the parish

This year's Lent study course is called ‘LentWise’.

"If our lives with God are a journey, what are the travel essentials we should not be without?‟

It explores five different spiritual essentials for our journey of faith, using passages from John‟s Gospel:

Compass: finding direction

Nourishment: keeping going

Light: gaining wisdom

Shelter: finding security

Water: enjoying refreshment

Lentwise :

....not some new fad for Lent, but the name of our parish Lent course this year. The course is written by Dr Paula Gooder, who is known to many locally as a Reader in this diocese and also an eminent biblical scholar. She takes as her starting point for each session an essential piece of equipment that we would need on a hike. So the first session considers a compass or some other means of determining the direction in which we want to travel, and then reflects on the importance of trusting God for a sense of direction in life. As the author described it herself in last month’s Parish News, “the course explores the spiritual essentials that we all need to survive life’s difficulties”. She draws inspiration from John’s gospel, particularly the “I am” sayings of Jesus, and reflects on what it means in practice to look to Jesus as the source of all that meets our needs.

We are organising groups to study the course in each district in the parish, as we did last year. Each group

normally consists of up to twelve people who meet once a week for five weeks during Lent (which runs from the middle of February to the end of March this year). Lent groups offer a special opportunity for studying God’s word in a place where questions and doubts can be shared in safe, honest company. By listening to each other’s experiences we can find encouragement and support. Through learning together we can grow in confidence and understanding in our faith.

Why not join a group this Lent? We often feel we’re too busy to have the luxury of taking some time for reflection and renewal. But Lent provides us with a great ‘excuse’ to insist on some time to step out of the normal routine and demands on our diaries, and to allow God to nourish us on our spiritual journey, in the company of and encouraged by fellow travellers.

You can join a group at St Alphege, St Helen’s or St Michael’s. We will publish a complete list of groups in

the parish and the contact details of leaders so that anyone wishing to join a group that is not at their own church can do so.

If joining a group isn’t possible, or if you’d like some extra inspiration, why not try a Lent book? As usual there is a selection available through the St Alphege Bookstall. I would particularly recommend the ones that have a short passage or reflection for each day of the season. This helps to build a pattern of daily prayer, especially if you find a time to sit down with it at the same point in each day. It also means you’re more likely to finish the book before we start celebrating Easter!

So be wise this Lent and make a commitment to join a group, or read a book, so that it can be a time to encounter the living God in fresh ways, through his word and in the company of fellow travellers.

Fr. Patrick

ST ALPHEGE

Sundays

8.00am Holy Eucharist (said)

9.15am Parish Eucharist & Sunday Club (2nd Sunday : All-age Eucharist)

Plus on 4th Sunday 'easy' in OBH rejoining Parish Eucharist at communion

11.00am Sung Eucharist

(traditional language)

6.30pm (except 4th Sunday)

Choral Evensong

6.30pm (4th Sunday)

Congregational Evensong

Plus at 6.00pm (1st Sunday)

‘the space’ – informal parish worship

(in the Oliver Bird Hall)

Weekday Eucharists

Monday 9.30am

Tuesday 9.30am

Wednesday 10.15am

Thursday 10.30am

  1st in month - Healing

  3rd in month - Mothers' Union

  Corporate Eucharist

Saturday 9.30am

Daily Morning Prayer

Mon-Sat 9.00am

(Wednesday 8.30am in term time)

ST HELEN

Sundays

8.00am Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer)

10.00am Parish Eucharist and Sunday Club 3rd Sunday : All-age worship (non-eucharistic)

6.30pm Evening Worship in Chapel

6.30pm (2nd Sunday) Wholeness and Healing service in Chapel.

Weekday Eucharist

Friday 10.00am

ST MICHAEL

Sundays

10.30am Holy Eucharist and Sunday Club (Sharmans Cross School)

10.30am (2nd Sunday) All-age worship (Sharmans Cross School).

4.30pm (2nd Sunday) Holy Communion (St Michael's Chapel).

Weekday Eucharist

Wednesday 10.00am at Oak Cottage