Sunday Service of the Word - 26 July 2020

Readings, reflection and prayer for the 7th Sunday after Trinity - with the Revd. Martin Jackson

Get ready for Sunday

St. Cuthbert's (10.30am) and St. John's (9am) are again able to open for the Parish Eucharist. The usual service but with necessary changes in procedure. We seek to worship God and to stay safe. This will require patience as well as social distance and hand sanitising - and as of this week the Church of England is giving strong advice in favour of face coverings; they're not legally required but much encouraged. We'll also be online. And here's the notice sheet with readings.

 

Night Prayer from St. Cuthbert’s Church, Shotley Bridge

Night Prayer - use this any day at the end of the day. Words of the service can be found in the Church of England’s Daily Prayer and Time to Pray apps. Or simply join in with your ears and hearts.

Liturgy of the Word for the 6th Sunday after Trinity - 19 July 2020

Online service for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 19 July. The Eucharist is celebrated in each of our churches today - at 9am in St. John's Church, Castleside and at 10.30am in St. Cuthbert's Church, Shotley Bridge. But we also offer this liturgy of the Word using the same readings - together with reflection and prayer.

Love and Judgment - holding them together

ANALYTICS

EDIT VIDEO

A reflection on the Parable of the Vineyard - with a Psalm and a prayer to finish

John Keble - Priest & Poet

As the Church commemorates John Keble, some reflections on the holy life and work of this priest and poet. Not to be confused with John Keeble of Spandau Ballet, this Keble was a best-seller in his own day while serving humbly in his priestly calling.

Liturgy of the Word for the 5th Sunday after Trinity - 12 July 2020

From 12th July both of our churches are able to hold their own Eucharist in the church buildings - for which we are truly thankful! But we will continue our online presence. Here the Revd. Martin Jackson invites you to join in a Service of the Word - the readings appointed for the Eucharist along with reflection and prayer, and a particular reference to the new ministry into which Phil Carter enters as a Lay Worker in preparation for his ordination as Deacon.

Eucharist for the 4th Sunday after Trinity - 5 July 2020

Our online Sunday liturgy for the parishes of St. Cuthbert, Benfieldside and St. John the Evangelist, Castleside - 5th July 2020. The Revd. Martin Jackson presides using the traditional Book of Common Prayer. Congregational worship resumes in St. Cuthbert’s with the 10.30am Eucharist. But we will seek to make continued online provision for those who can’t join us.

Approaching the Fourth Sunday after Trinity

+ St. Cuthbert’s re-opens for the 10.30am Eucharist!

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…”

These words of Jesus from our Sunday Gospel reading are so important. I don’t really want to preach about them. Jesus says all that needs to be said. And when we hear his words they resonate. They’re about hope, but even when hope may seem some distance away in its fulfilment they speak to us a deep peace. “You will find rest for your souls.” That’s a promise – and it’s real, however we may be feeling at this time.

So I hope you’ll join me in worship one way or another on Sunday. This weekend for the first time since March, churches are allowed to open for public worship. St. Cuthbert’s will be open for the Eucharist at our usual time of 10.30am. Join us if you can! We realise that some people are reluctant to go into public places – and no one should feel pressure to do what they feel uncomfortable with. But I can say that we have been thorough in our Risk Assessment and planning to make St. Cuthbert’s as safe an environment as possible.  

We are not wanting either to rush ahead as a church, nor for anyone who might be especially vulnerable to rush back (and those who are “Clinically Extremely Vulnerable” should comply with current government guidance). Obviously if you’re not well or have any symptoms of CV-19 you shouldn’t come to church or go anywhere outside your home – the saying “coughs and sneezes…” is one to take to heart…

What will you find in St. Cuthbert’s this Sunday?

Church in a different way… No congregational singing for the moment – though the Government apparently has this under review (and a single cantor is permitted to lead worship); no physical exchange of the Peace; maintain social distancing!  Households & support bubbles may sit together. Our capacity is reduced, but because not everyone is ready to go into public places we think we will cope! Depending on whether people sit alone or in households we think we can accommodate over 50 at St. Cuthbert’s (and just over 20 when we come to re-open St. John’s) - but you may be seated in a very different place from usual! Please sit in the marked places. Alternate pews are marked with a “No Entry” sign – and we mean it!

Sanitising! It’s required that anyone entering a public building should either wash their hands for 20 seconds or use sanitising gel. We will have gel available. You might wish to being your own. If you do that will also allow you to sanitise your hands before receiving holy communion – you don’t have to but it’s a further risk reduction over and above what is required.

Take an order of service for your own personal use and bring it back each week. We’ll place the orders of service in the places where people can sit. They’re specially printed – each one is for your use alone, so please don’t leave it behind. Bring it back with you for use each time you are in church and that will save us having to print too many more. Take the weekly notice sheet away with you - it can’t be re-used by anyone else!

Receiving Holy Communion: Official guidelines will be followed. The chalice can’t be shared so Holy Communion will be “in one kind,” i.e. the consecrated bread made for us the Body of Christ. As priest administering communion, I shall be sanitising my hands before the Eucharistic prayer and before giving you communion – and as I do this I will be wearing a face covering.

Social distancing: we need to remember that the 2 metre rule remains in force. It hasn’t been reduced overnight. Only if there is “mitigation” can people come closer. That’s why for the moment I’ll put on a face mask when I administer communion. Don’t be alarmed if other people  come to church wearing face coverings. There is evidence they can reduce the risk of infection, so it’s for your benefit – and you might wish to wear one, though there is no compulsion to do so. Directions will be given on coming forward to receive the sacrament and will depend on how many pews we use. At St. Cuthbert’s there will be a one way system. Whatever the detail, please keep the 2 metre rule as you come forward.

St. John’s is planning to open a week later

There are other issues to address due top the smaller size of the church and its access. Holy Communion will be administered as people remain in their pews because a “one-way system” is impossible. So we plan to resume services on 12^th July with the 4pm Eucharist. And this will be an occasion to welcome Phil Carter to a new ministry as Lay Worker prior to his ordination as Deacon.

Still online

It’s good to know that people have found so much value in our online worship and other uploads. We will seek to continue (and perhaps develop further) much of what we have been doing, so please join with me. Upload speeds permitting (and barring any other mishaps) I’ll seek to have Sunday’s Eucharist online by 10.30am on our Facebook pages and on our website / blog.  Please do take a look for other shared material which you might have missed during the last week – it can all be found on our Parish Facebook pages or the website. The website is in the name of St. Cuthbert’s but it’s for the people of both parishes and you can find it here:

http://saintcuthberts.blogspot.com/

This Sunday the online Eucharist will be celebrated using the Book of Common Prayer – traditional language but easy to follow – and fewer congregational responses!

Here's this week’spewsheet, which contains the readings - click to open 

News, prayers & thanksgiving:

Phil Carter …

Phil was commissioned as a Lay Worker last Wednesday 1^st July in a service via Zoom. We’re sorry not to be celebrating his Ordination as Deacon this weekend. Phil is now officially Assistant Curate for both parishes. We plan to welcome him as services resume at St. John’s Church in the 4pm Eucharist on Sunday 12^th July.

Here's the official photo of the Zoom commissioning! Phil’s in the bottom left corner.

Moves towards re-opening

I’ve had queries about Baptisms. A complicated procedure was issued just before Lockdown and has been reissued. There’s a legal limit of 30 attending a Baptism – but this is further restricted depending on the size and layout of the church (it’s unlikely to allow for more than 15 at St. John’s. For the moment we need to work out the implications of the guidance and to learn from the experience of opening for regular worship.

Marriages: Our best wishes to and prayers for Jayde Railton and Thibault Charmey who were due to marry on Saturday, 4^th July, in St. Cuthbert’s. In the circumstances they have had to postpone their wedding.

As we said last week, for the moment numbers at weddings are legally limited to 30 and will be lower in smaller churches like St. John’s. Again we need to work out the implications of the guidance. Obviously receptions are also affected, and this may have an impact on people’s plans. I’ll be hoping to catch up as soon as I can with couples who had plans for St. John’s in August and September.

Similar assessments and further conditions are in place for funerals – again the limit of 30 or fewer applies.