January 2010
Services
| Sunday Services | Friday Services |
|---|---|
| 8.00 am Holy Communion (Prayer book) | 10.30 am Holy Communion (Prayer book) (except Jan 1st) |
| 11.00 am Sunday at Eleven | 5.30 pm Meditation |
| 5.00 pm Meditative Eucharist |
|
Sunday at Eleven
January 3rd: Odyssey: Anglican Hospitality Preacher Revd Dr Lorraine Cavenagh This month's Odyssey will be linked to the Epiphany story of the coming of the wise men to Jesus, and will have as its theme 'Anglican Hospitality', the Anglican tradition of welcoming into the church people coming to Christ from many different places. The preaacher will be the Revd Dr Lorraine Cavangh who has recently completed a ministry as Chaplain to Cardiff University. January 10th: Eucharist: the Baptism of Christ Preachers Revd Dr Malcolm Guite The Baptism of Christ is also the central to Epiphany, an important occasion when Jesus was revealed as the Son of God, deepened his own sense of vocation, and inaugurated his sacrificial and transformative ministry. January 17th: Healing Service: the Glory of Christ Preacher Canon Fraser Watts This will be a service at which the laying on of hands for healing will be available for those who wish it. Continuing the Epiphany theme, the focus will be on the healing stories that the Gospels take as a sign that Jesus shone with the glory of the Father. January 24th: Christian Unity Service Preacher Amy Walters This Sunday falls almost at the end of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and will be a special service of prayer for unity. Amy Walters, who will preach, is preparing at Wesley House for ministry in the Methodist Church, and is currently attached to St Edward's. January 31st: Service for Homelessness and Poverty Week Preacher Revd Dr Malcolm Guite This will be a special service for Homelessness and Poverty Action Week. The homeless are drawn to well-to-do Cambridge, so we see extremes of poverty and good-living quite starkly here. We plan to invite representatives of those who work to combat homelessness and poverty. |
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Meditative Eucharist - Sunday at Five
January 3rd: the Wise Men Come to Jesus Preacher Revd Dr Malcolm Guite The story of the wise men provides a helpful counterpart to the Christmas story of the shepherds. It makes the point that there is a place at the birth of Jesus for gentiles as well as Jews, for the educated as the uneducated, and for those whose journey is slow and difficult as well as those who come immediately. January 10th: the Baptism of Christ Preacher Canon Fraser Watts We will both celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, which inaugurated his ministry of teaching and service in Palestine, and go to the font together to renew our own Baptismal vows and Christian commitment. January 17th: the Calling of the Disciples Preacher Matthew Owen One of the first things Jesus did when he began his ministry was to call a group of four fishermen to follow him. It is a good opportunity to reflect on our our own calling and vocation. The preacher will be Matthew Owen, our student pastor (see below). January 24th and 31st: Into the New Era (i) and (ii) Preacher Canon Fraser Watts Fraser will begin a series of sermons about the challenge we face in our times, and the opportunities they present. We need in our time to learn to relate better to ourselves, to other people, and to deeper reality. The title of the series is a translation of a phrase that recurs in St John's gospel, into the 'aeon'. The sermons will be a re-working of ideas first set out by Bishop Stephen Verney, one of the great church leaders in Britain in the second half of the twentieth century, and who died recently. |
New Year's Eve: There will be a short watchnight service at 11.40pm on 31st December, followed by ringing in of the New Year, and refreshments in the ringing chamber. There will be silent meditation and prayer for the New Year at 5.30pm on 1st January.
Student Pastor: Matthew Owen, who has been in our congregation for over 3 years, has been appointed our first 'student pastor', with responsibility to build up our ministry to students. Matt graduated in theology from the University of Cambridge last summer, and is currently working as a research assistant on a project on Islamic deradicalisation. He intends to offer himself for ordination. We will prayer a blessing on his ministry on Jan 17th, and he will preach at 5.00pm on Jan 17th. He will be organizing another student discussion group this term on science and religion, and also a student prayer group. He would be pleased to hear from any students at St Edward's not already in contact with him (mob: 07791 647927). Matt is joining Chapter, replacing Ray Adams who has asked to stand down.
Deputy Churchwarden: The Chapter has appointed Chris Boden as an additional Deputy Warden. It is a role that he has, in many ways, already been fulfilling in recent months when Judith has been less available. The Chapter wants to record how indebted we are to Chris and to Geoff Barnes for keeping everything running smoothly week by week.
Confirmation: For several years now we have presented candidates for confirmation at Ely Cathedral on Easter Eve. We aleady know of two people who have expressed interest in being confirmed next Easter. If anyone else is considering it (even if you have not made a definite decision), please let Fraser know as soon as possible.
Holistic Spirituality Group: This group, led by Malcolm, will meet on Jan 10th and 31st, at 3.30pm, and then fortnightly for the rest of the term.
Goth Eucharists: Alternate Tuesdays at 8.30pm. Jan 12th: Doors to our Downfall: Money (preacher: Malcolm Guite). Jan 26th: to be announced. This month marks 5 years of regular Goth Eucharists.
Housegroup: Housegroup: Fortnightly meetings at 30 Rustat Road, at 7.30pm. New members welcome. Contact Stephen Davies or Christina Johnson.
Christianity in Later Life: From time to time there is an opportunity, after the 11.00am service, to discuss issues facing Christians in later life. The next discussion will be after the 11.00am service on Jan 17th.
Healing: There will be laying on of hands for healing at the 11.00am service on Sunday Jan 17th.
Malcolm Guite: Malcolm will be having knee surgery on Jan 12th, and will be out of action for a couple of weeks afterwards. We wish him a speedy recovery, and relief from the pain he has been having recently.
Marcus Ramshaw: Marcus, who was at St Edward's from 2003-6, is preparing to go abroad for 6 months' overseas service with USPG. He will be based in Cairo and attached to the Cathedral there. The USPG would be grateful for any donations to support his work in Cairo.
Sunday 8.00am Communion: Jan 3rd: Sunday after Christmas; Jan 10th: Epiphany 1; Jan 17th: Epiphany 2; Jan 24th: Epiphany 3; Jan 31st: Septuagesima.
Chaplain's Letter (Fraser Watts)
We are bound to face the New Year with mixed feelings, a cominbation of hope and anxiety. The world faces many acute problems, including climate change, terrorism and poverty. We need to keep hope and anxiety together, neither burying our heads in the sand and ignoring problems, nor yielding to despair and abandoning hope. Our major problems are ones that affect every person across the globe, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that our most acute problems raise spiritual and moral issues. Religion, when it goes wrong, can exacerbate our problems. However, it can also help to solve them. Indeed, it is not clear that any of our major problems can be tackled effectively without taking the spiritual dimension into account. This presents religious people everywhere with a huge challenge, but also an opportunity. As we enter the New Year, let us try, at St Edward's, to contribute to the spiritual leadership that the world so badly needs.
Clergy: Revd Dr Fraser Watts (19, Grantchester Road, CB3 9ED; 359223); Revd Dr Malcolm Guite (694249); Canon Alan Cole (892286). Lay Chaplain: Mrs Christina Johnson (572669) Churchwardens: Mr Steven Mastin (361041); Mrs Judith Tonry (892160). Treasurer: Mr Geoffrey Barnes. Chapter Clerk: Mr Stephen Davies (242636). Student Pastor: Matt Owen (07791 647927). Church phone: 362004