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Dear Friends,
Please find attached the electronic version of the May Parish Magazine, a unique edition for a unique time -
My very many thanks to the ten contributors, which is possibly a record number of inputs, this makes this month's mag special in more ways than one. Wouldn't it be super to move up to eleven inputs for the June edition, so please do put your thinking caps on, pen to paper and contributions gratefully received by either myself or Pam.
It is too long since I thanked Pam for all her work on the magazine -
Take care, stay safe, keep in touch -
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
We will soon celebrate the greatest day in our Church year and, as I said in my last email, celebrate we truly and surely will, just differently, mindful of the solemn events surrounding us. The Easter truth we proclaim every year remains; at the same time the momentous events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday resonate with much around us in our world. Whilst physically separated from one another we shall truly be united in Faith, Hope and Love as we mark the Passion of Our Lord and prepare for the glorious dawn of Easter.
It has been really encouraging to read how helpful people have found Services variously available through radio and TV, nationally, from our Cathedral and otherwise on-
MAUNDY THURSDAY:
1930: Maundy Thursday Liturgy of the Last Supper -
GOOD FRIDAY:
1200: Good Friday Liturgy -
1300: 'Good Friday -
On Good Friday may I encourage all at some point to quietly and reflectively read the Passion according to St John.
EASTER DAY:
Bishop Michael invites all in the diocese to join him for an Easter Vigil service at 5.15am on Easter Sunday, which he will be live-
0800: The Eucharist (traditional language) -
1030: The Eucharist for Easter -
Services will certainly be available on-
For those who prefer TV or radio:
EASTER DAY:
0810: Radio 4. The Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter Message and an intimate Communion from his own kitchen at Lambeth Palace. With music from 'happier times' and input from the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-
1100: BBC 1. Urbi et Orbi. Pope Francis' Easter Message and Blessing from St Peter's Square.
1125: BBC 1. A Celebration of Easter from Bangor Cathedral, N Wales
The Eucharist will continue to be celebrated for the whole Benefice in the Rectory:
Maundy Thursday. 1930
Good Friday. 0900
Easter Day: 0930
Please also find attached our local prayer diary for the week and (again) Guidance on Spiritual Communion.
This year Maundy Thursday coincides with the 75th anniversary of the execution of the Lutheran Martyr, Theologian and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer -
Bishop Michael has encouraged us all at some point on Easter morning to light a candle and to say the Paschal Candle Prayer. Writing: 'Public worship in our churches is suspended, but our joy in the resurrection is not to be silenced. We believe that on Jesus' cross our God has defeated the forces of death and despair, and he holds us his people in his hand. Wherever we are this Easter let this be the prayer of our hearts:
Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end,
Alpha and Omega,
all time belongs to him,
and all ages;
to him be glory and power,
through every age and for ever. Amen.
As we pray this as one we will, this Easter be united in Faith, Hope and Love.
Every good wish, take care and stay safe,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
Perhaps the most asked question I have had since the Covid 19 crisis broke is 'will you be live streaming?' The answer to that is 'not at the moment' and for several reasons. Firstly I'm not sure it is where the congregations in the Benefice are (generally) 'at'. Secondly it is better not done at all than done badly and this area is scarcely my forte -
Do please visit the C of E website and follow the links to find a live-
For this Sunday, 29 March, you may also be interested in:
Radio 4 at 0810: Sunday Worship. A Service for Passion Sunday. 'Reconciliation in Difficult Times'.
A service for Passion Sunday with the Director of the Centre of Reconciliation, Duke University, N Carolina and The Revd Canon Dr Jennifer Smith, Superintendent Minister of Wesley’s Chapel London. The service will reflect theologically on the current world situation in the light of Passion Sunday & the 40th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Oscar Romero.
Lichfield Cathedral at 1030 Holy Eucharist for Passion Sunday.
A live-
At 09:30 in the Rectory the Eucharist will be said for the whole Benefice; St Peter & St Paul's, St Luke's & St Peter's. You may choose this as a time to make your Spiritual Communion, if you do, along with the huge prayer themes of this time, please imagine your fellow worshippers who ordinarily sit around you on a Sunday and pray for them as they pray for you -
Elsewhere on this website is a prayer diary for the week with specific local requests/intents in addition, of course, to our many world and nationwide prayer focus.
I hope this finds you well, bearing up, staying safe and taking care.
Nick
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Dear All,
In the midst of all the necessary constraints of our present circumstances Pam and I decided we should still have the Apr Mag created and sent to as many as possible, please find attached, time will tell if ever hard copy will be produced (but it is there waiting).
Most of the Mag is as up to date with the current situation as possible; for anything closer to up to the minute please see the C of E website link on page three of the attached copy.
Elaine is working on a plan for those of us who wish to that they can stay more closely in touch on-
With my every good wish and prayers, stay safe and keep others safe too,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
It can scarcely have escaped your attention that the fluid circumstance of our national (and worldwide) crisis has moved on with more consequences for our churches.
I will be emailing all nearer the week's end with some thoughts for this coming Sunday, however, for now, consider it important that you have the clearest, most up to date resume of the changes now in force.
In short:
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Our Archbishops have written this afternoon:
"These are unprecedented times. We are all having to get used to being the Church differently. It is not easy. However, our belonging to Christ has never been measured by the number of people in church on a Sunday morning (though we long for the day when this way of knowing Christ can return) but by the service we offer to others. Therefore, and despite these very harrowing restrictions, please do all that you can..."
One significant way of 'doing all we can' is to phone those we know or drop a line to those we are distanced from (if possible) and quietly ensure none are left in need. You must, please, contact me if you are alerted to any crises for individuals which I may not know about.
Equally we must unite in praying together, perhaps as never before -
"Tomorrow, Wednesday 25 March, is the Feast of the Annunciation. Pope Francis has invited Christians around the world to join with him in praying the Lord’s Prayer at 11am GMT. I commend this to you warmly."
Let us all do so as one, united in Faith, Hope and Love.
Every good wish, stay safe,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear All,
You will all now, I am sure, be aware of the sad, if essential, direction that Public Worship in the C of E is suspended. This, of course, applies as much to our Benefice as anywhere. However, whilst adjectives for the current situation are futile what is not is the absolute that we very much remain a Church, the Body of Christ and we carry on our Christian Pilgrimage albeit differently for the interim. As our Archbishops have recently written:
"Being a part of the Church of England is going to look very different in the days ahead. Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day. We may not be able to pray with people in the ways that we are used to, but we can certainly pray for people. And we can certainly offer practical care and support. Please do carry on supporting the local foodbank and buy extra provisions for it."
I will be emailing regularly and writing to all on the Electoral Roll in short order, for now though several things:
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Call to Prayer
The five presidents of Churches Together in England (Archbishop Justin Welby, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, Archbishop Angaelos and Pastor Agu Irukwu), are calling churches across England to a participate in a National Day of Prayer and Action this coming (Mothering) Sunday, 22 March. They write “At such a time as this, when so many are fearful and there is great uncertainty, we are reminded of our dependence on our loving Heavenly Father and the future that he holds. At 7pm this Sunday, light a candle in the windows of your homes as a visible symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer”. Read the full statement at www.cte.org.uk/calltoprayer.
At the risk of teaching you 'to suck eggs' please keep connected to one another through phone call, emails or whatever and if you are able to practical assist others -
Foodbank
Donations for the foodbank can still be left in church, as usual, many thanks to Sue and Mike for continuing with this. If you wish to donate yet are physically unable this link may help: https://www.trusselltrust.org/what-
Lastly, for now, the situation is necessarily fluid so you will find regular updates and a lot of valuable information on:
Please take care, stay safe, every good wish,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
We are about to embark on the holiest time in the Christian Year, Holy Week (Palm Sunday through to Easter Eve) and the greatest day in our year, Easter Sunday. This great and Holy Season has been celebrated from the earliest days of our faith and held with reverence for far, far longer than the churches of our Benefice have stood. This year will be as no other yet it will still be Holy Week, we will commemorate this and we will still most definitely celebrate Easter. It will be different, of course, yet commemorate and celebrate we will -
I hope you have been able to find and follow a service on-
C of E website: http://www.churchofengland.org/
Diocesan website: www.lichfield.anglican.org
Lichfield Cathedral website: http://www.lichfield-
May I offer the following as a possible 'menu' to choose from for PALM SUNDAY.
0800. Eucharist (traditional language)
1030. Eucharist for Palm Sunday. Both live on the Lichfield Cathedral Website.
0810. Radio Four. A reflection by Dr Theodora Hawksley of the London Jesuit Centre on the way that the faithful accompany Jesus Spiritually, as Jesus accompanies Christians when facing times of trial, suffering and bereavement. Leader: Fr Dominic Robinson.
However, as always, do seek out other mainstream material if these do not quite 'work' for you.
Please remember that the Eucharist will be celebrated at the Rectory throughout this period, over the next few days this will be at:
PALM SUNDAY: 0930. Mon of Holy Week: 0930. Tue of Holy Week 1930. Wed of Holy Week: 1230. These may be times when you can make your spiritual communion and pray as one with other church members.
The websites above also include easy access to daily prayer forms, readings and other helpful material to steer us through this time. All on the rector's email list will have received examples of these. Click here or on the Home Page Link to view the next week’s Local Prayer Diary.
Lastly some of you will doubtless be wondering how to continue giving during this current lockdown (which may extend for some time whilst church overheads remain almost unchanged). We now have a no cost, secure means via just giving. Please click here to see fuller details with many thanks to Caroline our Treasurer and Bob our Planned Giving Officer, or go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wemstpeterandstpaul
No doubt you will be wondering about the rest of Holy Week.....I look forward to emailing again part way through Holy Week.
Take care and stay safe,
Nick
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Dear Friends,
All the churches in our Benefice ordinarily do a wonderful job on supporting or local Food Bank. However these are so clearly not ordinary times and our usual way of supporting Whitchurch Food Bank is not possible, yet alongside this the need for the Food Bank is greater than ever before. In addition to the on-
There are three ways to continue to support the truly wonderful and absolutely essential work of the Food Bank:
1. Food can be left in Wem Co-
2. We also understand that the Co-
3. Direct monetary donations can be made on line at: https://whitchurch.foodbank.org.uk/
‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink
Matthew 25.35a
We are all in this together: take care and stay safe,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
Dear Friends,
May I wish you every blessing, peace and joy this Easter Day, whilst we cannot be physically together on this greatest of days may we still be united, as one, in our sharing the truth of this day.
Sarah our area Bishop wrote on Friday:
'Easter this year comes with a message of hope at a time when we are all struggling and most need to hear it -
That is indeed our truth; one we will, in time, join again in sharing and proclaiming together. For now in the quiet and safety of our homes on this most special day may we continue to pray for and support those around us in faith, hope and love.
For now you will see I have attached Bishop Michael's Easter message and trust you will find it as helpful as I did. There is also a photo of our Cathedral which needs no explanation, it speaks for itself -
Take care, stay safe and God bless,
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
As this is very much still the Season of Easter a continued very Happy Easter to all. In the midst of our imperative to keep safe our Easter faith and truth remains:
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
I hope you were all able to quietly celebrate Easter, albeit in the most different of ways, certainly there has been some wonderful feedback on how some of us held the day both in prayer and devotion but also in special personal ways which resonated with the great Feast. Many found the last 'menu' of available services through various mediums helpful so underneath is a smaller snippet of what is available this week. I know that many are now happily navigating around the plethora of live streams to find something which works especially well for them; with discernment, I encourage all to have a go at this....you never know what gems you may come across.
Perhaps go the C of E Website, it couldn't be easier (he says!) click on: www.churchofengland.org then scroll down the page to 'Church on line' -
Also for this Sunday:
Radio 4: 0810. 'Meeting in the lockdown'; a service reflecting on the experience of the disciples after Jesus' resurrection. From Holy Trinity, Platt, S Manchester with contemporary and trad' hymns.
BBC 1: 1000. The Reverend Canon Leigh Richardson leads the service for the second Sunday after Easter from St David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. With hymns sung by the Songs of Praise congregation recorded in July 2019, including the 'old favourite' hymns 'Love Divine', 'For all the Saints' and 'Alleluia sing to Jesus'.
BBC 1: 1315. The ubiquitous 'Songs of Praise' from Strawberry Fields Liverpool with focus on the work of the Salvation Army there, with Aled Jones.
LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL Live streams for this Sunday, The Second Sunday of Easter. Click on: www.lichfield-
0800: The Eucharist (traditional language)
1030: The Eucharist for the 2nd Sunday of Easter
The Eucharist will be celebrated in The Rectory for the whole Benefice at 0930 this coming Sunday. Mass will also be said at 0930 on Thu 23 for St George Martyr and Patron and at 0930 on Sat 25 for St Mark the Evangelist.
We all understand how valuable prayer is, at any time yet especially during this crisis so I cannot commend too highly the Diocesan Prayer Diary. This has been modified to incorporate the c19 crisis it has very much, of course, its own intrinsic worth as an aid to our prayer but also is highly informative and an education as to how parts of our Diocese, wider Communion and our brothers and sisters elsewhere are responding to the crisis, often in far direr straits than our own. We are truly 'all in this together'; this absolutely quite emphatically extends from well beyond our own small island to our worldwide family of all people. That said, coincidentally, the Prayer Diary focus for today is near to home, do pray for:
All working in healthcare services at the present time, especially those on the front line caring for patients and their families; for those having to make difficult decisions or redesign services to meet a constantly changing need. For everyone as they balance their work with personal and family needs. In particular we pray for the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust remembering Revds Alison Coles, Keith Duckett and Anthony Swaby in their chaplaincy roles, and for the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust and chaplains Revds Petro Hryziuk and Mervyn Williams
Our own Local Prayer Diary for the week is also attached.
This coming week is when we put together the Parish Magazine, if at all possible we will continue to produce this albeit on-
Lastly, for now, may I reiterate that whilst things are difficult if I might be able help in any way or you want to talk at anytime please, please give me a call or email.
With every good wish, stay safe and take care,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
In some ways it hardly seems yesterday since I last sent out details about how we may stay devotionally 'connected' with our Church during this unique period. Time does indeed do funny things -
As always there is the C of E website click on: www.churchofengland.org then scroll down the page to 'Church on line' this will provide a wealth of devotional material, info on live streams, daily prayer. At present the service for this Sun, 26 Apr, is not posted but I'm sure it will be soon. Up to date information of the Church's ongoing response to the crisis is also available here.
Also for this Sunday:
Radio 4: 0810. "But we had hoped..." Prof Jennifer Strawbridge and the Rev Dr Steve Nolan explore the place of hope in times of despair. They explore Jesus' appearance to his two disciples on the Road to Emmaus and how that encounter speaks to us today. “But we had hoped…” The words of two of Jesus’ disciples to a stranger on the road to Emmaus.
BBC 1: 1045. A service from Hereford Cathedral led by the bishop of Dover, the Rt Rev Rose Hudson-
BBC 1: 1315. Sean Fletcher looks back on journeys to ancient and sacred places of pilgrimage, including Lourdes and the spectacular abbey of Mont St Michel in France.
LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL Live streams for this Sunday, The Third Sunday of Easter. Click on: www.lichfield-
0800: The Eucharist (traditional language)
1030: The Eucharist for the 3rd Sunday of Easter
The Eucharist will be celebrated in The Rectory for the whole Benefice at 0930 this coming Sunday. Mass will also be said at 0930 on Fri 1 May for SS Philip & James Apostles
The diocesan prayer diary for next week is not yet available; however as soon as it is, I will forward to all, for today please remember from the current diary for Fri 24:
For all working in healthcare services at the present time, especially those on the front line caring for patients and their families; for those having to make difficult decisions or redesign services to meet a constantly changing need. For everyone as they balance their work with personal and family needs.
In particular we pray for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (Chaplains: Revd Stuart Petty & Revd John Deakin) ad for the Royal Stoke University Hospital (Chaplain Revd Vivienne Flanagan and all Chaplaincy Volunteers)
Do find also attached our local prayer diary for this coming week.
Next week is when we publish the Parish Magazine which will still come out (as it has for 160 years!) albeit on-
Lastly, for now, may I reiterate that whilst things are difficult if I might be able help in any way or you want to talk at any time please, please give me a call or email.
A Lockdown prayer from our Cathedral website:
The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked. (John 20.19)
Ever present God,
be with us in our isolation,
be close to us in our distancing,
be healing in our sickness,
be joy in our sadness,
be light in our darkness,
be wisdom in our confusion,
be all that is familiar when all is unfamiliar,
that when the doors reopen
we may with the zeal of Pentecost
inhabit our communities
and speak of your goodness
to an emerging world.
For Jesus’ sake.
Amen.
Take care, stay safe and keep in touch with one another -
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550
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Dear Friends,
A Happy Feast of St Mark to you all.
Please find attached, as promised, the diocesan prayer diary for the coming week -
We often hear the words 'all in this together', we all know that for this to be truly the case it means something like realising that this virus impacts on each and every one of us whoever and wherever we are. It is so important as Christians to remember that this extends well beyond our own locality or parish, indeed way beyond our own small island. Our diocesan prayer diary is something we might all share in, uniting our thoughts and prayers with the whole family of God both near and far, as it says at the beginning of this week's edition:
During these weeks the prayer diary reflects the challenges of facing Coronavirus with our sisters and brothers across the world; the call to be a people of hope.
Way beyond anything else this is, quite obviously(!), a vehicle for prayer; however I think many of you may, like myself, find it sets our circumstances in context and is a source of uplift and inspiration as one reads of some extraordinary and moving work which so deserves our prayer.
Take care and stay safe,
Nick
N P Heron
Rector of Wem, Lee Brockhurst and Weston-
01939 232550