Updates From the Rector - May 20

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  1st May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



Dear Friends,


I trust that by now you are anticipating my weekly mail drop regarding the availability of Sunday worship either on-line or via other media.  


Do please, as always, endeavour to 'connect' with worship for this coming Fourth Sunday of Easter and if the underneath is not to your 'taste' have an explore around and you are likely to find something 'up your street', it is probably a very good discipline to exercise some selectivity if you do opt to 'shop around'.  Also remember that both the Diocesan Cathedral and national C of E website have daily resources and services, why not have a look at these too?


Attached are this coming Sunday's Collects and Readings along with a Homily for the Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist publications).  


This Sunday, as on every Sunday, for the interim, the Eucharist will be celebrated in The Rectory, on behalf of the whole Benefice, at 0930.  

[As indeed it will be at 0930 this morning (1 May) for the Festival of SS Philip and James Apostles.]  


This Sunday is also World Press Freedom Day, a time to remember and give thanks for our treasured our freedoms we so often take for granted and pray for those who are oppressed:

Liberating Lord we pray for all those falsely imprisoned for their belief

in liberty and freedom of speech; for speaking out against corruption and injustice;

for proclaiming the good news of your saving power;

may their voices be heard and their liberty restored.
Through the power of the Spirit. Amen.

 

 

If you wish to access the C of E website click on: www.churchofengland.org simply scroll down the page to 'Church on Line' there you will find daily prayer and prayers, live-streams and a wealth of devotional material, plus for the day itself the live-streamed service.  Also you may be able to utilise the Church Facebook page @thechurchofengland


LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL


I have been taken by how many have fed-back that these straightforward services from our cathedral have been devotionally helpful and accessible.


0800.  The Eucharist (traditional language)

1030.  The Eucharist for the 4th Sunday of Easter


THIS SUNDAY on BBC


Radio 4:  0810.  'Unless the Lord builds the house...' focusing on Salisbury Cathedral with both its Bishop, Nicholas Holtam and Precentor on the 800th anniversary of its foundation

BBC 1:   1045.  Sunday worship from Bangor Cathedral for the 4th Sunday of Easter, led by The Very Rev. Kathy Jones, Dean of Bangor.  With pre-recorded hymns including 'Thy hand O Lord has guided' and 'We have a gospel to proclaim'.



The Diocesan Prayer Diary for next week is not yet available; however as soon as it is I will forward to all, please remember from the current diary for today:

‘For all working in healthcare services at the present time, especially those on the front line caring for patients and their families; for those having to make difficult decisions or redesign services to meet a constantly changing need. For the desperate need of PPE within hospitals, hospices and residential care homes. In particular we pray for Revd Emma Louis (Black Country Partnership NHS Trust) and for Revd Martin McGonigle (Douglas Macmillan Hospice; Stoke-on-Trent)’

 

Do find also attached our local prayer diary for this coming week.


On Wednesday I sent out the Parish Magazine for May, if you haven't received your copy of this yet my apologies - just let me know and I will forward asap.


This Fri is VE day, you may wish to pray the following prayer at some point during the day - please also find attached our local prayer diary for the week.

                                      From the Act of Commitment for Peace:

Lord God our Father,
we pledge ourselves to serve you and all humankind, in the cause of peace,
for the relief of want and suffering,
and for the praise of your name.
Guide us by your Spirit;
give us wisdom;
give us courage;
give us hope;
and keep us faithful now and always.
Amen.



Lastly, for now, may I reiterate that whilst things are difficult if I might be able help in any way or you want to talk at anytime please, please give me a call or email.



A prayer from our Cathedral website:


A PRAYER IN LOCKDOWN

The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked. (John 20.19)

Ever present God,
be with us in our isolation,
be close to us in our distancing,
be healing in our sickness,
be joy in our sadness,
be light in our darkness,
be wisdom in our confusion,
be all that is familiar when all is unfamiliar,
that when the doors reopen
we may with the zeal of Pentecost
inhabit our communities
and speak of your goodness
to an emerging world.
For Jesus’ sake.

Amen.


With every good wish, take care and continue to stay safe,


Nick

 

N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  9th May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Dear Friends,


I hope that this finds you all well and, under the circumstances, in good spirits.  This is not only my weekly mail drop regarding the availability of Sunday worship either on-line or via other media but also an email with a couple of snippets of news.


The first, and by a very considerable way most importantly, is the sad news that David Mackay passed away peacefully earlier this week.  I have spoken with Con and David's daughter, as yet there is no date set for the funeral although it will be in accordance with the guidelines and limitations we have to adhere to; a truly lovely man - may he rest in peace.  Please remember Con and all David's family in your prayers.


Secondly on Tuesday, the House of Bishops issued a statement updating the Church response to the covid-19 crisis, you may read this in full at: www.churchofengland.org However, it changes only one matter for us now which is that the Eucharists for the whole Benefice may (Laus Deo) now be celebrated in church and in our case most emphatically will be (and indeed I will be saying Daily Prayer in church from now on) - whilst this does not directly impact upon you I hope you find strength in the symbolism of this.  However, the document envisages a three stage movement always, too clearly, dependent on the trajectory of the virus and governmental instruction.


1. An initial immediate phase allowing very limited access to church buildings for activities such as streaming of services or private prayer by clergy in their own parishes, so long as the necessary hygiene and social distancing precautions are taken

2. Subsequently access for some rites and ceremonies when allowed by law, observing appropriate physical distancing and hygiene precautions

3. Worship services with limited congregations meeting, when Government restrictions are eased to allow this


Do please, as always, endeavour to 'connect' with worship for this coming Fifth Sunday of Easter and perhaps have an explore around and if need be you are likely to find something 'up your street', it is probably a very good discipline to exercise some selectivity if you do opt to 'shop around'.  It has been encouraging to hear stories of folk discovering 'high quality' worship which has really helped through this arduous time.   Also remember that both the Diocesan Cathedral and national C of E website have daily resources and services, do have a look at these too.


Attached are this coming Sunday's Collects and Readings along with a Homily for the Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist publications).  


This Sunday, The Fifth of Easter, at 0930 the Eucharist will be celebrated in St Peter & St Paul's for the whole Benefice

[As indeed it will be at 0830 on Thu 14 May for the Festival of St Matthias Apostle.]  


"Love never fails.  Coronavirus impacts on all of us.  But love unites us all."  This Sunday is also the start of Christian Aid Week, the Christain Aid website is -  www.christianaid.org.uk  It is easy to see that the giving to Christian Aid could be very seriously depleted this year with the lack of collections, not least in their usual major week, yet at the same time the impact or coronavirus in some of the poorest communities in our world which they support could be absolutely devastating.  Please visit their website, see their amazing work worldwide and do consider supporting, most certainly pray for this essential work - from their website:


Love never fails

Even in the darkest moments, love gives hope.

Love compels us to fight against coronavirus alongside our sisters and brothers living in poverty.

Love compels us to stand together in prayer with our neighbours near and far.

Love compels us to give and act as one.

Now, it is clear that our futures are bound together more tightly than ever before.

As we pray in our individual homes – around the nation and around the world – we are united as one family.

So, let us pause and find a moment of peace, as we lift up our hearts together in prayer.


If you do access the C of E website on: www.churchofengland.org you will find details of this week's main on-line Sunday service: this week it is so appropriately a celebration of nurses and healthcare workers, Bishop of London and former Chief Nursing Officer Sarah Mullally leads the service, with contributions from the current Chief Nursing Officer and many more, in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.  Daily prayer and prayers, live-streams and a wealth of devotional material is available too and in abundance.  Also you may be able to utilise the Church Facebook page @thechurchofengland


LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL


I have been taken by how many have fed-back that these straightforward services from our cathedral have been devotionally helpful and accessible.


0800.  The Eucharist (traditional language)

1030.  The Eucharist for the 4th Sunday of Easter


THIS SUNDAY on BBC


Radio Four:  0810.  'What sort of Victory' a focus on the momentous events of 75 years ago in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, with Archbishop Rowan Williams and mirroring the C of E website at 0900


Bicentenary of the birth of Florenc

BBC 1:   1045.  Sunday worship from Hereford Cathedral for VE Day, led by the Bishop of Dover The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin  With pre-recorded hymns including, 'Who would valiant be',  'Dear Lord and Father of mankind' and 'Lord of all hopefulness'.


Do find also attached our Diocesan Prayer Diary and our local prayer diary for this coming week.


Lastly, for now, may I reiterate that whilst things are difficult if I might be able help in any way or you want to talk at anytime please, please give me a call or email.


A prayer from our Cathedral website:


A PRAYER IN LOCKDOWN

The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked. (John 20.19)

Ever present God,
be with us in our isolation,
be close to us in our distancing,
be healing in our sickness,
be joy in our sadness,
be light in our darkness,
be wisdom in our confusion,
be all that is familiar when all is unfamiliar,
that when the doors reopen
we may with the zeal of Pentecost
inhabit our communities
and speak of your goodness
to an emerging world.
For Jesus’ sake.

Amen.


With every good wish, take care and continue to stay safe,

Nick

 

N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  16th May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



Dear Friends,


I hope this finds you all, under the circumstances, managing to stay connected with your church, one another and in the best health possible.


To begin with what may be news to some of you, or something you may have seen in the media - an update on when churches may open again.  Things are, of course, 'fluid' and second guessing is tempting and understandable yet probably unhelpful (I spend long periods misguidedly doing so).  What we have factually to go on is the Governmental paper published last Mon (11 May) ['The UK Gov't COVID-19 recovery strategy'], you have probably by now heard or read of the three stage approach in this.  It is readily available on-line.  It refers to 'current planning assumptions' and in para 4.3 speaks of re-opening places of worship in the third stage which is 'no earlier than 4 Jul'.  This is the Gov'ts direction as of 11 May. 


The C of E Lead on this for the House of Bishops is The Bishop of London, shortly after the publication came the following statement in response - on the C of E website:


The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said: “We note from the Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy that churches could be open from July as part of the conditional and phased plan to begin lifting the lockdown. We look forward to the time when we are able to gather again in our church buildings. We are examining what steps we will need to take to do so safely and are actively planning ahead in preparation. We strongly support the Government’s approach of continuing to suppress the transmission of the virus and accordingly, we recognise that at this time public worship cannot return in the interests of public health and safety.”


This may come as no surprise but I feel I ought to share this with you; whilst longing for a return to our church worship I'm equally sure we all desperately wish for the safest and surest return to 'normality' across our society.  The most up to date Church Guidance is continually available on the C of E website.


Until such as time as we meet physically together let us always treasure the fact, that we are still united in Faith, Hope and Love, not least in this week when we celebrate the Principal Feast of The Ascension; we are bound together in our prayer and personal devotions and may experience this through accessing, via different media, those services available.  It is not my 'style' to be prescriptive so as always why not explore around and, as others have, you may find something that really touches you; however, personally, I found our former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William's short homily last Sun especially powerful (R4 0810 - you may still access this via 'catch-up).


This Sunday is The Sixth Sunday of Easter (Rogation Sunday).  Please find attached the Readings and a Homily for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist publications).


LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL  - www.lichfield-cathedral.org


0800.  The Eucharist (traditional language)

1030.  The Eucharist for the 6th Sunday of Easter


I'm still getting heartening feedback on how accessible and helpful people are finding these services, mirroring as they do much of the style of worship in our benefice.


OR


Access the C of E website on: www.churchofengland.org to find details of this week's 0900 service, led by the Revd Canon Dr Crispin Pailing, Rector of Liverpool and Revd Canon Dr Rowena Pailing from Blackburn Cathedral, who calls on Christians to be a ‘voice for the voiceless’. The service also includes contributions from Dr Sarah Rushworth, a GP, and palliative care nurse Anthony Walsh.  Also you may be able to utilise the Church Facebook page @thechurchofengland


THIS SUNDAY on BBC


Radio Four  0810.  'The Gifts of the Holy Spirit'.  Discovering the gifts of the Holy Spirit with The Revd Dr Alison Jack and Fr Dermot Preston SJ.

BBC 1   1045.  Sunday Worship from St David's Cathedral Pembrokeshire for the 6th Sunday of Easter, led by The Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland James; including the hymns 'Angel voices ever singing', 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind'  and 'How great thou art'.

                      1315.  'Songs of Praise' with Aled Jones focusing on contemporary classic hymns and their authors.


The Eucharist will be celebrated for the whole benefice at 0930 (in St Luke's Weston)


ASCENSION DAY


To mark this great day in our Church Year there will doubtless be services on line from our Cathedral and the C of E Website (however I may be a little ahead of them - do please look nearer the day).  There is what promises to be a super R4 broadcast at 2000.  This will be led by the Rev'd Dr Sam Wells Vicar of St Martin in the Fields: at a time when musicians cannot meet it connects remotely the BBC Phil, Daily Service Singers, St Martin's Voices and solo artists singing Ascension hymns and anthems. The conclusion is a new recording of Handel's 'Hallelujah Chorus' with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the voices of R4 listeners.


The Eucharist for The Ascension will be celebrated for the whole benefice at 0830 (in SS Peter & Paul's Wem)


Also find  attached our Diocesan Prayer Diary and our Local Prayer Diary for this coming week.  This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, please especially remember in your prayers and thoughts all who have mental health issues, those for whom these have been exacerbated by the current crisis and all who work and serve in our over-stretched Mental Health Services.


This coming week we are compiling the Jun Parish Mag, last months edition was graced with many contributors, it would be wonderful to have contributions for this month to either Pam or myself.  Perhaps some further reflections on 'lockdown', or on VE Day - on the anniversary itself I was really fortunate to speak  to several who could remember the actual day - perhaps some reflections on this and memories evoked, maybe some 'good news stories' to encourage one another, or a poem, a thought for the day....the list is long.  It would be great to hear from you.


I hope that you are able to have the best week possible next week, take care and stay safe.


Nick

N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  23rd May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Dear Friends,


I hope this finds you as well as possible, continuing to adapt to our very strange circumstances, able to use the different media available to stay connected to worship and prayer and where possible in touch with one another.


Little has changed regarding the specific direction and guidelines the Church is adhering to apropos any move back to opening our churches in line with the Government's three stage approach I mentioned in last week's email, except reported in today's 'Church Times' last Friday leaders and representatives of the main faiths met with government representatives to work towards re-opening when safe to do so.  (It is worth remembering that our circumstances are not unique to the Christian faith but apply equally to all faith communities; Moslem, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu etc who we should surely remember as they grapple with parallel issue to ourselves whilst equally serving our communities.)  What little that came from this reportage was largely positive yet emphasised it won't be as simple as just re-opening and turning the lights back on and off we go (you'll understand I'm ludicrously paraphrasing!) I think you'd probably thought the same.


The most up to date Church Guidance is continually available on the C of E website.


Too clearly the suppression of transmission and the protection of all, especially the most vulnerable, should be the driver behind all we do at present.  Still for all that, we yearn for a return to communal worship as we do it is so, so important to keep reminding ourselves that there is real value in linking-up online with quality worship and input to both sustain us and at a deep level participate in - and thereby add to that worship even though not physically present.  When we do we are still united in Faith, Hope and Love, perhaps a real message there for us in the week that moves to Pentecost.


This Sunday is The Seventh Sunday of Easter (Sunday after The Ascension).  Please find attached the readings and a Homily for this Sunday (courtesy of Redemptorist publications).


LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL  - www.lichfield-cathedral.org


0800.  The Eucharist (traditional language)

1030.  The Eucharist for the 7th Sunday of Easter


OR


Access the C of E website on: www.churchofengland.org to find details of this week's 0900 service, reflecting the end of mental Health Awareness Week. The service, led by Rev Professor Gina Radford, Vicar in Devon and a former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, includes a series of prayers for all those whose mental health has been affected, their relatives, friends and carers. In a contribution to the service The Duke of Cambridge urges people who are concerned about their mental health or that of others to reach out and start a conversation.


THIS SUNDAY on BBC


Radio Four:  0810.  'Living well while waiting'.  Catherine Fox and the Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox reflect on living well during this time of waiting.  For people yearning for things to be normal again it seems like there’ll be a long time to wait.  Many people’s plans for the summer have been cancelled, so what can we do to stay positive in this period of uncertainty?  The Miraculous Catch of Fish (John 21: 1-7) leads them to suggest that old plans and hopes can be transformed by Jesus. .

icentenary of the birth of Florenc

BBC 1:   1145.  Sunday Worship from Bangor Cathedral Pembrokeshire for the Sunday after Ascension, led by The Very Rev. Kathy Jones, Dean of Bangor

              1315.  Songs of Praise. 'Islands of Faith'. With Katherine Jenkins looking back at stories of faith from islands around our coastline.  With great hymns inc' 'I the Lord of Sea and Sky' from the Isle of Wight Proms and Katherine Jenkins with a 'spectacular performance' of 'How Great Thou Art'.


The Eucharist will be celebrated for the whole benefice at 0930 (in St Peter's Lee)


Please don't forget that this is the season of 'Thy Kingdom Come' and the call to join in this great worldwide movement of prayer, from Ascension to Pentecost, which I emailed about on Ascension Day along with Bishop Michael's invitation:


'I would like personally to invite you to join during these days in the simple but beautiful service of Night Prayer, also known as Compline. Led by my colleagues and myself, this will be streamed at 9pm every evening between 21st and 31st May. Compline speaks of the protection of the angels, the faithfulness of God, and the light and peace which are promised us in Jesus Christ. I pray that you may know these realities in your own life as we walk together through these unsettled times.'   

www.lichfield.anglican.org


The following link is to a 'Blessing for the UK' sung by people from many denominations, I'm grateful to several who have forwarded this to me.  You will probably have to skip an advert first, as one wrote - not our 'usual style' yet something 'very real in its expression of the generosity of God'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U


Also find  attached our Diocesan Prayer Diary and our Local Prayer Diary for this coming week. 


You will be receiving the Parish magazine for June at the beginning of next week.


I hope you find this prayer as helpful and stirring as I did:


Prayers for the Pandemic: for keyworkers

God of a day’s work,
who knew the early start,
the long shift, the thankless task,
help us to ‘see’ keyworkers in the pandemic
in a new and lasting way –
the ones who leave home to mingle
with the virus

to keep us fed,
keep us safe, keep us clean,
to care for us: in school, in care, in intensive care;
help us to help them by being careful ourselves
and remembering, on the other side of this,
who deserves our esteem, our national applause,
our lasting care.

 

Raymond Friel


Take care, stay safe, be grateful 🌈


Nick

N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Ascension Day - 21st May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Dear Friends,


Happy Ascension Day!  One of the Principal Feasts in our Christian Year resplendent with hope as it proclaims the Ascension of Our Lord, a day to recognise that for all our physical separation from one another we are truly united, as one, with our brothers and sisters not only in our individual parishes and across our Benefice but also so significantly with our neighbours in Christ across the world.  Perhaps today can be truly special if we take time to mark it through an extra time set aside to pray, reflect or join in with our wider Church.  Not least as today marks the beginning of 'Thy Kingdom Come' and as you will discover there is an absolute wealth of material and prayer available; also there is the Lichfield Cathedral Eucharist at 1230 and Bishop Michael's invitation (see below) to join in Compline/Night Prayer throughout this season.


Thy Kingdom Come


Thy Kingdom Come runs from Ascension Day to Pentecost, it is a global prayer movement that started in 2016 as an invitation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Church of England and has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.  In 2019 Christians from 172 countries took part in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’, so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.


This year we are called to prayer in lockdown. Christ’s followers, on their return to Jerusalem following the Ascension of Christ, went to the upper room where they prayed constantly (Acts 1:12-14). They prayed while they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, knowing the joy of the risen Christ, yet facing an uncertain future commissioned to continue His mission.


The following is from our Diocesan Bulletin: do please consider connecting with the Ecumenical launch for our area which is at 1000 on Thu 21, Ascension Day, as you open this - don't worry if you can't or have 'missed it' you will be able to catch up later today.









On Ascension Day there will be an Ecumenical Launch Event. Join us to hear 40 mins of worship including reflections and prayer, bringing together leaders and members of different denominations across the Lichfield Diocese and the West Midlands. The service will be available on our website, on our Facebook Group and on YouTube - available from 10am tomorrow, Thursday 21 May.

Also, each evening from Ascension to Pentecost 21-31 May Night Prayer will be streamed, led by members of our diocesan Bishop's Staff team, on our Facebook Page and Group at 9pm each evening.

Thy Kingdom Come resources for all ages can be found on the diocesan website and TKC website. You can download the free TKC app now. People who aren't online can also access TKC reflections and prayers using the Daily Hope Phone Line on 0800 804 8044. 



Bishop Michael has also written:


I would like personally to invite you to join during these days in the simple but beautiful service of Night Prayer, also known as Compline. Led by my colleagues and myself, this will be streamed at 9pm every evening between 21st and 31st May. Compline speaks of the protection of the angels, the faithfulness of God, and the light and peace which are promised us in Jesus Christ. I pray that you may know these realities in your own life as we walk together through these unsettled times.


A beautiful encouragement in these times from our Diocesan Bishop.


Ascension Day


The Eucharist will be celebrated in Wem Parish Church on behalf of the whole Benefice at 0830.


A live streamed Eucharist from our Cathedral will take place at 1230, it will of course be possible to access this later in the day too, please go to:   www.lichfield-cathedral.org


May you have a content and blessed day to remember the love of God revealed in Jesus, Risen and Ascended, from which we can never be separated and which binds us all together.


Take care and, as always, stay safe,


Nick


N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  30th May 2020 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Dear Friends,


Please find attached the June Parish Mag.  Our many thanks to all the contributors (even more than last month!) - all adding to a super Jun edition.


Perhaps during June you might put your thinking cap on, sharpen the pencil or hone your typing and send copy to Pam or myself to make the July edition as full of valuable inputs as this one?  Do please give this some thought as I know how many value the magazine, not least in these different and not always easy times.


Do take care and stay safe,


Nick

N P Heron

Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-under-Redcastle

01939 232550

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