lizhill4@sky.com .

Harvest Queen Annie and her retinue are hosting a Mother’s Day Sparkling Afternoon Tea at 1 pm on Sunday 15th March. Tickets are priced at £10 per adult, £5 per child, and are available now from Karen or the retinue mums.

The Ladies of Leesfield Easter Stall at St Thomas’ will be open from Sunday 15th March for four weeks. On Saturday the 21st March the ladies will have their first Tea & Toast of the season, and will be preparing the flowers for Mothering Sunday. Their monthly meeting will be in the Community Room at 7.30 pm on Thursday the 26th March.

Mothering Sunday is on Sunday 22nd March, and the services will be at the usual times at both churches.  

Articles for the next edition of “Voice” magazine should be sent to paulmdent@gmail.com or handed in at church by Sunday 15th March.

Items for the newsletter, website and facebook pages to Liz (lizzy.dent@googlemail.com) whenever you want to send. Lots of lovely pictures please!