Dear Friends
Hello, World
Perhaps like me you have been captivated by some of the images beamed back to earth from the Artemis II spacecraft. The above image, titled Hello, World, shows the Earth as seen from the Orion capsule. The Earth appears upside down, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right (apparently!). It is a reminder of the beauty and wonder of God’s creation despite the ugliness of much in our troubled world at the moment.
Holy Week and Easter was good
I always find journeying through Holy Week until we arrive at Easter Sunday to be a powerful experience. My grateful thanks to all who contributed to any of our services; we were blessed in so many ways. May the life-transforming significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection stay with each one of us as we continue in our Christian pilgrimage.
Jesus in glory
As we come to the last of our Sunday sermons using Lent and Easter for everyone: from wilderness to glory by Tom Wright as our framework, our theme this week is Jesus in glory. Our focus will be Matthew 28:16-20 – Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Inspiring each member of the church family to take the next step in their journey of faith
The first of three Specific Action Points to support the first priority of our current Church Development Plan is “To identify what has helped people grow in their faith as well as finding out from our own church family what they would or would not find helpful.” Concerning progress, Chris Holloway writes, “From over sixty suggestions to help us take the Next Step on our Journey of Faith, we identified two major themes: help people engage in the activities of the church beyond Sunday worship; and create a forum to share with one another what has helped and encouraged us.”
Viva España
It’s not too late to purchase a ticket or two for Viva España which takes place this coming Sunday at 5.30pm. Surrey Brass are a superb brass ensemble known for a more symphonic repertoire ideally suited to our church. They will be offering a Spanish theme, and there will be interval drinks available. All proceeds to St Nicolas church; tickets available here.
A shared responsibility
Please do support our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) if you can. I am conscious that the church is all baptised believers rather than just some who happen to be into that kind of thing, and as such we all share responsibility for making sure things happen as well as they can. Our APCM takes place at 11.45am on Sunday 26 April after a shortened service of Holy Communion with refreshments afterwards. As well as an opportunity to reflect and look forward, the meeting also provides an opportunity to elect new members of Deanery Synod and the Parochial Church Council (PCC). Could this be you? In addition, we are seeking two new Assistant Churchwardens. I, or one of our current wardens, would love to hear from you if you would be willing to consider this. Further information is available on our APCM webpage; click here.
Keeping up to date
Please take time to read our weekly notice sheet which is available both online (click here) and in church. Excerpts from our 10 o’clock service, including the seventh in our current sermon series, are available here.
And finally…
Whilst images of the earth from space are undeniably awe-inspiring, more awe-inspiring still is the fact that the God of this amazing creation draws near to each one of us. The same thought captivated King David:
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3-4
Wishing you much grace and peace.
Alan
Alan Jenkins
Rector
