This Week and Beyond at St Michael's

The Parish Church building is still officially closed during the current lockdown measures so that we may continue to save lives and support our NHS BUT:

We continue to be a living and connected Christian community: some of our events are listed on this page and please explore the Blog section using the tab above. If you would like to be included in what's going on email us using the Contact tab at the top of this page.

The Government has now begun to ease some of the restrictions announced on Monday 23rd March though we are still asked to stay at home as much as possible. As part of our response to the public health crisis our church building is now shut for the foreseeable future. We nevertheless remain active as a Christian community of prayer and service.

We are proud to support these measures to save lives and support our NHS.  Here on our website we are posting up some appropriate reflections and resources. We send out a daily Email to keep in touch with one another - if you wish to be included contact us.

 

JUNE 2020

  • We have a resource for praying for the Departed if you wish to use it. It can be downloaded by clicking here.
  • We now have a section on how to donate to St Michael's. Use the Info tab above and you will find the entry on Giving and a big thank you to all those who support what we do. This has enabled us to carry on developing new ways of supporting and serving one another and our wider community during the lockdown.

 

Sunday 31st PENTECOST

  • 10 am Zoom Live Eucharist for the Feast of Pentecost request an order of service via email if you would like one and are not already on our pastoral network.
  • Today we remember the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the earliest followers of Jesus. Some call this the birth day of the Church. We celebrate the energy and mindset with which we are able to live and love enfolded in the heart of God. 

 

Prayer for this week:

O Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 
We continue to pray at 12 noon each day
  • Daily Prayer is giving us a sense of solidarity as a praying community even though we are physically apart from one another
  • Readings and Psalms for this week: 

    Monday 12 Noon Prayer: Psalm 47; Isaiah 32

    Tuesday 12 Noon Prayer: Psalms 48; Isaiah 33: 1-12

    Wednesday 12 Noon Prayer: Psalm 49; Isaiah 33: 13-24

    Thursday 12 Noon Prayer: Psalm 50; Isaiah 34

    Friday  12 Noon Prayer: Psalm 51; Isaiah 35

  • 3 pm Prayer for the Departed: click on the link above to find prayer resources  - the second form of service is recommended for this.

 

Saints and Festivals for this Week:
  • Monday 1st June; The Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth  There is a beautiful story in Luke's Gospel chapter 2 telling of the visit Mary payed to her cousin Elizabeth - both were expecting babies. Elizabeth was preparing to give birth to the future John the Baptist and Mary had just had an encounter with the Archangel Gabriel announcing the coming of Jesus if Mary gave her assent. Now the two women greet each other and Mary expresses herself in the words of the great canticle called 'The Magnificat' My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.  Today we pray for all expectant mothers and for everyone nurturing major future projects such as re-opening businesses after the lockdown, picking up the threads of education or planning a change of direction in their lives.
  • Wednesday 3rd Martyrs of Uganda, 1885-7 & 1977 the King of Buganda in the 1880's, Mwanga II, ordered the execution of 23 Anglicans and 22 Roman Catholics during the period of January 1885 to January 1887. The best known of them is Charles Lwanga, patron saint of African youth. In 1977 the erratic leader of Uganda, Idi Amin, tried to silence those who spoke out against him in the churches. Learn more about the courageous Archbishop Janani Luwum from John Sentamu, Archbishop of York who knew him personally and who was forced to flee the persecution.: https://www.archbishopofyork.org/john-sentamu/uganda/meeting-janani-luwum  Today we pray for all Christians in Uganda and for all those prepared to speak up against injustice and the abuse of power.
  • Thursday 4th  Petroc of Padstow, 564 was probably born in South Wales and spent time spreading Christianity to those living in Dumnonia - the area now known as Devon and Cornwall. He founded a monastery in Padstow. We pray today for the SW of our country and for those hard hit by the shutting down of the tourist industry there at the moment.
  • Friday 5th Boniface (Wynfryth), Martyr, 754 we pick up the Christian story in Devon with the birth of Wynfryth in Crediton in 672. He went on to become a missionary in the Frankish Empire working in 'Germania' and Frisia. He helped to weld together the Pope and the Carolingian rulers and to develop strong healthy Dioceses in Europe. The Pope consecrated him as Archbishop of Mainz. He is known as 'the Apostle of the Germans' and much celebrated in both Germany and in Fulda where he was buried after his martyrdom after an encounter with some Frisian bandits in 754. Today we pray for Germany and our links with friends and family there and for the links between Oxford and Bonn. May we continue Boniface's legacy of reconciliation and peace building. 

 

Next Week 7th June the Feast of the Holy and Undivided Trinity 
  • Zoom live at 10 am Trinity Sunday Eucharist 
  • The order of service will be sent out to those on our pastoral email network. If you would like to be included please use the tab above to contact us. NB we blind copy recipients in our messages so we protect your privacy.