There will be a Christingle service at St George’s on January 31 at 10am.
Christingles are a tradition whereby the story of God’s love for the world, shown in Jesus Christ, is told using an orange, a candle, a red ribbon and dried fruits and/or sweets. Please join us – it’s all Covid-secure.
The word Christingle comes from the German word ‘Christkindl’, meaning ‘Little Christ Child’. You can find out more here.
The Farnham Helpline 01252 745446 is open from 10am until 4pm for anyone who needs help because of Covid – shopping, prescriptions etc.
Also, if you need pastoral support please let a member of the clergy know. Alan and Lesley can be contacted on 01252 820537 or by emailing:
revd.alan@badshotleaandhale.org or
revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org
You can also contact the church office:
07842 761919 or admin@badshotleaandhale.org
The NHS Volunteer Responders are active and available to support with collection of shopping and other essentials in all areas. You can call them for free on 0808 196 3646.
How can you help the Foodbank? They are generally well stocked up, but are always short of certain items which they highlight on their website. They also have posters of these specific requests at food collections points: Waitrose, Nationwide, Wine rack on Ridgeway and Co-op in Rowledge.
The Hoppa Service is still running if people are in need of transport.
Hale Community Centre is staying open for reduced hours to carry on delivering the Community Fridge & Store and the Swap Shop. They are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10am-12pm.
Brightwells Community Meals are running and have the capacity to accept more clients. You can get in touch with them on communitymeals@brightwellsgostry.org.
These community meals can support those living alone, or in residential facilities, and provide a freshly cooked hot meal.
Picture by Jonathan Sanchez on Unsplash.
Have you got any bulbs coming through yet? Are your snowdrops in bloom, or early daffodils proudly displaying their yellow trumpets? Or crocuses creeping out of the ground?
Send us a picture from your garden, balcony or windowsill and we will post the best online.
Send them to Stella Wiseman, news@badshotleaandhale.org
Picture above by Ales Krivec; top picture by Pascal Debrunner. Both from Unsplash.
Next month we move into Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, this year February 17.
Lent is that six-week period leading up to Easter, a time of reflection and prayer, a time when people often ‘give up’ something – chocolate, alcohol, social media etc – as a type of self-discipline and active reflection.
It is a solemn time but also a time of looking forward, moving from the barren darkness of winter to the new life and light of spring. This winter has been particularly dark as we have faced Covid-19 and all that this has meant, but there is hope that we are on a slow journey to light.
With this in mind, our Lent observance will focus on looking forward and looking outwards, seeing how we can grow our ministry to our community.
There will be a sermon series in the three Sunday services at the churches plus the Wednesday service at St Mark’s, and in the online Sunday Morning service. This will start on February 21. The Lent groups will also be following this theme and will meet on Zoom. They will be on Tuesdays 2.30-4pm, Wednesdays 7.30-9pm and Sundays at 1.30-2.30pm, especially for families.
Please contact Alan on 01252 820537 or revd.alan@badshotleaandhale.org to tell him you are interested in coming to Lent Groups.
If you want to follow your own Lenten reflections here are suggestions of devotional reading, courses and books.
Where will we be in five years?
The PCC is putting together a five-year plan to help us become stronger as a parish.
There are three strands to the plan:
Each year we will have targets to ensure we are on track and there will be groups set up to help guide these three strands. You will hear lots more about this and if you want to help out in these areas please let me know Lesley know on 01252 820537 or revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org.
Tonight’s Taizé service:
The Song of Simeon
“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
So what’s that all about?
Well, the story of it is that when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple as a baby, an old man called Simeon met them. Simeon had been promised that he would see the Messiah and so he recognised Jesus. Simeon was so delighted that he couldn’t keep from singing and we have his song remembered in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 2:29-32).
For our art theme this time, take the words of the Song of Simeon, read them through and see which phrase jumps out at you. You can use whichever version of the words you like, I like the King James version (above) but you may have another copy of the Bible which uses slightly different words, or trying looking online – search Luke 2:29-32. I’ve put another version at the end of this message.
Remember, art is unlimited – it could be a picture, but it could be a poem, or sculpture, collage of model. I have been working on a piece of jewellery.
So whatever art it is, photograph your work and send it to me
(LLM Lesley: llm.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org ). Also, tell me why you chose these particular words and I will put an online exhibition together. Please sign your work so I know it is your own and confirm that you are happy for us to exhibit it online and in St Mark’s
Closing date for receipt of photos: Sunday 31 January – which is in time for Candlemas, the date when the church remembers the story of Simeon.
(We will have a display which you can see at St Mark’s too, so bring your work there if you can.)
Just in case the King James’ version of the song doesn’t appeal to you, here is another:
“Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
and you may let your servant go in peace.
With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
and bring glory to your people Israel.”
What are you waiting for? I want to see that art!
Could you write down your thoughts about the lockdown? We’d love to include lockdown poems by adults or children in our online services. Here is a lovely poem to inspire you.
Or this poem by Jim Carruth
the long bench
For the times ahead
when we will be
as if at either end
of the long bench
where distance kept
is love’s measure
and death dances
the space between
when words alone
are not enough
and queued memories
reach out to touch
let longing be a store
of nut and seed
that grows each day
in strange hibernation
readying for its end –
the sharing of the feast.
Please send your work to me – revd.lesley@badshotleaandhale.org
This evening’s BCP Evening Prayer
