Songs of Praise comes to Colchester
This is late notice but we thought people might be interested to know that on Saturday 10th June, BBC Songs of Praise is being recorded at the Bandstand in Castle Park, Colchester.
It’s a three-hour session, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. (If wet, in St. Botolph’s!)
Tickets are free, but it’s necessary to book by email at SOPCongregations@afantimedia.tv or by phone on 07734 030 888.
People are encouraged to book for themselves and their families but then let Heather Edwards know they’ve done so via email: hevdance@hotmail.co.uk -so hopefully a St Mary’s group can all sit together.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
Parish of St Mary the Virgin Wivenhoe
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in church on Sunday 14th May 2023 at 12.00 noon
The election of Churchwardens; Parochial Church Council members and the appointment of the Independent Examiner will also take place at this meeting.
The Annual Report is available via the Contact\Parochial Church Council tab of this website.
Click here for the link to the 2022 Annual Report and Accounts.
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All things green – with the Diocese
Ever wondered what the church is doing about evironment and climate issues?
Chelmsford diocese has an Environmental Officer in the Revd Sandra Eldridge and she has started a regular email newsletter – Climate Action Now – to share details of resources and work taking place across our diocese and the Church to care for the enviornment.
The monthly newsletter includes news, events and resources for reflection, information, inspiration and action to safeguard and sustain life on earth.
Music for Good Friday
See the poster below for the evening’s programme of reflective music, at the end of what for many will have been an overwhelming day.
Here’s a little snippet to invite you in- it’s from Fauré’s Messe Basse.
LGBTQIA+ – General Synod debates
by Revd Sara Batts-Neale
In the midst of misleading headlines, General Synod met in London in February.
Contrary to the media, we did not debate introducing liturgy that allows for options in how we refer to God.
Instead, alongside other significant business, an eight-hour debate heard arguments for and against the introduction of prayers of blessing for couples in same-sex relationships.
As a parish, some of us participated in the Living in Love and Faith course. Our feedback helped the bishops listen to what the Holy Spirit was saying about relationships, sex, and gender.
The result was the proposal for the prayers of love and faith, and importantly, repentance by the Church of England for harm caused to LGBTQIA+ people.
We are also promised pastoral guidance – not just around using the prayers, but about how LGBTQIA+ clergy and lay ministers are treated, and also the Church’s conversations about sex, relationships and identity.
The bishops, led by the Bishop of London, have been clear that what we are not doing is changing the Church’s definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.
Some, myself included, hope that we will find a way to recognise a loving, stable and faithful same-sex relationship in the same light as marriage.
Others feel even the prayers are a step too far.
The final version of the prayers will be brought back to General Synod in July.
If you would like to know more about General Synod, the prayers, or other business, do please contact me at revdrbatts@gmail.com
Church bells on Wednesday 22 February
The church bells will be ringing intermittently tomorrow afternoon, in preparation for the ‘real thing’ in May, when our tower will take part in the national ‘Ring for the King’ campaign which is part of the celebrations for King Charles III’s coronation.”
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