Praying for our new prime minister

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King Charles welcomes Mr Sunak at Buckingham Palace (Photo: PA)

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has asked people to pray for Rishi Sunak as he starts his term of office as Prime Minister.
Mr Sunak was chosen as the new leader of the Conservative Party on Monday afternoon, and became the new Prime Minister on Tuesday morning, when Liz Truss stood down after several weeks of financial and political turmoil.
After the announcement on Monday, Archbishop Justin Welby posted on Twitter: “At a time of great difficulty and uncertainty for this country, please join me in praying for Rishi Sunak as he takes on the responsibilities of leadership. May he, and all leaders of all parties, work across divides to bring unity and offer stability for those who need it most.”

Last Thursday, in a House of Lords debate on the cost of living, the Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, exhorted whoever became Prime Minister to address child poverty as a priority.
“The well-being of the nation is now very fragile,” he said. “To the incoming Prime Minister, I say: ‘Please don’t make it worse. Do all you can to make it better. Don’t allow the costs of the economic downturn to be borne by children and the poorest. . . Blessed are those who consider the poor.”

RIDE AND STRIDE DAY TODAY!

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It’s Ride and Stride Day today, which raises vital funds for historic churches.
Many churches in Bucks are open today for visitors and St Mary’s is one of them. Do pop in between 10am and 5pm. Simple refreshments will be on offer.
 
Find out more:

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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Thank you to everyone who contributed to a weekend of thanksgiving for Her Majesty at St Mary’s Church.

St Mary’s Church will be open on Monday, 19 September, from 1pm to 8pm, to reflect, pray, light a candle or sign the Book of Condolence.

 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has written:

As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life – hour by hour, day by day.

In The Late Queen’s life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and – through patient, humble, selfless service – share it as a gift to others.

Read his full statement here…

A prayer of thanksgiving for the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Creator of Heaven and Earth,
Through all our days you fashion us and by your grace we grow.
We thank you for all that was accomplished in your servant Elizabeth.
Throughout her life she glorified your name.
May that also be true for each of us and for our nation;
And may our dearly departed Queen rest in peace and rise in glory.
Amen.

 

King Charles III delivers his address to the nation and the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace, London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. (Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

A prayer for the new King
Everlasting God, we pray for our new King.
Bless his reign and the life of our nation.
Help us to work together
so that truth and justice, harmony and fairness
flourish among us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

GET ACTIVE!

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GET ACTIVE!
All around St Mary’s Church you will find the Lord’s Prayer in 14 different languages. Can you find them all? Can you guess which language they are?

Congratulations, Azita!

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Congratulations to Azita Jabbari who was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England on Saturday (red arrow, together with other ordinands and the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft) and is now starting her training curacy at Denham Parish Church. She is very much looking forward to meeting all of us! Catch up on our first interview with her and her husband Kamran last Sunday (the interview starts at 36 min 45 sec): 

A Fathers Day Gift Is Coming

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For this Sunday’s 10.30am service at St Mary’s Church, we have prepared a little gift for all fathers, grandfathers and godfathers.

Here is a little detail – can anyone recognise what it is?

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

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Sunday 26 June: Friendship

Sunday 3 July: Parents

Sunday 10 July: Marriage

Sunday 17 July: Singleness

Sunday 24 July: Grandparents, Godparents, Mentors

Sunday 31 July: The Greatest Love

 

Catch up on all parts of this new series on our YouTube channel…

Dedication of The Queen’s Green Canopy Tree

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Yesterday we dedicated a tree in our churchyard as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, straight after our Jubilee Celebration service. 
Planting a tree is about investing in the future far beyond our own life span. Martin Luther, the German reformer said: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”
Our new tree is not an apple tree but a Prunus Sargentii, and it promises to look beautiful through the different seasons.

From Christoph: Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with us!

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Dear friends,

What a wonderful start to the Platinum Jubilee today and the weather is certainly playing its part! 

At St Mary’s Church we are getting ready for our “Alternative Beacon Bonanza” evening later today. The concert is now fully booked and we sadly can’t offer any tickets at the door.

Let there be light: Tonight from 9.30pm
However: You are invited to join us outside St Mary’s from 9.30pm tonight as we get ready to count down to the lighting of St Mary’s as an “Alternative Beacon”. The lights will be switched on at 9.45pm and we will sing the Song for the Commonwealth and the National Anthem. Our bells will be rung. It will be a wonderful way to mark the end of the first day of this Platinum Jubilee.

St Mary’s Church open Friday and Saturday
Our  church is beautifully decorated with flowers and crowns decorated by various community groups in Denham. Do pop in on Friday or Saturday – the church will be open roughly from 10am to 6pm on both days. Printed Church guides will be available to explore St Mary’s Church.

Sunday: Celebration Service
Our all-age service on Sunday (10.30am) will be full of joy and celebration and suitable for all ages. It will include a family quiz and the winner will receive the delightful children’s book “The Queen who chose to serve”. The service will be live-streamed on Youtube in the usual way. After the service we will dedicate the newly planted tree in the churchyard, which is part of The Queen’s Green canopy (please note: we will not be able to stream this part). And – weather permitting – you are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy it in our churchyard. In the afternoon family games will be available and from 3pm to 5pm we will have the first of seven Royal Vestry Teas (whatever the weather)!

At all these events we would like to give you a beautifully illustrated book “Our Faithful Queen” as a gift. Do make sure to also pick up the special Jubilee issue of Denham Parish News. If you don’t live locally you can download a PDF of it here…

I look forward to seeing many of you over the next days.

Best wishes,
Christoph Lindner, Rector

UPDATE of our Covid Risk Assessment

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On Tuesday 3 May, our PCC updated the risk assessment for meetings and services in our building:

A PCC UPDATE TO OUR COVID RISK ASSESSMENT

As the country has moved forward with guidance around the wearing of masks and social distancing, we have updated our risk assessment at St Mary’s. 

With many people attending weddings, funerals and baptisms without wearing masks, and members of our church family asking if it is necessary to wear masks, we would like to propose that we have changed our guidance to be less rigid. We are also allowing seating in all areas of church.

There is no requirement to wear a face covering inside the building, including when singing. However, if you feel more comfortable please continue to wear a face covering. We ask that if you feel ill that you take part in the church service online. If you choose to attend the church service onsite with symptoms, kindly take a lateral flow test first. 

You are welcome to sit in any of the pews in the centre of the church but if you would prefer to stay at a distance from people other than your immediate family please sit in the side pews.

As the warmer weather should be with us for the next few months, we will continue to ventilate the building before, during and after services. 

We will continue to serve communion in one kind only in the chancel but we won’t operate a one-way system anymore.  

We will use the West door both for entry and exit. The South door will also be open if people want to leave that way.