Holy Darkness
At this afternoon’s Hour at the Cross, we played this song. Really says it all about Good Friday.
Easter Services 2013
With only a few weeks before Easter, this is a detailed look at the services during Easter week:
Sunday 24th March – Palm Sunday
We begin our service in the Parish Centre, where we recall Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The palm branches the crowds waved are remembered as crosses made from palm leaves are blessed and given to each person present. Many like to take one to relatives, neighbours or friends. They are kept in the home as a focal point for prayer. They serve as a reminder that the praises sung as the branches were waved that day quickly turned to shouts calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. Processing into church during our first hymn, the service ends with an extended reading of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus – as there will be some present who will not be in church until the following Sunday’s Easter celebrations.
Monday 25th and 26th March 7.00pm
Compline. This quiet, short service is one used by Monastic communities at the end of the day, as an opportunity to reflect on the events it has contained. It helps us to slow down, and to sustain the Monastic pattern of worship which formed St Mary’s in its early years.
Wednesday 27th March 10.00am
Communion. As the shadow of the cross looms ever larger, we ponder the events in the Upper Room as Jesus prepares his disciples for the horrors which will unfold.
Thursday 28th March – Maundy Thursday
Holy Communion and Foot Washing. 7.30pm. As a reminder of the act of Jesus in washing the feet of his disciples, the leader washes the feet of 12 members of the congregation. It is a call to all of us to be willing to follow the example of Jesus in serving others.
If the Son of God can perform the action of a slave, every Christian should be willing to do the most menial of tasks to help others. At the end of this service, the church is stripped of all finery and precious items as a reminder that Jesus was stripped of all he had as he faced the cross.
Because Jesus left the Upper Room where he had shared his Last Supper and made his way to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, inviting his friends to support him in that time, people are offered the opportunity to do the same.
A small ‘garden scene’ becomes a focal point and in silence and subdued light each person spends quiet time reflecting on the inner turmoil Jesus experienced.
Friday 29th March – Good Friday
At the Foot of the Cross – 2-3.00pm. Unlike previous years, we will spend the final hour of Jesus’ time on the cross focussing on the events of Good Friday. Why is such a terrible day called Good? It was accomplished for our good, and won forgiveness from God so that in his eyes we are regarded as good. During this reflective time, we will burn papers which contain words we have written asking for forgiveness. This will happen at the foot of the cross in the gardens behind the church.
Saturday 30th March
Reflective Easter Eve Service – 8.30pm. This is an ancient tradition which sets the events of Holy Week in the bigger picture of God’s works throughout history. What happened at the death and resurrection of Jesus is seen as the pivot around which history turns, its grand climatic event. The service happens once the sun has gone down and recognises that God’s actions often happen when we’re all asleep. It helps us to realise we’re not indispensable! Candles are lit, the church building is transformed from the bare, dark Good Friday setting to a theatre of resurrection. Everyone is invited to renew the promises of their baptism. A very special service!
Sunday 31st March – All-Age Communion for Easter – 10.30am
A celebration of new life, of renewed hope, of joyful singing. The water of baptism is splashed around, denoting a fresh start, and together we share in the feast at God’s table – a victory feast!! If you’re not inside the building, you’ll hear us if you’re in the area!! Children search for hidden eggs just as the disciples searched for the body of Jesus. They didn’t find what they were looking for – but the children will find plenty of symbols of new life!
The whole journey is a powerful and symbolic path which leads from fear to joy, from darkness to light, from oppression to victory. In a world where fear, darkness and oppression infect all our lives in different ways, this journey speaks into our own life’s journey and sheds its light and hope into our being. It’s not just an old story from long ago – it has a power which resonates with our life today. If you need to find that power for yourself, come along and let the journey carry you with it.
Ash Wednesday
The beginning of Lent, some 40 days before Easter Sunday (31st March) is on Wednesday 13th February. This year we will be hosting the service at St Mary’s at 7.30pm and we are inviting those at St Michael’s East Ardsley and other local congregations to join us.
There will be no 10am service on this particular Wednesday. The service will include the traditional ‘ashing’ on the forehead and communion. It is a helpful start to this season of preparation for the Easter Celebration. Join us if you can!
Baptism and Confirmation at Epiphany
On Epiphany Sunday, we were delighted to welcome the Bishop of Wakefield to St Mary’s to lead our Baptism and Confirmation service.
Four candidates were being confirmed, and one of those was also being Baptised. It was great to welcome them and their sponsors this morning.
The service started off with the Bishop welcoming everybody to the service and reminding us that Epiphany is a traditional time for Confirmation with the focus of journeys. The Bishop preached on this similarity as well.
The first part of the service was Gareth’s Baptism. This was incorporated with the Bishop reminding us all of our Baptisms, and doing this practically by liberally sprinkling the Baptism water over the congregation! However, it is fair to say that Gareth received his fair share of the water as well – it was dripping off him for most of the service.
Then we moved onto the confirmation part of the service. It was nice to hear from all the candidates why they have chosen to be confirmed, and then they made promises to confirm their Baptism promises.
The Bishop then celebrated the Eucharist, and the newly confirmed, and their sponsors and family were the first to receive communion this morning.
After the communion, the newly confirmed received their candles which they will keep. After the Blessing at the end of the service, the Bishop led the newly confirmed up the aisle to the back of church.
After the service, the congregation shared a faith lunch, which traditionally at St Mary’s are always well supported! Overall this was a terrific way for the church family of St Mary’s to start 2013 and move us forward into the new year, a lot of people were heard to say how much they’d enjoyed the service and that having the lunch in church rather than going round to the Parish Centre was really nice.
Below, pictured around the font at the end of the service is, left to right: Rev Amanda Barraclough (Vicar of St Mary’s), Paul Martin, Hannah Tombling, Bishop of Wakefield, Gareth Twohey, Laura Wiesiolek.
Confirmation Service
We are delighted to welcome Bishop Stephen (the Bishop of Wakefield) to join us for a Confirmation Service next Sunday 6th January 2013.
At this service, four people will be confirmed, and one of these baptised.
Afterwards, a faith lunch will shared by the church family to celebrate with the family and friends of those being confirmed.
The service is at 10.30am as usual.
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Christingle Special Guest
At our 5pm Christingle service this evening, Charlie and Alice were joined by Kebab the Camel! He had accidentally made it to Woodkirk (we think with the help of Dr Who) on his way back from carrying one of the wise men back from Bethlehem.
Here is Charlie and Alice with Kebab in front of the crib in the altar.
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