Sunday Service – August 30th

Dear Friends, 

Great news! We’ve been able to be back in our church buildings today – we shared in a service of Holy Communion at St. Thomas’s Aslockton, which went, I hope, very well. Many thanks indeed to Graham & Pam Harper, and Eddie & Cynthia Molloy for all that they did to get the church shipshape, and then stewarding the service for us. Similarly, many thanks to Deborah Davies for playing the organ for us – humming the hymns behind our face masks!

We’ll be in St. John’s Whatton on Sunday 6th Sept. (BCP) and St. Mary’s Orston on 13thSept. (Common Worship), for services of Holy Communion. 

Given the length of time since we’ve had any services, we’re unsure of how many people may wish to join us and – since we have to observe social distancing measures to combat any Coronavirus risk – we’re continuing to ask you, if you plan to attend, please would you book your place for the service, in advance. Please contact Jade Blaylock, our Administrator, at thecranmergroup@gmail.com or 07526 603766, to reserve your place. Once again, this will help us to fit more people into the service; help us look after you better; and hopefully avoid us having to turn anyone away.

And of course you can also catch up later with the Sunday service, on our YouTube channel here, and we’ve re-instigated our podcasts as well, for those who may prefer to listen to the service in that format – they are here.

Our worship today has been led by Deborah Davies – thank you so much as always, Deborah:

The Church’s One Foundation
Played by Deborah Davies

The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the word:
From heaven he came and sought her
To be his holy Bride;
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.

Called out from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth:
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food;
And to one hope she presses
With every grace endued.

Yet she on earth has union
With God the Three in One;
And mystic, sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.

Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You 
Played by Deborah Davies

Brother, sister let me serve you. 
Let me be as Christ to you; 
Pray that I may have the grace to 
Let you be my servant too. 

We are pilgrims on a journey, 
And companions on the road; 
We are here to help each other 
Walk the mile and bear the load. 

I will hold the Christ-light for you 
In the night-time of your fear; 
I will hold my hand out to you, 
Speak the peace you long to hear. 

I will weep when you are weeping; 
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you; 
I will share your joy and sorrow till 
We’ve seen this journey through. 

Show Me How to Stand for Justice 
Played by Deborah Davies

Show me how to stand for justice
How to work for what is right,
How to challenge false assumptions,
How to walk within the light.
May I learn to share more freely
In a world so full of greed,
Showing your immense compassion
By the life I choose to lead.

Teach my heart to treasure mercy,
Whether given or received –
For my need has not diminished
Since the day I first believed;
Let me seek no satisfaction
Boasting of what I have done,
But rejoice that I am pardoned
And accepted in your Son.

Gladly I embrace a lifestyle
Modelled on your living word,
In humility submitting
To the truth which I have heard.
Make me conscious of your presence
Ev’ry day in all I do:
By your Spirit’s gracious prompting
May I learn to walk with you.

As usual, if you’d prefer to read rather than watch the video, the sermon transcript, readings, prayers for today, and worship lyrics can be downloaded here:

And if you cannot make it to our churches for private prayer (see the homepage for the times when each church is open every week), do keep joining us for our online prayer gatherings.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers at this challenging but exciting time. You all continue to be in mine.

Best wishes, and God bless, 

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar

The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   

NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Sunday Service – August 23rd

Dear Friends, 

I hope you’re all doing very well.

I have some exciting, good news for you – we’re finally going to have services in at least some of our Cranmer Group church buildings from next Sunday! 

You’re very warmly invited to join us for a service of Holy Communion at St. Thomas’s, Aslockton, at 10AM on Sunday, August 30th

Given the length of time since we’ve had any services, we’re unsure of how many people may wish to join us and – since we have to observe social distancing measures to combat any Coronavirus risk – we’ve decided that we have to ask you, if you plan to attend, please would you book your place for the service, in advance. Please contact Jade Blaylock, our Group Administrator, on 07526 603766 or at thecranmergroup@gmail.com, to reserve your place. This will help us to fit more people into the service; help us look after you better; and hopefully avoid us having to turn anyone away.

We’ll send out information in advance of the service to let you know what to expect, since it will have to be a bit different from a ‘normal’ service. At this stage, we plan to hold Holy Communion services on a rotating basis in the Group’s three largest churches – Aslockton, Whatton (6th Sept.) and Orston (13th Sept.) – but will send out more details after the Aslockton service on Aug 30th. Do please keep us in your prayers at this challenging but exciting time.

We will also continue to have online access to services – our current plan is to livestream the service, connectivity permitting, from Aslockton, Whatton and Orston. At worst, we will have either a video upload of the service, or a sermon podcast, both available to watch/listen to, when you wish, here on our website/podcast pages. Look out for further details in due course!

Do watch our Online Service video here at 9.30AM on Sunday 23rd, and then, as usual, join us here on Zoom (Meeting ID: 864 0083 1074; Password: 549794) from 10.15AM for a catch-up with all your Cranmer Group friends.

And of course you can also catch up later with the Online Service, on our YouTube channel here, and we’ve re-instigated our podcasts as well, for those who may prefer to listen to the service in that format – they are here.

Our worship today has been led by Deborah Davies and Deb Hubbard – thank you so much as always, Deborah and Deb:

Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done
Played by Deborah Davies

Love’s redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo, our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo, he sets in blood no more!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal:
Christ has burst the gates of hell;
Death in vain forbids his rise;
Christ has opened Paradise.

Lives again our glorious King;
Where, O Death, is now thy sting?
Dying once, he all doth save;
Where thy victory, O grave?

Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head;
Made like him, like him we rise;
ours the cross, the grave, the skies:

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to you by both be given:
The we greet triumphant now;
Hail the Resurrection thou!

Charles Wesley

Rejoice, The Lord Is King! 
Played by Deb Hubbard

Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail;
He rules both earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand
Till all his foes submit,
And bow to his command,
And fall beneath his feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! 
Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take his servants up
To their eternal home.
We soon shall hear the archangel’s voice;
God’s trumpet call shall sound, rejoice!

Charles Wesley

As usual, if you’d prefer to read rather than watch the video, the sermon transcript, reading, prayers for today, and worship lyrics can be downloaded here:

And if you cannot make it to our churches for private prayer (see the homepage for the times when each church is open every week), do keep joining us for our online prayer gatherings.

Best wishes, God bless, and hope to see you in person next Sunday!

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Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar

The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   

NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Sunday Service – August 16th

Dear Friends, 

I hope that this finds you well – it’s very good to be back with you after something of a break, with some of my time spent having lots of fun with Esther, as Clare has been finishing her dissertation. 

Thank you so much to those of you who very kindly took the time to complete both the survey on re-opening our church buildings, and also the personal contact details form. Your very helpful feedback in the survey is being used to inform how we will open up for services once again, which will be within early September at latest, across a number, but at least initially not all, of our six churches.

I’d also mentioned the Diocesan Real Life discipleship course, which we will be hosting on Thursday evenings, starting September 17th, in St. Thomas’s Aslockton (or possibly online – we’re planning for the former, but it may have to be the latter). This is a great opportunity to strengthen your faith through excellent teaching and discussion – do find more details, and sign up for it, at https://southwell.anglican.org/real-life-questions/, or contact me if you’re unsure how to do so/don’t have internet access.

Do watch our Online Service video here at 9.30AM on Sunday 16th, and then, as usual, join us here on Zoom (Meeting ID: 864 0083 1074; Password: 549794) from 10.15AM for a catch-up with all your Cranmer Group friends.

And of course you can also catch up later with the Online Service, on our YouTube channel here, and we’ve re-instigated our podcasts as well, for those who may prefer to listen to the service in that format – they are here.

Our worship today has been led by Deborah Davies – thank you so much as always, Deborah:

Blest Are the Pure in Heart 
Played by Deborah Davies

Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God;
The secret of the Lord is theirs,
Their soul is Christ’s abode.

The Lord who left the heavens
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King.

Still to the lowly soul
He doth himself impart
And for his dwelling and his throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.

Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be:
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee.

John Keble

Let All the World 
Played by Deborah Davies

Let all the world in every corner sing,
My God and King! 
The heavens are not too high,
His praise may thither fly; 
The earth is not too low,
His praises there may grow. 
Let all the world in every corner sing,
My God and King!

Let all the world in every corner sing,
My God and King! 
The church with psalms must shout,
No door can keep them out; 
But, above all, the heart
Must bear the longest part. 
Let all the world in every corner sing,
My God and King!

George Herbert

As usual, if you’d prefer to read rather than watch the video, the sermon transcript, reading, prayers for today, and worship lyrics can be downloaded here:

And if you cannot make it to our churches for private prayer (see the homepage for the times when each church is open every week), do keep joining us for our online prayer gatherings.

Wishing you all every blessing,

Best wishes, God bless, and hope to see you soon,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group

E-mail: curate@stgilesparish.com 
Mobile: 07946 526569