Newsletter 25th July 2021

 James the Apostle

25^th July 2021

A way marker on the pilgrimage route for the Camino de Compostela.

This week we remember James the Apostle. St James was one of the twelve apostles and according to tradition his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the focus of one of the most popular pilgrimage routes today. We are told in Acts that he was executed with a sword upon the command of the king Herod. The liturgical colours are red as St James is venerated as a martyr.

The Easing of Covid Restrictions for Worship

The PCC met this week and decided upon a balanced approach to the easing of covid restrictions following the latest Government advice and guidance from the Church of England. If you would like to read the guidance for yourself you can do so here: COVID 19 Guidance from the 19th July 2021 v1.0.pdf (churchofengland.org)

We agreed that it is not sensible to suddenly lift all restrictions, but to begin to ease some as we come out of lockdown. We are entering a transitional phase and thank you for bearing with us these past 16 months and all the changes we have made.  We will review how it is going in September and welcome your feedback.

Here is a summary of what has been agreed at the PCC to take effect from August at the 10am Parish Communion:

• We still request that people wear facemasks to our services, unless you are exempt.
• Please sanitize your hands when you enter and leave the church.
• We will no longer have a booking system. We will facilitate a one metre distance between different households. (We may need to start up the booking system again if the numbers are too great, but August is often a quieter month).
• We will still record the names of people attending our worship for test and trace. You may wish to use the QR code at the door if you wish.
• The doors will remain open throughout the service to allow ventilation.
• We will not use servers or have a procession as yet, but hope to reintroduce this later.
• The congregation can sing the sung parts of the Eucharist liturgy together, softly whilst masked. The choir continues to sing at Communion and we sing together outside at the end of the service. We hope to restore our congregational hymn singing when infection rates drop.
• We continue to share the Peace by waving!
• We continue to receive Communion in one kind (wafers) using the existing protocols of hygiene, but will again use the words of administration as people receive.
• We return to coming up for Communion in a line, as we did before, but mindful to allow space between people.
• There is a retiring collection at the door (rather than passing around the bag).
• We continue to live stream the service for those who prefer to join us at home.
• We continue to clean daily the high touch areas in the porch.
• When Sealights returns in September they will join us for Communion.

The 8am Service

We will keep this service as it is for now, with two metre social distancing and every other pew closed. This enables people to attend church who prefer to have more space. The Tuesday service also has lots of space to spread out.

Coffee after the service

We will start this up again in August. Initially there will just be cold drinks offered, but please bring your own flasks of coffee/tea if you wish. Weather permitting we will have some tables outside as well as in the hall (with doors and windows open). We ask that you wear a face mask when you move around inside, but can take these off when seated. We will need volunteers to make this all possible, so please speak to Revd Jane if you can help.

Collect

Merciful God,

whose holy apostle Saint James,

leaving his father and all that he had,

was obedient to the calling of your Son Jesus Christ

and followed him even to death:

help us, forsaking the false attractions of the world,

to be ready at all times to answer your call without delay;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings

Jeremiah 45.1-5,Psalm 126, Acts 11.27 - 12.2
Matthew 20.20-28 

If you’d like your child to attend Sunday school this week please email cogssundayschool10@gmail.com

This is the last Sunday school until 12^th September. A notice of some advance dates for fun family activities in the summer holidays. More details have been emailed out to our families by Daisy.

Craft Day - the church hall - 28th of July, 10-2.30pm

Labyrinth in the sand - Shoreham Beach - 20th of August - 2.30pm-5pm

Nature Trail - the river bank - 29th of August - 11am-3pm

Zoom coffee

We have a Zoom coffee after the 10am Sunday service this week. Revd Jess hosts this for us. The coffee starts 10 minutes after the service ends.  Here is the link to join with your cuppa:

CLICK HERE

Meeting ID: 896 7053 4579

Passcode: 862014

Prayer Ministry

This is being offered  in the side chapel after the 10am Sunday service. Please do come if you are in need of prayer support.

Church Library

This has re-opened, but please use sanitizer before touching books.

Quiz Night Martin is hosting a Zoom quiz Wednesday 28^th July 7pm.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88164769879?pwd=dXRZaXJhK0VRaGgwd2J6VFJGdTJ4QT09

Meeting ID: 881 6476 9879
Passcode: 028028

Bible Art Matthew 20.20-28 

I was thinking about this passage in which Jesus talks about the world's way where (in a reversal of the flea rhyme) ...

Greater rulers have greater rulers

upon their backs to smite 'em,

and greater rulers have greater rulers

and so on ad infinitem.

I was doing this iPad painting on the day Jeff Bezos went into space, and there was much discussion as to whether he (and the other exceedingly rich people) should be doing this when the people who earned their money for them are struggling to make ends meet. I've used the Amazon example because of the way their drivers have to run in order to make the number of deliveries they do. It also struck me that the rocket is called Origin and the capsule New Shepard, even though it is named after a different Shepherd than comes to mind to many of us.

So that is the World's way ... the Servant's way is shown in the centre of the world - you may have to enlarge it a bit to see - and by the Holy Spirit light around the world, showing that the whole is held in God's hands, and his Way will prevail in the end. We do have to look to see the Servant's Way because it is so often hidden under the World's way. During the first lockdown, when the evidence for the World's way was rather dimmed, the Servant's Way suddenly shone through and filled our media.

Revd Jess

Meditation with Morning Prayer

Friday’s meditation with morning prayer will be held in the Good Shepherd vicarage garden this Friday, weather permitting (as well as on Zoom). Please bring a camping chair/rug and your own breakfast/drink. No need to book.

Duck Race

Have you got your duck for the big race?  There’s a last chance to sponsor a Good Shepherd duck after the services this Sunday. Come and watch the race. The ducks are released from the wooden toll bridge and swim towards the Norfolk Bridge, accompanied by Revd Steve and a kayak team. Don’t miss the excitement!

And finally…

The new wild flower area in front of the church is in bloom and buzzing with bees.

Blessings and prayers for you all. Please get in contact if you’d like a chat about anything. I work half-time and my usual working days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and also Sunday morning.

Revd Jane Email: bartlett.jane@ntlworld.com. Tel: 079355 38085.

.

Services this

Week

Sunday, 25^th July

8am – Holy Communion in church with Revd Jane and Sally.

10am – Parish Communion in church with Revd Jane and Sally.

Please book for the 10am. This service will be live streamed onto our Facebook and You Tube channel.

You Tube page CLICK HERE

Church Facebook page CLICK HERE

Tuesday, 27^th July

9.30am - Informal Holy Communion

With Revd Jess (in church, no need to book).

Wednesday, 28^th July

6pm Celtic Evening Prayer on  

Zoom 

CLICK HERE         

Meeting ID: 868 1252 3106

Passcode: 960274

Friday 30^th July

8am – Meditation with Morning

Prayer on Zoom and also in the vicarage garden.

Meeting ID: 513293120

(No password is needed )  Click here LINK

Evening Prayer

This is said at 5.30pm from St Marys via Zoom on

Monday and Wednesday, at 5.30pm. If

you want to attend contact Canon Ann for the

link. Email: annwaizeneker@gmail.com

To donate to the Church of the Good Shepherd online CLICK HERE Thank you!

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