Remembering Prince Philip and those you have loved and lost ….
Click to light an online candle, make space to pray
Prayers as we mourn
Growing Back
Growing Back
What's the plan?
Stage one: Recentre our lives on Jesus as we safely navigate a way to meet together.
Stage two: Journey from Easter through to Pentecost, and beyond, aiming to re-establish weekly services across the benefice, all subject to national guidance.
Stage three: Through prayer and planning, seek God's will to build and establish new growth.
Beauty for Ashes
The restrictions of lockdown this Lent present us with a real opportunity to go through this season focusing on own selves and souls, and potentially reap the rewards of a holier, deeper and more wholesome relationship with the Lord, at the end of it.
Lent then is the perfect opportunity to return to our deep relationship with God, to listen to him, to offer the ashes of our own lives, that he may exchange them for beauty, and give us hope, courage, mercy and love in abundance.
Pray for our nation
Pray for our nation
The UK's C-19 death toll sadly passed 100,000 people last week.
The bishops of our Diocese, +Steven, +Olivia and +Alan have echoed calls from the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury to join together at 6pm every day to pray for the nation.
Although the Archbishops suggest 6pm, you can pray any time, anywhere.
We recommend following these words based on Psalm 23, written by Bishop Steven. Find a regular time each day when you can spend a moment of quiet casting your fears onto God.
Who is Jesus ?
Candlemas (2nd February) is about half way between Christmas and Easter. It’s a pivotal point when we look back at Jesus’ birth and forward to Easter, his suffering, death and resurrection. Here is a meditation on the different reactions to the birth of Jesus that we find in the Christmas story. Based on an idea from Sylvia Penny. Click on the arrow in the image to watch the slideshow.
Same storm, different boats
"Working parents want kids to go back to school because school closures directly impacts them.
Teachers don’t want schools to open because covid spreading round their school directly impacts them.
NHS staff want a full lockdown because sick covid patients directly impacts them.
Business owners want to carry on as normal because lockdown directly impacts them.
People with physical health problems want everyone to stay socially distant because catching covid could kill them.
People with mental health problems want people to spend time with because isolation could kill them.
Some can’t wait for a vaccine because they believe it will bring back some normality.
Some are terrified of a vaccine because they believe it could harm them.
We are all going through this but none of us are going through the same thing.
Some face crippling financial challenges, others face heart break.
We don’t all have to agree with what is best because what’s best for us won’t be best for everyone.
We don’t have to understand what others are going through. But we do need to stick together and keep loving each other no matter our differences.
We need to be mindful when some things go the way we want it to, it could be terrible news to another person. We need to be kind."
Latest News from CIRDIC (drop-in for Reading homeless)
CIRDIC update from Lynn Smith
I dropped the donations left at St Stephens to CIRDIC Monday morning and had a catch up and chat with some of the people outside. Apart from the many “regulars” I speak to I’ve noticed over the last few months that there are more younger people who’ve been using the centre – a sad sign of the times – but how wonderful it is that CIRDIC is there.
I asked the centre manager if they had anything (alongside the usual things they need) that they are in particular need of over the next couple of weeks - and they have a special request for :
men’s spray deodorant (not roll on),
men’s underpants,
large disposable paper coffee cups, and
takeaway containers.
