July 2010

VICAR: The Revd. Martin Fredriksen Tel: 694109

PARISH OFFICE (Mondays to Fridays 9.30am - Noon) Tel: 697641

FROM THE VICAR : A pleasant surprise that comes totally out of the blue can be exciting and provide something to talk about for days to come. Being told to expect a surprise can be equally exciting for some and, for others, can be frustrating.

Nowadays, worship in some churches can be a total surprise - even in denominations where there was once a recognisable liturgy. There are parts of the Church of England where I find services that are totally alien to the tradition in which I was ordained. Is it going to include a celebration of Holy Communion in some form? Is there going to be a sermon - and if so, is it going to be a short thought for the day, or one of those that goes on for forty five minutes? Are we going to sing - and is the music going to repeat itself ad nauseam? Will there be prayers that we can join in with? Are we going to hear more than just a few selected verses from the Bible? Will there be any time for silent reflection? How long is it likely to last?

Some people criticise a formal Liturgy as being too repetitive, but, to do that, is to miss the point completely. Church is not there to entertain and come up with something novel each time - those that try to do this soon find that they have run out of inspiration and material.

Gathering together with fellow Christians to receive Holy Communion (which is the only thing that our Lord told us to do all together and which was a daily practice in the early Church) must allow all who come to feel comfortable and not dreading unwelcome surprises. It is more not only what we get out of worship, but rather what we put in to it that matters.

The Liturgy is there as a strong skeleton upon which we can add the flesh and muscles. It can be helpful to come with some particular purpose in mind - what is called an 'intention'. We do this each week as part of Churches Together and by request, have included these for the month to give us something to focus on not only for our Sunday prayers, but also for those midweek as well.

Martin Fredriksen.

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BROADSTONE - Intentions for July

4th Those who minister in our local Churches - clergy and laity

11th Those who care for the elderly in our Community.

18th Those who sleep rough in this area.

25th Those who are ridiculed for their faith

HOLY BAPTISM

30th May	Charlotte Purchase, Dylan Henry Herridge
6th June	Matthew Stephen John & Gracie Annabelle Conde (twins), Isobella Louise Janes
13th June	James Reuben Parry
20th June	William Charles Howard Booth, Louise Emily Perry