MARKING VE DAY
MARKING VE DAY:
Together with many other churches, the bells of St Mary’s Church will be rung tomorrow (Thursday 8 May) at 6.30pm to mark VE Day.
(Photo credit: Royal British Legion)
MARKING VE DAY:
Together with many other churches, the bells of St Mary’s Church will be rung tomorrow (Thursday 8 May) at 6.30pm to mark VE Day.
(Photo credit: Royal British Legion)
We very much hope you will be able to join us at St Mary’s over the next few days.
Tonight we have a Maundy Thursday Communion service at 7.30pm.
Followed by a Good Friday service at 10.30am, also available to follow via our You Tube channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdDTs0obv4M
Celebrate with us on Easter Sunday at 9am Communion or our 10.30am Sunday service with Communion and Sunday Club, also available via You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adoveRKw8v0
(Isenheim Altar Piece by Matthias Grünewald)
Dear friends,
A few days ago was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. In a world that is increasingly losing its grounding in the biblical story, many people wonder what Holy Week is all about. So here is a brief explanation – may it inspire us to make the Holy Week journey a priority and invite others to experience it!
(What follows is from an article by James Emery White.)
“Maundy Thursday denotes when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet during what is known as the Last Supper on the night He was betrayed. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word for “command.” When Jesus washed their feet, He said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). It’s why some churches actually have a feet-washing ceremony or service on Maundy Thursday.”
Please join us for our Maundy Thursday Holy Communion at St Mary’s, starting at 7.30pm. We won’t offer a foot washing, but the washing of your hands as you come in, to remind us of Jesus’ beautiful act of service and example. At the end of the service the front of the church will be stripped bare to signify the desolation of Jesus as he was arrested and led away, and to prepare us for Good Friday.
“Good Friday is the day we mark the anniversary of when Jesus was crucified. I know, the word “good” is a misnomer.
Or is it?
Sin is not good. Suffering is not good. But what Jesus did for us, what His death accomplished on our behalf—that was good. Good because He took on our sins, and then hung in our place, paying the price for our sins so that we can be forgiven.”
Please join us for “An Hour at the Cross” on Good Friday at St Mary’s, starting at 10.30am (click here for a live stream of this service…). We will read the account of Jesus’ suffering, sing hymns and listen to choir pieces reflecting on the significance of Jesus’ death. As part of the service, a cross will be carried to the front of the church and set up there. I will be reflecting with you on the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died at the hands of his Nazi executioners 80 years ago.
This is a reflective service, not designed for children, but there will be a “Children’s Hour at the Cross” at the same time in our Vestry, helping children to understand what happened on Good Friday.
“And then, of course, comes Easter Sunday when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—a day that so altered human history we are still talking about it and marking it 2,000 years later.
Each day is rich with meaning, significance and spiritual admonishment.
On Palm Sunday the crowds shouted ‘Hosanna!’ but just a few days later they cried ‘Crucify!’ Not willing to succumb to a celebrity culture, Jesus made it clear what the demands of following Him would entail. That’s what changed ‘Hosanna’ into ‘crucify.’ People were confronted with the weight and consequence of God. They had to choose: a tame God or a real God.
And now it plays out again, not in human history, but rather in our lives.
Every day.
Welcome to Holy Week.”
On Easter Sunday we will have a 9am Holy Communion service.
Then, at 10am our big Easter Egg Hunt for children is starting – all around St Mary’s Church. Don’t be late as most eggs will probably have been found by 10.15am.
This is followed by the Easter Day Family Service at 10.30am, featuring our Kids’ Choir. As part of the service all ages will celebrate Holy Communion together. (Click here for a live stream of this service…)
You are invited to bring fresh flowers to our Easter services, to turn the bare cross from Good Friday into a living cross, representing new life in Jesus.
The King of Kings, follows the story of Charles Dickens captivating his son, Walter, by narrating the story of Jesus. What begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.
Azita’s Licensing will be on
Wednesday, 21 May, 7.30pm
Would you like to reserve a seat on the coach from Denham (leaves 6.15pm)?
This Sunday at St Mary’s Denham, we have our 9am Holy Communion service followed by the 10.30am service also with Holy Communion and Sunday Club for the children.
The 10.30 service will also be available online via our YouTube channel.
click here for link to service
We hope you can join us
There will also be a 9am service after which we will give little posies of flowers to mothers, grandmothers, godmothers!
St Mary’s Denham, Saturday 12 April
This event will be led by our choir master Stephen Armstrong, who is an experienced conductor and has been musical director of a range of choirs, including aLUMNI in Cambridge.
John Stainer’s oratorio The Crucifixion was composed in 1887 and has been performed annually at Marylebone Church since then. It includes well known pieces such as All for Jesus and God so Loved the World.
Howard E. Smither describes the piece as “the most important English work on the Passion”. He observes that structurally the work owes much to J.S. Bach’s repertoire of Passions, and also notes its popularity for Passiontide church performances throughout the English-speaking world.
The day will start with registration at 9.30am. After a morning rehearsal, there will be a lunch break, then the dress rehearsal and the performance at 3pm. We will be joined by excellent musicians (organist and soloists) to make this an unforgettable experience.
Please note that lunch will NOT be provided but you are welcome to stay at St Mary’s to eat your packed lunch (hot drinks will be provided through the day).
A ticket for the whole experience is £10. You can hire the music for £1 if you need it.
Please sign up here: www.denhamparish.church/come-and-sing-2025
Would you like to come to the concert, rather than sing in the oratorio?
Doors will open at 2.45pm and the performance will start at 3pm and last for about
45 minutes. Concert tickets are £8 (to be paid on arrival). Sign up here:
www.denhamparish.church/stainer
This will be a special concert on the eve of Palm Sunday. Please spread the word!
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 – 12:00 pm
Tuesday 09.30am – 12:00 pm
Wednesday Office Closed
Thursday 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Friday 9:30 am – 12:00 pm