THE LATEST
Events, Talks, News Sheets and more
Events, Talks, News Sheets and more
Sermon preached by Ian Jennings on Sunday 15th March 2020 at our 10.30am service.
This sermon is based on John 4.4-26.
During the service we sang this song about the living water that Jesus offers the woman at the well:
Find the latest Church of England advice here…
This post is now out of date and will not be updated anymore. For the latest update, please click here.
We Pray
Pray for those infected by the coronavirus in China and around the world, for those who care for them, for health specialists and authorities who are combatting the spread of infection, and of course for all who at this time are feeling anxious. If you are reducing your contacts with others or self-isolating please let us know so we can stay in contact with you (just send an email or call our church office); you can prayer morning and evening prayer with this link. Lectio365 is an app which offers a daily bible reading, reflection and prayer. Please get in touch with Christoph, Ian or Nnamdi if you would like to have a conversation over the phone. We’d love to talk and pray with you. This blog (“The Latest”) also contains recent sermons and articles, as well as our news sheet, to keep you connected.
We Welcome
All our services will continue and be open to all. Many people will be particularly anxious at this time and we want to offer them a space to meet with God and to know his peace, which passes understanding. If you’d like come to church for private prayers, please ring the vestry door bell during office hours.
It is also part of our welcome to encourage people to stay safe and healthy. Please scroll down to the heading “Coronavirus” to read what we are doing to limit exposure to COVID-19.
We Share
As the Church of Jesus Christ we are called to be a non-anxious presences that speaks of the Prince of Peace and His wonderful coming kingdom.
Here are four golden rules by Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans:
Bishop Alan says, “Let’s be sensible but let’s see it as an opportunity to serve and to care for others.”
Coronavirus
The threat posed by COVID-19 is still classed as ‘moderate’ by the UK Chief Medical Officers. This permits the Government to plan for all eventualities. On Thursday, 12th March, the UK moved from the “containment” to the “delay” phase of the outbreak. Individuals with a new persistent cough or high fever are being told to stay at home for seven days. Please do NOT attend church meetings if you have a new persistent cough or high temperature, but let us know so we can pray and stay in touch.
If you are ill then call 111. Do not soldier on. This will help prevent the spread of disease. If you are unsure whether you need to take action, the NHS is now offering an online self-assessment tool here…
Wash hands. Presiding ministers will use hand sanitisers. Please make use of the hand sanitiser available at the back of St Mary’s Church. We will make paper towels available at St Mary’s (loos and kitchen) to avoid the use of tea towels and to comply with WHO recommendations (e.g. turn off tap with a paper towel after washing hands).
Holy Communion in one kind only
As of 10 March we are offering communion in one kind only (only the presiding minister will also drink from the cup), as advised by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. We will also refrain from physical contact during the sharing of the peace or at the door.
It is Anglican teaching that to receive the sacrament in one kind only (ie. just the bread) is to receive the sacrament in its entirety.
Persons administering Holy Communion will NOT place the wafer on the tongue as it is a potential source of transmission.
Sermon preached by Nnamdi Maduka on Sunday 8 March, 10.30am service.
This sermon is based on John 3.1-17.
Nnamdi refers to the song, we sang earlier in the service:
Sermon preached by Christoph Lindner on Sunday 1 March, 10.30am service.
This sermon is based on Matthew 3.16-4.11.
Collect
Heavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness, and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
How will you mark Lent? The Church of England’s #LIVELENT programme (which includes an app) will focus on Care for God’s Creation: www.churchofengland.org/livelent
Tearfund’s Lent devotional ALIVE (prayers, poems, reflections) can be ordered here (as daily email or booklet):
https://www.tearfund.org/en/lent_2020
Sermon preached by Christoph Lindner on Sunday 23 February, 10.30am service.
This sermon is based on Acts 4.5-13 and Luke 7. 11-23.
During our service and at the beginning and end of this sermon, we sang and prayed this hymn:
Here are the notes from page 1 of our news sheet:
Healthy Family: What we need is a miracle
“Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.” (Acts 2.43)
Jesus and his disciples spread the good news in both proclamation (preaching) and demonstration (healings, miracles).
For Luke, who wrote a gospel and the Book of Acts, signs and wonders
Wherever signs and wonders are done in the name of Jesus today, they have the same potential. God works through the regular rhythms and rules of creation (e.g. modern medicine!), in response to faithful prayer and through specific acts of grace, sometimes miraculous.
Healthy Habits
From Pentecost we will explore and practise healthy habits of Christians. When we grow in Christlikeness, that itself is a gift of God’s grace. The more we practise healthy habits, the more signs and wonders we will see, with the habit of prayer playing a prominent role. And there is no greater miracle than the transformation of the human heart!
When we follow Jesus, the initiative always lies with him! It is important to remember this when it comes to miracles: we cannot produce them ‘to order’ and sadly the realm of God’s supernatural intervention can be misused for human manipulation and deceit. We need to humbly recognise that there will always be an element of mystery as to why we see some signs and not others. Many questions beginning with ‘why’ will remain. But as followers of Jesus we are already part of the greatest miracle of all – Jesus’ resurrection and our firm hope of overflowing and eternal life as we follow him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
If you’d like to explore the Christian faith, we’d love to be part of your journey of faith. There are also some helpful websites as a starting point:
St Mary’s Church Office
Village Road
Denham UB9 5BH
Tel: 01895 832771
Monday 09:30am – 12.00pm
Tuesday 09.30am – 12.oopm
Wednesday Office Closed
Thursday 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Friday 12:30pm – 3:00pm