Dear all
This Sunday at our 9.30 am Family Eucharist we are celebrating Rogationtide. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are Rogation Days, a festival taken over by Christians from a Graeco-Roman tradition in which prayers were offered to protect the crops from mildew! When the festival was adopted by Christians, it became an opportunity for liturgical processions, often around parish boundaries, for the blessing of the land. This became known as “beating the bounds”, and the poet George Herbert interpreted the procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. Our readings, songs and talk at the 9.30 will reflect this blessing and these concerns, and we look forward to having children once again participating in all aspects of the service. Meanwhile, the Church of England is encouraging us to celebrate the period between Ascension (9th May) and Pentecost (19th May), as we await the coming of the Holy Spirit, by joining in “Parish Prayer Walks”, during which we pray for the different parts of our parish. As a way of combining these two traditions, all the clergy, together with members of our regular Morning Prayer Group, are planning to walk prayerfully around the bounds of our parish on Tuesday 14th May, meeting at 9.30 am in the church, and returning there, perhaps an hour later, to see the modern extent of the parish, and praying for all the different elements we find, from local government to transport, from parks to the shops and businesses of the High Street. We shall be marking Ascension Day (the fourth most important Christian feast after Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost!) with a Choral Eucharist at 12 noon on Thursday 9th May. Please do join us if you can, or perhaps find a service closer to your place of work if you are not in the parish during the day. There are still some spaces left at the joint talk being given by Fr Evan and our Carmelite neighbour, Fr Tony, if you would like to sign up via the website. The event will take place on Saturday 18th May at the Carmelite church, just up Kensington Church Street from St Mary Abbots. Entrance is free but please reserve your place here. Leonora would still very much welcome some further donations to the raffle for the Summer Party on 8th June, sponsored by Knight Frank, and also would love to hear from any potential cake-makers! Please email her if you would be willing to bake, volunteer for one of the stands or if you have a prize for the raffle HERE. O God, have mercy on our tired land, and prosper the work of our soiled hands. Forgive our delusion of self-sufficiency so that we may truly praise you for your provision and goodness. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. [Common Worship Times and Seasons, Rogation] With my love and prayers Mother Emma 2nd May 2024 |
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