Tuesday 23 April 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It was lovely to be back at St Ursula's and to see many of you again last Sunday. I hope you are having a good week, despite the wintry weather!

Dorothy Beriger's Memorial Service
The service of thanksgiving for Dorothy's life will be held at St Ursula's on Thursday 25th April at 1.30pm. There will be a large number of people, but if you want to come and have not let us know, please do come and we hope we will still find you a seat!

Lectio Divina
We meet online on Thursday mornings, 10.30-11.15am, to meditate on a short passage of Scripture and then share our reflections together. Everyone is welcome to join us. Ask me for the Zoom link.

Sung Eucharist, Sunday 28th April
It will be a joy to sing the liturgy again on Sunday. We have not been able to do this for some time as no one has been able to play it. A big thank you to Tricia who will play for us on Sunday.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)
After the service, 11.30am this Sunday (28th April), we will hold our AGM. This is a very important occasion in the life of the church, when the church wardens and members of council are elected, and when we reflect back on the life of our church this past year and look ahead to the coming year. Please do come along to this meeting if you possibly can.

Persevering Prayer
Jesus illustrated the efficacy of persevering prayer by his stories of the widow who pestered the judge until he gave her what she wanted, and the man who went to beg from his friend in the middle of the night. Persevering faithfulness is needed, then; but we have to learn how to pray faithfully without fuss or anxiety, for Jesus also told us not to heap up many words, and not to be worried. Our word 'worry' is derived from the Old English wyrgan, meaning to 'strangle'; it suggests a dog seizing a sheep by the throat and shaking it, a vivid image of what we can do to ourselves. Persevering prayer is not 'worrying' but a peaceful abiding in trust as we hold our loved ones in God's presence. On the surface we may still feel desolate and devoid of understanding, but in our deepest heart we will to trust God.'

(Maria Boulding)

Love in Christ,
Helen