The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” There are many “new things” that the church has done over its nearly two millennia of existence, and this continues to the present age.

 

As your local church, we are always looking for new ways of engaging with newcomers to faith, with people wrestling with the “Big Questions” of life, with those who have stopped attending church and would like to come back, and with people who perhaps come to Christmas or Easter services and find themselves thinking, “Is there something more to all of this?”

 

From July, we are introducing several new services during the week, which we hope will be of interest both to those already attending our services and also to those who do not come to church. These services span a whole range of traditions and formalities, and there is hopefully something for everyone. You are invited into God’s house, regardless of who you are, because you are loved by God. These services will begin this July, and they will last around half an hour. The services are listed below, but further information is available at Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page

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Every Thursday at 9am, on Zoom, we have a service of Morning Prayer. This is an opportunity for those who are unable to make it to church physically to nonetheless join in with our worship. The service is in modern language and is very easy to follow. The details for how to join in this service are on the church’s Pew Sheet, and can also be found at Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page

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1st Wednesday at 9.30am at Upton Bishop, there is a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer. This service uses the traditional language of the church that has been used since the 16th century, and allows you to almost step back in time and see a service as it would have been nearly 500 years ago. This is followed by an informal Prayer Group, where people will offer prayers for your own particular needs or concerns.

2nd Wednesday at 5pm at Lea, there is a service of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. For those of you who attended our Holy Week walks, this is the service that we had when we arrived at each church. Christians believe that, at Communion, Christ is truly present in the Bread and the Wine that the priest offers. In this service, we are invited to spend time in Christ’s presence in the Host, the bread which has been offered at communion. It is a very quiet, prayerful service, where we are allowed to take a break from the busyness of the day and reflect quietly.

3rd Wednesday at 5pm at Weston, there is an informal Bible Study called “The Gospel this Week”. This is a relaxed discussion where we look at the readings that will be used in church on the following Sunday, and discuss what we think they mean, how we are to interpret them, and what they mean for us in the present. This is an opportunity to ask questions and seek answers to issues in Scripture, in an informal environment, with the customary tea and biscuits.

4th Wednesday at 5pm at Linton, there is a service of Guided Meditation. In this service, we are guided through a reading from Scripture, a deep question, or a contemporary issue in our world through a Christian lens. It is an opportunity, in an informal way, to take time to relax, see things from a new perspective, and hopefully learn something new about God and ourselves.

Finally, every Saturday at 5pm, there is a service of Holy Communion for those who are unable to attend a service at church on Sunday because of other commitments. This is a simple said service, with no sermon, and is designed to allow people who want to receive Communion to do so, even if they are unable to make it to church on Sunday. This service will move around the parishes in the Benefice as follows: 1st Saturday at Weston, 2nd Saturday at Linton, 3rd Saturday at Aston Ingham, and 4th Saturday at Lea.

 

David and I hope that these services - our “new thing” - will be well received, and we look forward to seeing you at them. If you have any further questions or any feedback on the services, we would be very happy to hear from you.                 

 

Ewan

Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page