|
Live streamed services are here
Service sheets are here Latest Cross and Crown (News Sheet) is here Parish Magazine is here Music List is here Your daily bible quotation
|
From Fr. Bernard
Dear All, I hope that you are all managing to cope with this cold weather? I must begin with some news that I received this week: the Bishop of St Alban’s has announced that he will be retiring at the end of May this year. So we pray for Bishop Alan as he prepares to retire, and for all those who will take on more responsibilities in his absence, as well as those seeking to discern God’s will in selecting his successor. We pray too for the Crown Nominations Commission seeking a new Archbishop of Canterbury, and pray that they also will seek and receive God’s guidance. This coming Sunday we will celebrate the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. There will be Eucharists at 8 and 10 am, and Evensong at 6 pm. If you are coming in the morning, please wear waterproof clothing!! There are still a few Christmass decorations left in Church. If you do not reclaim them, we will keep them for next year! A reminder too that those of you who give to the parish using envelopes for their weekly giving will find your box of envelopes for 2025 at the back of church. However you give, whether that is by direct debit, standing order, or through the envelope scheme using cash or cheques, the Church depends on your generosity and could not survive financially without it, so the PCC are immensely grateful to everyone who supports the work of the Church in this way. On that subject, I must express my gratitude and thanks to you all. I have just seen the draft accounts which our treasurer Vernon has prepared for 2024, and they show that our planned giving increased by about £9,500 in 2024, despite all the pressures of price rises and cost of living worries everyone faced. The overall total of donations, collections and giving has gone up by around £12,000. This is a really wonderful response to the PCC’s requests for help last January, so I must thank everyone who has been able to respond with such generosity. We are immensely fortunate that as a parish we are still able to pay our way in this challenging climate, in which our church costs for heating and other expenses continue to rise. January is famously a rather gloomy month. It’s cold, it’s dark, and it seems a long time until spring! But the Church’s year does its best to cheer us up. No sooner is Christmass over than we move to the Epiphany, and celebrate the wise men and their gifts. We remember the light of the star that shines in the darkness, and guided the wise men, and which still guides us today. Then, directly after that, we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, and give thanks for the water of life that is always springing fresh to revive us. Then we remember Jesus’ first miracle at Cana, when he turned water into wine, and gave us a symbol both of rejoicing and celebration, but also of transformation, when the old life is consummated into something deeper, richer and stronger. And lastly we celebrate Candlemass, and the gift of light once again, as we remember that God is always with us, and always keeps His promises. May the light stay with you this month, and God bless Fr Bernard The Rev'd Dr B Minton Team Vicar of Linslade Ouzel Valley Team |
|
|
|||
|
|
Quick Links Newsletter for this week Parish Magazine