JANUARY 2007

SERVICES

7th Epiphany 1	21st Epiphany 2
8.00 am Holy Communion	8.00 am Holy Communion
11.00 am Parish Communion	11.00 am Holy Communion
Preacher: Revd Dr Malcolm Guite	Preacher Ms Tina Hodgett (Ridley Hall)
(No evening service; the 11.00 am service is a joint one for morning and evening congregations.)	5.00 pm Meditative Eucharist
	Preacher Revd Dr Fraser Watts
14th Epiphany 1	28th Epiphany 3
8.00 am Holy Communion	8.00 am Holy Communion
11.00 am Odyssey	11.00 am Mattins & Sermon
Preacher: Revd Dr Jessica Martin	Preacher: Revd Dr Fraser Watts
5.00 pm Meditative Eucharist	5.00 pm Meditative Eucharist
Preacher: Revd Dr Malcolm Guite	Preacher: Revd Dr Fraser Watts
Fridays: 10.30 am Holy Communion 5.30 pm Meditation

11.00 am READINGS

Theme Old Testament/Epistle New Testament/Gospel
7 Epiphany P Marshall Isaiah 60. 1-6 Chaplain Matthew 2. 1-12
21 Signs of Glory A Finn Romans 12. 1-16a Chaplain John 2. 1-11
28 The Call of Jesus R Lynden-Bell Isaiah 42. 1-12 J Billett John 1. 35-end

Readers for February
4 M Lee & C Walker
11 Ordinands
18 D Hirst & Chaplain
25 G Barnes & C Martin

Sermon Series: Who Was Jesus?

Fraser will preach a series of five sermons on this theme at 5.00 pm on Sundays.

The series will explore what we know about the historical Jesus, and how this can be a ground for faith.

• Jan 21st: Jesus the Miracle-worker
• Jan 28th: Jesus the Jew
• Feb 4th: Jesus the Sage
• Feb 11th: Jesus the Social Reformer
• Feb 18th: Spirit-filled Jesus

House-Groups on The Heart of Christianity

Malcolm will run a fortnightly house group on the Mondays leading up to Easter, beginning on 23rd January and continuing on 5th & 19th February and 5th and 19th March. It will focus on core aspects of Christian life and faith. We encourage anyone who would like to get a firmer grounding in what Christians believe to come along. It would be particularly suitable for anyone considering baptism or confirmation, though people can join the group to explore that possibility, without commitment. The group will probably be held in St Mark's Vicarage in Newnham, but please contact Malcolm for further details if you are interested.

Parish Communion: Once a quarter we have a Parish Communion, which is a joint service for morning and evening congregations. The next one will be on Jan 7th, when we will celebrate the Epiphany of Christ. We hope that as many members as possible of the St Edward's church family will make an effort to come together for this special occasion. There will be no evening service that day. (The next joint Parish Communion will be on Easter Day).

Odyssey: The preacher at Odyssey this month (Jan 14th, 11.00 am) will be the Revd Dr Jessica Martin, Fellow of Trinity College, on `What did I Do to deserve this?'

Healing: There will be laying on of hands for healing at 5.00 pm on Sunday 21st January.

Meditation: The meditations held on Fridays at 5.30 pm will resume on the 5th January.

Goth Eucharists: These will be held on Tuesday 16th & 30th January at 8.30 for 8.45 pm, and continue fortnigtly.

Holistic Spirituality Group: This will resume in the New Year, probably at 3.30 on Jan 21s. Watch for further details.

Lent Course: Advance notice that there will be a Lent course, given by Malcolm Guite, on Wednesdays at 5.30 pm beginning on 28th February, and based on the General Thanksgiving in the Book of Common Prayer.

Patronal Festival: As Easter falls relatively early this year, the Patronal Festival will be postponed until after Easter, and will be on Sunday April 22nd.

Help wanted: We are looking for (a) a sacristan and (b) a secretarial assistant to the clergy. If you might be able to help with either job, please see Fraser. Payment could be available for the latter role.

From the Vicar-Chaplain

To begin on a personal note, I am pleased to say that my recovery from surgery has gone well, and I am nearly back to normal. I still need to rest for parts of the day, but otherwise hope to be functioning pretty much as usual in the new-year. The prognosis is good and, provided there are no more hiccups, things look set fair for the future. God willing, I hoped to remain at St Edward's for many years to come.

New year is the time for stocktaking, for looking both backwards and forwards. As we do so, we inevitably have mixed emotions. Looking back, there are bound to be things we really wish had not happened to us, and things we wish we had not done. However, for most of us, there are also many good things to be grateful for. We naturally tend to divide things into `positive' and `negative' experiences. However, for the Christian, that is not the all-important distinction. The crucial question is whether things have deepened our spirituality and led us into closer relationship with God. The good experiences of life can certainly do that but, looking back, we may realise that some of our more negative experiences have done that too. In the end, we may be most grateful, not just for the things we have enjoyed, but for the things that have taken as another step along our spiritual journeys.

As we look forward, we inevitably think about our hopes for the new year, but also the challenges we expect to have to face. We made follow the time-honoured practice of making new year resolutions, which is a helpful opportunity to reflect on what is really important. However, the problem with resolutions is that the future is not in our hands, what happens is very dependent on events the are outside our control and which we cannot anticipate. The important thing is to be in the best shape we can, spiritually, mentally and physically, to face whatever challenges and opportunities may confront us in the coming months.

Many of us will have sent Christmas cards with our best wishes for the coming year to family and friends. Though our best wishes are sincerely meant, I know from experience that they are all too easily forgotten in the hurly-burly of the new year. One helpful resolution for the coming year might be to continue to remember in our prayers. throughout the year. all those to whom we have sent best wishes for 2007.

Fraser Watts

Clergy: Revd. Dr. Fraser Watts (19, Grantchester Road, CB3 9ED; 359223, fnw1001@cam.ac.uk); Church phone: 362004
Revd Dr Malcolm Guite (694249, mg320@cam.ac.uk); Canon Alan Cole (892286, alan73@waitrose.com)
Churchwardens: Dr. Elizabeth Edwards (313570, elizedwards@waitrose.com); Mr Jesse Billett (572168, jdb43@cam.ac.uk); Treasurer: Mr Geoffrey Barnes; (717757, Geoff.Barnes@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, Reader: Mr. Peter Marshall (564471)