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The Voice

A reflection for Holy Week

Thunder, distant in the air, warning of storms.
Thunder, drawing closer, counting the gap after the flash.
Thunder, cracking overhead in time with the lightning.
A voice, calling out in the air,
with distant rumble that carries power and menace
and speaks of untold and unknown strengths
that terrify and frighten.

Glad that the distant thunder is not immediate.
Sound that we hear but never fully comprehend.
The voice of God, speaking to the world that he created,
speaking of power, strength, unknown and untold in its majesty.
A voice, thundering, speaking truth,
drowning out the clamour and squabble of
differing opinions and voices here,
shouting to have their opinions heard,
their moment in the feeble glow of our attention.

God’s voice thunders, flashes across the world
speaking of his power, his calling of Jesus.
‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’
The voice that speaks of our place in this world,
of our own insignificance
and the futile attempt to match our power with God’s.
Thunder, calling to us across the world
speaking of the power of creation
and of the Creator.

A Grain of Wheat

A reflection for Holy Week.

A single grain of wheat. Something tiny and insignificant.
Is this how Jesus saw himself?
We see a giant striding across history,
founding a movement that changed humanity forever.
But a seed, something so tiny?
Something that only has worth when part of a huge flood of them?
Something that achieves almost nothing?

Almost.

It’s easy to forget, sometimes, how obscure Jesus really was.
A backwater teacher in a backwater country.
Never travelling, never visiting Athens or Rome or Alexandria.
Never having an audience with the Emperor.
Refusing titles, honours, dignity.
The only people lower than him
were the ones he kept table with.

Almost.

Jesus almost becomes a warrior king.
Jesus almost founds a huge church.
Jesus almost has crowds doing everything he asks.
Instead, he denounces violence.
He drives followers away by the impossibility of his demands.
He hides from the crowds.

Almost.

A single grain of wheat, cast upon the ground, swallowed up by the dirt.
A grain of wheat, seemingly like thousands or millions just the same.
A death, an execution, like thousands carried out by the Romans
time and time again.
A death, almost forgotten,
an obscure footnote in history, if that.

Almost.

St. Mark’s Church, Northwood

St MarksYou are very warmly invited to join us at St. Mark’s Church in Northwood, as the congregation there prepares to celebrate the life of the church. We are moving out of the building to pastures new, and are looking back to give thanks for the stories contained in the old building, and looking forward to the story that God is preparing us for in the future.

Bishop Paul Bayes is with us at 4pm, this Sunday, 20th March. Everyone is welcome – bring memories, stories, photos – and if you aren’t able to make it, we’d still love to hear from you.

Please keep us in your prayers as we look to the future in God’s hands.

Easter in Kirkby

ReligionMetaphor-061Come and live the Holy Week story with us, as we celebrate the events of this most special time of the year.

Palm Sunday

9.30am Eucharists in St. Martin’s & St. Mark’s

11am Eucharists in St. Andrew’s & St. Chad’s

4pm St. Mark’s Celebration Service with Bishop Paul

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

7.30pm Holy Week Reflections, in St. Martin’s, St. Chad’s & St. Andrew’s respectively

Maundy Thursday

7pm Last Supper, Eucharist and Vigil

Good Friday

12.30pm Ecumenical Walk of Witness, from St. Mary’s Northwood to St. Chad’s

3pm Hour at the Cross, at St. Martin’s

6pm Ecumenical reflective service at St. Andrew’s

Holy Saturday

8pm Easter Vigil at St. Andrew’s

Easter Sun
day

9.30am Eucharists at St. Martin’s, and with St. Mark’s in the Scout Hut

11am Eucharists in St. Chad’s & St. Andrew’s

Christmas in Kirkby

Make your Christmas special by joining us at one of our many events over Christmas.

Saturday 5th December

12-3pm St. Martin’s Christmas Fair

6:45 for 7pm Duke of Lancaster’s Band Concert in St. Chad’s

Sunday 6th December

6:30pm Advent Service of Light in St. Martin’s

Saturday 12th December

11am Carol Singing in Kirkby Town Centre

Sunday 20th December

9:30am Carol Service at St. Mark’s

6:30pm Carols by Candlelight in St. Chad’s, St. Andrew’s, and St. Martin’s

Christmas Eve

4pm Crib Services in St. Andrew’s, St. Martin’s, and St. Chad’s

8:30pm First Communion of Christmas in St. Mark’s

11:30pm Midnight Communion in St. Martin’s, St. Chad’s, and St. Andrew’s

Christmas Day

10am Christmas morning services in all four churches

Remembrance Sunday 2015

7000 petals scattered in St. Chad's to commemorate Remembrance Sunday.Several hundred people turned out to pay their respects for Remembrance Sunday this year, despite the conditions. This was the last year at the cenotaph in its current location, and as last year, the parade then went into St. Chad’s for a brief service, remembering the 75th anniversary of the start of the Liverpool Blitz. Cadets read some first hand experiences and memories, images of the blitz brought back memories for some, and told Liverpool’s story for others, and an evocative soundscape of air raid sirens and bombs, made the memories even more powerful. The event finished with singing Abide with me, and the petals scattering showing that despite so many losing their lives, they are not forgotten.

Sing like never before! A Kirkby Parish Choir concert

St MartinsSaturday, 7th November, at 7pm in St. Martin’s, the Parish Choir will be performing their first concert in aid of children’s cancer charities. Entry is free, with a raffle and refreshments to raise money. Songs will be a mixture of old favourites and new surprises. Everyone welcome – please come along and support!

GraveTalk: a cafe space to talk about death, dying and funerals

Votive Candles and Cross January 26, 2004

It’s not easy to talk about death, dying and funerals. GraveTalk is designed to get the conversation started. There are no answers – just thought provoking questions to get you thinking – and talking. Come along for an informal evening over coffee and cake at St. Martins Monday, 28th September, at 7:30pm. All welcome.

We hope to repeat this event in the future – if you can’t make this one, but would like to come to another event, let us know by posting a comment below!

Confirmations

St AndrewsCongratulations to everyone who was confirmed at St. Andrew’s on Sunday by Bishop Paul. Our prayers go with you as you continue on your journey of faith, and especially as you act as crispy seaweed making others thirsty for the gospel.. (I think I’m remembering the bishop’s sermon correctly!)

A huge thank you to everyone from St. Andrew’s who worked so hard putting the service on and hosting so ably, and to the choir for leading the worship.