Tuesday 9 January 2024

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It was good to see so many of you last Sunday including lots of visitors. I look forward to hopefully seeing those of you I have not yet seen this year at the service this coming Sunday.

Sunday 14th January
This coming Sunday will be an All Age Eucharist. The children will be involved in the service and there will be no Junior Church or crèche. I hope you will all come along. It is good for us to worship together across all the generations

Lectio Divina
A group of us meet on Thursday morning, 10.30am - 11.15am, via Zoom: the meeting includes silent reflection on a short Bible passage, with opportunity to share our thoughts at the end. Those who participate in this find it both strengthens and nourishes each one of us in our own faith and also deepens community as we learn from one another. If you have never tried this, perhaps you might want to join us and make this a new discipline for this coming year.
Ask me for the Zoom link.

Raclette with the Old Catholics
We are invited to join the Old Catholics and the Lutherans for Raclette on Friday 19th January, 19:00 in their Church Hall, Kramgasse 10, first floor.
Everyone is welcome.

A Quiet Day "Christ our Foundation" led by The Reverend Caroline Eglin.
St John's Anglican Church Montreux are holding a Quiet day, a day of prayer, quietness and reflection, on Saturday 20 January 2024 10am-4pm at All Saints Anglican Church, Vevey. All are welcome.
Cost: CHF 25 including lunch
For information and booking contact Caroline, carolianministries@eglins.co.uk
Booking by 17 January.
See the poster for more details.

Open Forum on House Groups
After the service on 21st January, 11.30am, we will have an Open Forum on house groups (which was postponed from early December due to me being unwell). House groups are small groups of people who meet together in someone's home to study the Bible, share concerns and pray together. Meeting together in house groups can encourage us to deepen our faith, and get to know and support one another better.
At the Open Forum, I will present a proposal for starting up house groups again at St Ursula's. There will be opportunity to discuss this and ask questions. Everyone is welcome.

Ecumenical Service at the Münster
On Sunday 28th January, the annual ecumenical service will be held at the Münster (There will be no service at St Ursula's). Do please come along to this special service.

One of my favourite Epiphanytide hymns is 'O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.' The hymn encourages us to lay at God's feet our burdens and sorrows, and to find joy and hope as we trust him to guide us.

You might want to ponder the words of the hymn and use them as a prayer:

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name.

Low at his feet lay they burden of carefulness:
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.

Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine:
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on his shrine.

These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.
(J.S.B. Monsell)

With love in Christ,
Helen