Wednesday 22 March 2023

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

There is a lot going on in the church over the next few days, both in person and via Zoom. I hope you may be able to join us for some of these activities.

THIS EVENING we continue with our Lent course Praying with the English Mystics, 7.00- 8.15pm, via Zoom. We will be looking at Walter Hilton's The Scale of Perfection. I sent out the Zoom link and a handout yesterday. Please have the handout with you for the session.

Meditating on Scripture: Lectio Divina
We meet on Thursday mornings, 10.30-11.15am (via Zoom) to ponder a short passage of scripture in silence and then to share our reflections. It is a way of allowing Scripture to speak deeply into our hearts and lives. If you would like to come, please let me know.

Gardening Day
This Saturday, the gardening team will be working in the church garden. Do come and join us anytime between from 10am - 2pm. It will be fun as well as hard work!

Earth Hour and Night Prayer, this Saturday
Saturday, 8.30-9.30pm, is Earth Hour, when we are encouraged to switch off all our lights as a symbolic gesture to remind us that we need to be more careful about how we use the earth's resources. At 9pm, I invite you to join me for Candlelit Night Prayer (Compline) via Zoom. This is a very short, reflective service as we offer to God the past day, meditate on short Bible readings, and pray for those in need. We will especially pray in this service for all those affected by climate change.
The text is here. I will also share my screen on Saturday.

Night Prayer (Compline) during Passiontide
We will continue to offer an online Night Prayer service throughout Passiontide. Do join us every evening at 9pm, from Saturday 25th March until Saturday 8th April.
The Zoom link will be the same.

St Ursula's AGM, Sunday 26 March
Please do come along to our Annual General Meeting, 11.30am, this Sunday. This is an opportunity to elect our churchwardens and council members, and also to hear a review of this past year and some priorities for the coming year. Please do join us for this important meeting if you can.
NB do not forget the clocks go forward an hour Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Professor John Wyatt: Lecture on AI and Robotics
Many of you will remember Professor Wyatt's visit to St Ursula's last September. He preached an excellent sermon and led a very stimulating discussion. Professor Wyatt is Professor of Ethics and Perinatology from University College, London. He is giving an online lecture 18:00, Monday 3rd April, entitled: AI and Robotics: Friends or Foes in Medicine and Human Health? The event is free but you need to register and get an e-ticket. See this link for further information and how to register.
If you want to know more, please ask Jorum Kirundi who is organising the event.

I leave you with some words from Walter Hilton, who is one of the 14th century English Mystics we are looking at in our Lent course. Hilton reminds us that of all the gifts God gives us, the most wonderful is the gift of himself which he gives us in the Holy Spirit.

'Ask from God nothing but this gift of love, which is the Holy Spirit. For of all the gifts that our Lord gives, none is so good or so profitable, so valuable or so excellent as this; for there is no gift of God that is both the giver and the gift, except this gift of love; and therefore, it is the best and most worthy of honour.'
(Walter Hilton, The Scale of Perfection.)

With love in Christ,
Helen