Dear Friends,
Within this next ten days, we welcome one of the Church’s major festivals, Ascension Day (and I shall share Malcom Guite’s poem about The Ascension with you shortly), we also have an annual opportunity to focus on supporting in prayer and finance the worldwide work for justice and peace of Christian Aid (and my video of intercessions is focussed on that), and on 17th May we move into another ‘more open and social’ stage of the government’s Covid 19 Recovery Roadmap.
Ascension Day is Thursday, 13th May, and there will be one Eucharist for the whole Parish at 7pm in St Peter’s.
Here is Malcolm Guite’s poem:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed.
This Sunday, 9th May, the Sixth Sunday of Easter:
10am St Peter’s: Lucinda will preach and I shall preside at Communion.
Lucinda’s sermon can be accessed on video using this link: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER SERMON
Intercessions, particularly focussed on supporting the work of Christian Aid, can be accessed as follows: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER INTERCESSIONS
10am St Augustin’s: The Rev’d Dr Chris Steed will preside and preach at Communion.
10.45am St Stephen’s: The Rev’d David Lund will preside and preach at Mass.
6.30 pm on zoom Sacred Space – a contemporary form of the Church’s Night Prayers (Compline) will be lead online by Dr Chris Steed. Follow this zoom link: SACRED SPACE ZOOM LINK
To go to the Christian Aid website and done follow this link: CHRISTIAN AID
On Sunday, 16th May, the Sunday after the Ascension, services ‘in person’ will be as follows in our three churches, and there will continue to be video offerings on the usual YouTube channel:
10am St Peter’s: The Rev’d Dr Gareth Sherwood, CEO of Bournemouth’s YMCA, will preach, and I shall preside at Communion.
10am St Augustin’s: The Rev’d Dr David Wheeler will preside and preach.
10.45am St Stephen’s: The Rev’d John Staples will preside and preach.
The following week, beginning Monday, 17th May, we greatly look forward to Parry’s Cafe reopening in St Peter’s. Do contact Chris Mayne if you would like to help with the cafe. This is a hugely important part of our welcoming people – all people – to the glorious sacred space that is St Peter’s Church. There is also a coffee morning planned at the Miramar Hotel at 10am on Tuesday 18th May organised by the Friends of St Peter’s, so contact Chris (Tel: 07831 175312 or Email: chrischuckmayne@btinternet.com) to book your place and see some friendly and familiar faces once again.
Also, on Wednesdays, 4- 5pm, starting on Wednesday, 19th May, I hope to welcome to a Bible Study meeting in our garden anyone who would like to study with me some of the major themes that emerge from St John’s Gospel, asking how these themes shed light on our lives, our closeness to God, and the decisions we make; there will also be some open praying around those themes. All are welcome.
We shall recommence hosting in St Peter’s Bournemouth’s Town Pastors on Friday and Saturday evenings, as night clubs gradually reopen. The Town Pastors offer an excellent ministry of caring for those who become a touch ‘the worse for wear’ after a night of clubbing, and we are very pleased to support and host them.
Enjoy the week!
Ian
The Rev’d Dr Ian Terry