Hi Everyone – for the first time, from within the Cranmer Group itself!
We’ve finally been able to move into Aslockton Vicarage, and – although still surrounded by vast piles of unopened boxes – it’s great to be on the ground. Clare, Esther (and Ella the Labrador) and I are greatly looking forward to meeting you all in person over the coming weeks and months (albeit socially distanced for the time being) and to sharing with you in what God is doing throughout our communities.
This week’s virtual service is on our podcast page as usual; I hope very much that you enjoy participating in it.
We welcome our first podcast sermon from a member of our Benefice – Annie Dickinson, our Lay Reader. It’s great to hear from Annie her thoughts on St. Paul’s preaching to the people of Athens, from Acts chapter 17, and especially her challenge to us as to what our ‘gods’ might be, similarly to all the Athenians with their pantheon – ‘a god for every eventuality’. We believe that we have just the one God for all eventualities, and indeed all of life, but is our worship always directed to him, as opposed to any ‘idols’ we may harbour?
The great Italian painter Raphael portrayed Paul speaking to the Athenians, in an image he designed for an immense series of tapestries adorning the lower walls of the Sistine Chapel in Rome’s Vatican City. They are never on view due to their extreme fragility, but were displayed together in the Sistine this last February for the first time in over 400 years, in celebration of Raphael’s 500th anniversary:
So if you, like me, weren’t on Rome during that one week, it’s going to be rather a long for us all to wait until the next time they’re on show! But you can see the ‘cartoons’ (full-scale preparatory drawings) for the tapestries, including St. Paul Preaching to the Athenians, in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, where they’re on permanent display – they’re very beautiful, and well worth a look
Our worship in today’s service:
Filled With Compassion
Filled with compassion for all creation
Jesus came into a world that was lost
There was but one way that He could save us
Only through suffering death on a cross
God You are waiting
Your heart is breaking
For all the people who live on the earth
Stir us to action
Filled with Your passion
For all the people who live on the earth
Great is Your passion for all the people
Living and dying without knowing You
Having no Saviour they’re lost forever
If we don’t speak out and lead them to You
Chorus
From every nation we shall be gathered
Millions redeemed shall be Jesus’ reward
Then He will turn and say to His Father
Truly my suffering was worth it all
Chorus
Noel Richards © 1994 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music
Thou Whose Almighty Word
Thou, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and, where the Gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light!
Thou who didst come to bring
on thy redeeming wing
healing and sight,
heal to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
now to all humankind,
let there be light!
Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving holy Dove,
speed forth thy flight!
Move o’er the waters’ face
bearing the lamp of grace,
and, in earth’s darkest place,
let there be light!
Blessèd and holy Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean’s tide,
rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide,
let there be light!
John Marriott (1720-1825)
I’m again suggesting you might like to try out a more contemporary worship song. This week, it’s ‘Your Kingdom Come’, by Pete James, which was specially composed for the Thy Kingdom Come global prayer initiative in 2018. It has a beautiful piano accompaniment, and the video has some wonderful images of a candlelit St. Paul’s Cathedral! You can listen to it (with the lyrics in the film itself) at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA2q295l9A0 I hope you enjoy it!
As usual, if you’d prefer to read rather than listen to the podcast, the sermon transcript, reading and prayers can be downloaded here:
There are three brief notices today about what’s going on in the Cranmer Group over the coming days:
New-Look Sundays: Zoom Catch-Ups – STARTING THIS MORNING!
Listen to the podcast at 9.30; grab a quick coffee; and then join us on Zoom at 10.15 for a catch-up across the Benefice. Chat about the sermon, the weather, or anything you like, until 11.00 at latest.
Join the Zoom call here (Meeting ID: 864 0083 1074 ; Password: 549794) – we look forward to seeing you all there!
Thy Kingdom Come
Details of all that will be going on across the Benefice for the Thy Kingdom Come global prayer initiative will be sent to you all on Monday 17th. Do join in with as many as you wish of the different ways we’ll have available to pray – talking with God and listening to God.
And if you especially wish to celebrate Ascension Day, Thursday, May 21st, do join the service from Southwell Minster – details will be here.
“You’ll Get Through This”
We’re going to try out an online home group on Zoom, following a study
series, “You’ll Get Through This”, by Max Lucado, the popular
author. It’s based around the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.
Over seven weeks, we’ll watch a short film in which Max looks at Joseph’s story, applying it to our lives. We’ll then talk about what we’ve heard, using the discussion materials, and close in prayer.
I’ll lead the weekly sessions, starting on Tuesday May 19th, 7.30 – 9.00PM. Sign up with me/our administrator, Jade (thecranmergroup@gmail.com and 07526 603766), ASAP! We’ll get the Zoom details and materials to you. Any questions, do contact me. I look forward to seeing you online, and to growing in faith together.
There seems a lot to take in this week – well done for getting this far! Do please get in touch (details below, or indeed you can now just drop round to the Vicarage) if there’s any way in which I or our church families can help you at in these difficult times – or just to say, “Hi!”
Best wishes, stay safe, and God bless,
Rev. Tim Chambers
Vicar, the Cranmer Group
E-mail: curate@stgilesparish.com
Mobile: 07946 526569