May E-Magazine 2024
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Services throughout the Parish
Sunday 5th May 6th Sunday of Easter—White Acts 10.44-48 1 John 5.1-6 John 15.9-17
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Morning Worship with Baptism 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.30am Communion
St James 10.30am Communion
St Peter 6.30pm Evening Worship (Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday 12th May 7th Sunday of Easter—Ascension Day—White Acts 1.1-11 Ephesians 1.15-end Luke 24.44-end
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.30am Morning Worship
St James 10.30am Morning Worship
St Peter 6.30pm Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
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Sunday 19th May Whit Sunday—Pentecost—Red Ezekiel 37.1-14 Acts 2.1-21 John 15.26-27;16.4b-15
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Morning Worship 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.30am Communion
St James 10.30am Communion
St Peter 6.30pm Evening Worship (Book of Common Prayer)
Sunday 25th May Trinity Sunday—White Isaiah 6.1-8 Romans 8.12-17 John 3.1-17
St Mary 8.15am Communion 10.30am Communion 6.30pm 630 Praise
St Nix 10.30am Morning Worship
St James 10.30am Morning Worship
St Peter 6.30pm Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
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Jesus Christ – Superstar?
As part of my preparation for Holy Week I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hippodrome. I left feeling somewhat disappointed - disappointed that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have seen that story of Jesus's passion in a different way to me.
What disappointed me most was probably the way that Jesus is portrayed throughout their adaptation. A man who is God himself is shown as being weak and feeble without any power: there is no indication that God chose to empty himself and take that form of servant.
The production does grasp the concept that Jesus is very much misunderstood without offering a better understanding of God who comes to unite humanity to himself through his sacrifice on the cross.
I have to get over the fact that Mary Magdalene is painted as a lady of the night even though there's no biblical evidence! Indeed it's probably wholly inaccurate. We know that Mary Magdalene funded the ministry of Jesus by her own means, so she was probably from a very wealthy family, something of a socialite. She used her wealth in whatever way she could to support Jesus. Now, as then, the wealthiest families are unlikely to be the most moral and upright. Mary Magdalene would have liked a party, and she would like to flash her money around, but she was transformed through Christ into her better self, a less self-centred being. To suggest Jesus had succumbed to the charms of a Lady of the Night is outright blasphemy.
My third problem is the way that Judas is painted. It is almost certainly true that Judas didn’t understand the mission of Jesus. It is also true that he was the betrayer. Judas’ motivations for betraying Jesus are painted as jealousy and fear. The biblical narrative doesn't really tell us much about Judas at all. It does tell us that he was robbing from the common purse, and that he objected to the use of the oil to anoint Jesus. Both the performance and the Bible tell us that the devil has got into
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Judas’ heart and that he was paid by the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.
Problem four: where does it end? Fr. Malcolm and I have debated this point. For me it appeared that Jesus had met with Judas in death, or even hell. For Fr. Malcolm there was some form of resurrection scene, Judas had been forgiven and we were picturing heaven. I’m not sure how he made that leap, I suspect he’s read the story in the Gospels to draw this conclusion. There’s some music and bright light that gives us the idea of Resurrection, but that is before the cross is lowered and then we see Jesus in a dark place embracing Judas, albeit with the cross stage brightly lit.
Perhaps l misunderstood what Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice are trying to get across. But for me that overwhelming sense that they haven’t stuck close enough to a biblical narrative is real. This is a story I am familiar with, but what about those for whom this is their only experience of the story of the death of Christ?
Of all those people in the Hippodrome that night probably only 5% will have heard the story of Jesus in a different way this Easter. They will be left with the idea that it was the end for Jesus and not a new beginning. Death is not the end: we rise with Christ and are united with God through the resurrection. I suppose I should be pleased that people have gone in their masses to experience something of the story of Jesus, but in my heart I can't help but think that they would have got a better story of Jesus had they gone to church, had they picked up a Bible and read it for themselves. That way their understanding of Jesus might be better. That way we might not have ended in confusion about what was going on. We would be sure that the next act actually ended at the point of resurrection with the assurance that Christ had died not because he was weak and feeble, but because he had to reconcile all of us to God the Father. He did that through dying and taking all our sins upon himself and he is, and we are, people of the Resurrection who live as those forgiven through the sacrifice of Christ. |
Dementia-Friendly Church
Did you know that there are around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with rates predicted to rise? Although the likelihood of developing dementia increases with age, it is not an inevitable part of ageing, and it can also affect younger people. The label ‘dementia’ describes a range of symptoms that may develop over a number of years. This will usually include problems with memory; however, other common symptoms include difficulties with concentrating, problem-solving, speech, perception or movement.
The gradual progression through dementia involves a series of losses in an individual’s mental abilities, which can make it increasingly hard to stay connected to the present moment, communicate one’s needs and maintain the activities that support spiritual well-being.
Dementia-friendly church services are essential for creating an inclusive and supportive environment for individuals affected by dementia. These services are designed around Christian festivals, incorporating familiar elements such as hymns, scripture readings, and communal prayers. Participants engage in a regular pattern of worship, followed by themed activities that encourage creativity and involvement. Such services aim to provide comfort, familiarity, and spiritual fulfilment for those living with dementia.
This year Dementia Action/Awareness Week 2024 will run from 13th to 19th May. In order to help those people in our churches and communities, the Yate and Fromeside Mission Area is working to achieve Dementia-Friendly accreditation for each church. Our first service will be on Sunday 12th May at 10am in St Michael’s Community Centre, High Street, Winterbourne. The service will be shorter than usual, with familiar readings, hymns and prayers, and Holy Communion, in a friendly atmosphere.
In support of this we have looked at ways of becoming more welcoming, friendly and helpful. We want our churches to be places where we can continue to feel completely included as valued members of the congregation and feel our faith is being kept alive and nurtured.
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All from Yate are welcome to attend this dementia-friendly service; a similar service is being planned for July in Yate.
If you need assistance dropping off please ask one of our welcomers.
For more details contact office@fromesidechurches.org.uk or call Nessa Jarman on 07594 976301. |
Thornbury Musical Theatre Group Journey Back to the Future See their website for more information
Friday 31st May and Saturday 1st June, with 2.30pm and 7.30pm performances on both days at Thornbury Methodist Church upstairs hall.
Tickets £10 plus booking fee from www.tmtg.org.uk/tickets or at Box Office from 1st May at Lisa Costa Estate Agent, 53 High Street, Thornbury.
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Easter at St James
Our Easter started with the Maundy Thursday supper, but before we sat down to eat four volunteers had their feet washed by the ministers.
We had a proper Last Supper of bread, cheese and grapes; just like the last supper our communion was incorporated into the meal. We then moved into the main body of the church for the stripping of the altar. This was very inspiring; at the end all the lights were switched off and we were left in darkness and silence. I found this very moving and I'm sure others did too. On Friday we had the meditation at the cross taken by three ministers.
Saturday was the Easter Vigil at St Marys where the Easter candles were lit and blessed ready for Sunday.
On Easter Sunday we gathered together in our beautifully decorated church for the Easter service. The Easter candle was paraded and after the wonderful inspiring service the congregation filed to the Easter Garden in the churchyard and sang To God Be The Glory as the stone was rolled away. This let the village know that we were celebrating Easter. Many thanks to all those who took part to make this a wonderful and inspiring Easter. June Powell |
Everyday Faith. Together Conference on Saturday 11th May, Pattern Church, Swindon
This conference will focus on · how we encounter God in our daily lives · where is God during our daily lives finding God in the fullness of our everyday life.
Tickets can be found at the following link
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Keynote speaker The day will be led by Steve Rouse from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC). Steve will help us see how we can grow in confidence as we live out our faith. What might it mean to be a ‘whole life church’ and what might this look like in our different contexts? We shall explore some of the real-life joys and challenges we all face, how we live fruitful lives and how we can encourage each other in shaping the culture of the places we find ourselves.
Voices from everyday life The day will be very practical, with opportunities to hear stories from ordinary Christian people from all parts of the Diocese. We will be encouraged by the experience of people starting out in life right through to retirement, hearing inspiring stories of God at work, often in unexpected ways.
Workshops The afternoon session offers workshops led by a variety of speakers.
Steve Rouse will lead a workshop on ways we can shape the church to make deep connections between our worship and the everyday lives of our congregations.
As a special bonus Dr Paulo Ueti, Theological Advisor and Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean with United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), will be leading a workshop focusing on stories of everyday discipleship from across the worldwide Anglican communion. Paulo will be joined by Right Reverend Joao Cancio and Reverend Dr Gustavo, both from the Anglican Diocese of Recife (Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil).
Please sign up and invite your friends If you have already booked your place, please share this message with your parish and family, friends, neighbours, or colleagues who you believe would enjoy the day and the opportunities it offers.
If you have not yet signed up, please join us for this exciting opportunity to learn together and from each other about the ways we grow every day in Christ. Tickets can be found at the following link https://bit.ly/EFTbooking |
Thy Kingdom Come (TKC) is a global ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world topray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people tocome to know Jesus.Since it began in May 2016, God has grown TKC from a dream of possibility into a movement which unites more than a million Christians in prayer in nearly 90% ofcountries worldwide, across 85 different denominations and traditions so that friends and family, neighbours andcolleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.Every person, household and church is encouraged topray during the 11 days in their own way.It is our hope and prayer that those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and His love for the worldwill hear it for themselves and respond and follow Him.Specifically, we again invite each all Christians acrossthe globe to pray that God’s Spirit might work in thelives of 5 people who have not responded with their‘Yes’ to God’s call.Whether you have joined in ‘Thy Kingdom Come’before or not, we invite you to take part and join in.“In praying 'Thy Kingdom Come' we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities." Archbishop Justin Welby |
This year Revd Wanda will be making available the prayer booklet Novena written by Bishop AnthonyPoggo (Secretary General of the Anglican Communion)as we study the book of Revelation whilst we prayDuring this time.For more information contact Revd Wanda Morriswanda@yateparish.org.uk |
Celebrate St. George!
On 1st March, the Welsh wear daffodils and national costume to honour St. David, their patron saint. On 17th March the Irish wear shamrocks and hold marches in Irish communities all over the world in honour of St. Patrick.
Let it not be said that the English lag behind in honour of our own patron saint, St. George.
On the evening of Saturday 27th April our St. George’s Day celebrations will take place in Westerleigh Village Hall at 7pm. Enjoy rousing patriotic songs, a sumptuous buffet of English fare and the companionship of friends and neighbours joining together to honour the patron saint of our beloved country. Wear red and white if you can, wear a rose if you can, most important of all, come if you can.
Tickets cost £10. Reserve you place by calling 01454 318157 or emailing kathrynmills@talktalk.net. |
Updated Contact Information Youth & Families Minister: Charlie Blackett Mobile: 07899 099 548 Email:Youthandfamilies@yateparish.org.uk |
Find out more
about The
Connection and Those Vicar Blokes on our website at yateparish,org
under the heading
Explore our Faith
A Weekly Group at St Nix Friday Re:fresh runs from 09:30 - 10:30 on a Friday during term-time held at St Nix.
A warm and welcoming group for adults and children (babies to school age) to spend time together chatting, playing, singing and pondering a spiritual thought of the day.
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Morning prayer in Yate Parish
Do you find prayer a little difficult? Would you like some inspiration? Go to the Yate Parish Facebook page to join in Morning Prayer led by our ministry team. You can watch live at 7.30am Monday to Saturday, or watch at any time later in the day. Many people have found it a great start to their day.
Weekly at St Mary’s
Thursday Communion at 10.00am
Compline @8pm
Before the lockdown happened, we had recorded the saying of Compline. We ask that each evening at 8pm we light a candle in our window and pray together for our nation using the words of the Compline service - it takes just over 5 minutes.
Visit the parish website and click on the recordings to listen; you will find the words of the service there too.
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