The Cranmer Blog (News, Events, Sermons)

Dear Cranmer Group Friends, 

I hope you’re all doing as well as we can in these continuing difficult times. I’m sorry that there’s been a gap in me posting our online service transcripts – it seems to have been a really busy couple of weeks, and I never managed to get round to completing them, so here you have “three for the price of one”: 

Our Archbishops, Justin and Stephen, have written in an open letter, “As we reach the terrible milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, we invite everyone in our nation to pause as we reflect on the enormity of this pandemic. 100,000 isn’t just an abstract figure. Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us. We also believe that each of these people was known to God and cherished by God. We write to you then in consolation, but also in encouragement, and ultimately in the hope of Jesus Christ. The God who comes to us in Jesus knew grief and suffering himself. On the cross, Jesus shares the weight of our sadness. We therefore encourage everyone who is feeling scared, or lost or isolated to cast their fears on God.” 

They have therefore called upon all Christians to join together in prayer, at 6pm each evening during this month of February. I very much encourage you to join with us all in this time of prayer, whether every day, or on whichever days you are able to do so.

It’s also less than a fortnight until the start of Lent, on Ash Wednesday. We will have an online service that morning at 10AM – details are in the February Newsletter (see the blog post relating to that). We’ll also be distributing devotional prayers, and small quantities of ash (made from the burning of palm crosses, as is traditional), with which you can mark the sign of the cross on your forehead, as a sign of penance, and in recognition of our mortality. Please do contact Jade Blaylock, our Administrator, on 07526 603766 and at thecranmergroup@gmail.com, if you would like to receive these, and also a copy of the Church of England’s excellent daily devotional for Lent, “God’s Story, Our Story”. And if you also wish to receive a small olive wood devotional cross to hold in your hands as you pray, please also let Jade know.

Finally, I also strongly recommend the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2021 Lent Book, “Living His Story” by Hannah Steele, which costs £7.99. There will be an online group reading this together over Lent. Again, details are in the February Newsletter, so do see that blog post.

May you continue to know God’s peace and comfort at this time.
Do keep safe – Clare’s and my very best wishes and prayers are with you all,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

 

We began the New Year back in the hard, but necessary, position of having to hold our services only online again – our first priority is to keep all of you, our wonderful parishioners, safe.

Our Lay Reader, Annie Dickinson, preached to us on Sunday 3rd (the Feast of the Epiphany) about “A Different Way” – the way that the Magi followed, in obedience to hearing from God; and the new way – the New Covenant of joy – foreseen in the prophecies of Jeremiah. Here’s that service:

And here, too, is the service from Sunday 10th, when we celebrate The Baptism of Christ, in which Tim shared with us about “New Starts” – that of the Creation story of Genesis, and of Jesus’s baptism in Mark’s Gospel:

We hope very much that you’ll continue to join us in our online services on Sunday mornings, or that you’ll catch up on YouTube or via our podcast page afterwards

Go well, stay safe, and God bless,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Dear Friends,

We were delighted to be back in our church buildings again this last Sunday – for Holy Communion at St. John of Beverley, Whatton. Here’s Tim’s sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent, considering what it means to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ, and to help others prepare themselves also:

We look forward very much to welcoming you to our remaining Advent and Christmas services over the coming weeks.

Best wishes, and God bless,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Dear Friends, 

I hope that this finds you all doing as well as possible.

Today’s will be our last online service for a while (and hopefully, with the positive vaccine developments, it may even prove to be our final dedicated online service), since next Sunday, December 6^th, sees us back in our church buildings – at St. John of Beverley, Whatton, at 10AM.

We’ll keep our rhythm of Sunday services between our three larger church buildings for the time being, so that means Orston on December 13^th; Aslockton on the 20^th; and Whatton again on the 27^th, but we of course have our special Advent and Christmas services in all of our six villages. Dates and times of these are being finalised, taking into account all of the Government guidance, and will be communicated to you (electronically and via the Cranmer Group Christmas card through your door!) very shortly.

Given that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be back into Tier 3 restrictions, and the need to keep one another safe by following hygiene and social distancing measures in our services, we’re continuing to ask you, if you plan to attend our Sunday services from December 6th, 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. This will apply especially to our Christmas services, which we hope will be attended by many people who are perhaps not regular members of our congregations.

I look forward very much to seeing you at our services – it’ll be wonderful to be back together to worship the Lord!

In the meantime, here’s the service transcript for today, Sunday, November 29th:

Best wishes to you all, and God bless.

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Dear Friends, 

I hope that this finds you all doing as well as possible.

I’m very pleased to say that, following the Government’s recent announcement, we will be back in our church buildings for Sunday services as of December 6^th. Even under restricted circumstances, I know that we have all missed being able to be together in person to worship God and enjoy fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so it will be great to be back together.

Given that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be back into Tier 3 restrictions, and the need to keep one another safe by following hygiene and social distancing measures in our services, we’re continuing to ask you, if you plan to attend our Sunday services from December 6th, 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. This will apply especially to our Christmas services, which we hope will be attended by many people who are perhaps not regular members of our congregations.

Details of our Advent and Christmas services will follow very shortly on our homepage. We’re waiting for the Government and Church of England to give detailed guidelines as to what will, and what will not, be allowed, perhaps especially in relation to singing. But even if congregations are unable to join in carols as we all wish, the hope for which we wait in the coming Advent season – that of the Christ child, Emmanuel, God with us – remains as steadfast and sure as always.

I’m afraid that my record of posting service transcripts and sermons has recently not been as good as I would like it to be, despite my best intentions. So here is the service transcript for this last Sunday, November 22nd:

…and here is that for Sunday November 15th:

….along with my sermon from Remembrance Sunday, November 8th:

…and that from All Saints’ Day, Sunday November 1st:

You can of course view these services, whether in-church or our Online Services, on our YouTube channel here, as usual.

My best wishes and prayers to you all, and God bless.

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

It’s been a while since you received a Newsletter from me. I hope this brings you more up-to-date with what’s been going on over recent weeks, and what we have in store during October and November, slightly subject to whatever new restrictions we may find ourselves under (watch out for any changes to arrangements due to any new government guidelines!).

You all continue to be in Clare’s and my thoughts and prayers.

With love, and God bless,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to be able to celebrate the wonders of God’s Creation, and his bounty to each one of us, in our two Harvest Festival services this last Sunday, in St. Mary, Orston in the morning, and St. John of Beverley, Whatton, in the afternoon. Both churches looked splendid – thank you so much to all who decorated them so beautifully, and also to Sarah and Deborah on the organ in the respective services, and the choirs for enabling us to participate in sung worship, even in these strange times.

We also received some wonderful donations of non-perishable goods for Newark Women’s Aid and The Friary in West Bridgford, which have already been very gratefully received by the two charities. Remembering those less fortunate than ourselves not only in the local area, but also internationally, we also collected well in excess of £200 for the Christian charities, Tearfund and Christian Aid. Thank you all for your generous giving to those who lack so many things we take for granted.

Here’s the Harvest Order of Service:

and my sermon:

Enjoy!

News of all our services during the rest of October and November are on our Cranmer Group homepage. Especially in the light of the worsening Coronavirus situation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and the need to keep one another safe by following hygiene and social distancing measures in our services, 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. This particularly applies to the Remembrance Sunday service in Whatton on November 8th, which we are sure will be very well-attended. Thank you all once again for your help with this.

With my very best wishes to you all, stay safe, and God bless,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

Dear Friends,

We’ve been a bit behind in posting on the website all the sermons and services that took place in September – I’m sorry for that!

Here – at last – are the services from the last month, as we’ve been following in our services what it means to “be church”. First of all, here is the service from September 27th, in which we reflected upon being “called to be…hopeful”:

….and here, in a ‘bumper pack’ are the three services from September 6th, 13th and 20th, in which Tim looked at being “called to be…scriptural”; “called to be…prayerful”; and “called to be…worshipful” respectively:

In all of them, we consider a fundamental part of what it is to “be church”; to be a people who witness on this earth to the Kingdom of God, and who play a part in the Kingdom breaking into the present.

Of course, if you wish to watch these Sunday services (or perhaps watch them again!), you can catch up with them later, on our YouTube channel here.

Every blessing,

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569

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 6^th Sept. (BCP) and St. Mary’s Orston on 13^thSept. (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

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 30^th. 

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 (6^th Sept.) and Orston (13^th Sept.) – but will send out more details after the Aslockton service on Aug 30^th. 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!

Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar
The Cranmer Group
NEW E-mail: vicar@cranmergroup.org.uk   
NEW Tel: 01949 850523
Mobile: 07946 526569