Good Morning,
This time last year, we were in the midst of the Wonderland Festival – can you believe it’s been a year already?! With Lent following just after Wonderland last year, I had to plan ahead, and so plans for Lent and Easter were already in place by this time last year. Below are some of the plans I have put together for Lent this year. When we get to the beginning of March a review will have taken place regarding public worship at St. Michaels so I will be able to share more information then about our Easter celebrations.
Ash Wednesday
Lent starts on Wednesday 17th February. We will hold 2 services of Holy Communion, one at 10.30am and one at 7pm. Due to restrictions, the imposition of ashes will not be included this year, but following a discussion at the last PCC meeting, communion will be offered in both kinds. The evening service will be streamed on YouTube and our website. Booking is now available for these services, with each service being limited to 40 people. As the church office is closed at the moment, I would be really grateful if you could use the online booking system https://www.bramhall.church/worship-1, if you know of folk who are not online but would like to attend these services, please either get them to phone the Vicarage or a Churchwarden.
Lent Groups
I intend to run 2 Lent groups this year following the same material. These will be on Tuesdays, the morning group at 9.30am and the evening group at 7.30pm and they will last for an hour, both of which will take place on zoom. The book we will be looking at is Living His Story. Revealing the extraordinary love of God in ordinary ways: The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2021 by Hannah Steele. The groups will start on Tuesday 16th February to enable us to cover the whole book before Easter. If you wish to join one of the groups please let me know, I will send out the link details on Monday 15th.
Andrea Millington will be producing further study materials for Lent for those that were part of the Thursday Fellowship Group. If anybody else would like to receive these materials please let Andrea know on andreamillington@gmail.com
Stations of the Cross
From Ash Wednesday the Stations of The Cross will be displayed in church with devotional material to accompany them. The church will be open on Monday mornings between 9.30am and 12pm and Thursday afternoons between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. If there is a demand to open church for further times, I will look to make this happen.
Lenten Windows
For those who spent time walking around Bramhall during lockdown 1 you may have noticed many rainbows appearing in windows and at one point even teddy bears. We have borrowed (stolen) an idea from another parish (thanks to the Munn family) for Lenten windows. The idea is that each week of Lent you put a picture in one of your street-facing windows that relates to a Lent theme or activity. You could either add to the scene each week with something new, or put something different up each week. If you are up for joining in, the theme for the week beginning Sunday 14th February is Pancakes. When you have put up your picture or display, do send me a picture as it would be great to show it in the weekly Sunday service. Here is an example of something you might want to do for Pancake week designed by Sheila Newbon.
Prayer
For those that have been using the Daily Prayer liturgy the Lent orders of service will be available on the church website from next week.
Over the last year, there has been a working group focussing on renewing and publishing a Parish Prayer Cycle for our Parish. This resource includes suggestions of places, organisations and people to pray for each day of the month as well as other prayer resources. We have had enough printed for every member of church and these will be available to collect from church from Ash Wednesday. They will also appear on our website from next week. My hope is that in time, our social media accounts will be used to highlight who we are praying for each day, but that’s a plan for the future.
I noticed this morning that plant seeds that I planted on Tuesday have begun to sprout, slowly pushing their way through towards the light. Spring is full of beautiful imagery that can point us to the wonders of God and his kingdom. I don’t know exactly how you are feeling right now, but if its anything like me, lockdown is starting to take a toll, with each day being very similar, the weather being cold and dull and not being able to go out to meet people and explore. The signs of spring I noticed this morning were fresh hope and excitement that just as spring is only round the corner, so too, hopefully, the end of lockdown might be too. God is faithful – he has walked winter with us, and is calling us forwards further into his joy, love and his kingdom. To quote from a service I led this morning for the Air Cadets on Merseyside ‘The best is yet to come’. Don’t lose hope!
Calum