St Stephen's Day - Monday 26th December

Parish Eucharist at 11.00am to mark our Patronal Festival. So often just referred to as Boxing Day, it's easy to forget that 26th December is in fact St Stephen's Day, marking the sacrifice made by the first Christian martyr. In the words of the famous carol, join us "on the Feast of Stephen".

Christmas Day

10.00am Parish Eucharist with carols and readings with a festive celebration to follow. Join us as we celebrate the birth of Christ. We wish everyone in the Parish or visiting St Stephen's over the coming week, a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.

The Manger at Bethlehem

Christmas Eve at 5.00pm we will be holding our candlelit service, The Manger at Bethlehem, featuring carols, readings and poetry reflecting on the birth of Christ. Do join us for this lovely service and reception following.

Sponsored Carol Success!

As the money rolls in, it looks as if we will have made over £600 from our Sponsored Carol Sing in aid of our church refurbishments. All 100 carols were sung with great enthusiasm and the mulled wine was well deserved at the end!

Sponsored Carol Sing - We need you to sponsor us!

On Sunday 4th December starting around 11.30am we will be embarking on a Sponsored Carol Sing that will involve 100 individual well known carols and Christmas Songs. We need your support. Why not pop in to the church at some point during the day and drop some money into our collection? Or join us for a sing?! There will be mulled wine and mince pies towards the end of the afternoon.

Table Top Sale tomorrow! 26th November

Don't forget that our Table Top Sale opens for business on Saturday 26th November at 2.00pm in the Church Hall. See you there!

Advent Quiet Evening - Wednesday 30th November 2011

The Vicar will be leading an evening of quiet reflection for the Advent season on Wednesday 30th November starting at 8.00pm in the church.

Advent Sunday - 27th November 2011

Two opportunities to join us to celebrate the start of the church's new year. 10.00am Parish Eucharist when we shall be lighting the first candle on our Advent wreath. 4.00pm when we will be holding our Advent Carol Service which will include music and poetry to reflect the season as well as a welcoming reception after.

Table Top Sale - Saturday 26th November 2011

The Sunday Club are organising a Table Top Sale which will take place at 2.00pm in the Church Hall. Put the date in your diaries now and pop along to get some of that Christmas shopping done.

Sponsored Carol Sing - Sunday 4th December 2011

Advanced notice of our Sponsored Carol Sing which is aiming to raise money towards recent refurbishments in the church. We are aiming to sing 100 carols and everyone is welcome to join in for as much or little singing as they like. If you're not up to singing, then please do sponsor one of the participants! The event will kick off at 11.30am and keep going until we reach our goal. Sponsor forms are now available from the back of the church.

All Souls - Wednesday 2nd November 2011

10.00am Eucharist conducted by Fr. Anthony who will be remembering the departed, and especially those whose names have been forwarded for inclusion in the service.

Harvest 2011 - 25th September

At our 10.00am Eucharist our theme will be Harvest. Please see our September Parish Magazine to read about how Christian Aid is helping people in Bangladesh to grow new types of crops more suited to their land.

Sunday 18th September 2011

10.00am Eucharist with coffee reception following - do come and join us.

Prayers for the Anniversary of 9/11

Join us tomorrow at 10.00am when we will be thinking back ten years to the terrorist attacks on the USA.

God of mercy, you hold before us a model of justice tempered by mercy. As we mark the 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 we recall the words of the prayers lead by Margaret Black the following Sunday, “Dear Lord, our prayers and thoughts are dominated by the appalling terrorist attack, and the aftermath of shock and horror”. Sadly the aftermath also led to war and further loss of life. We pray for all who have tried to seek justice for those who lost their lives in the attacks; for those who have sought to find forgiveness to those who perpetrated the attacks; and for those who have suffered subsequently as part of the so called ‘War on Terror’. Ten years on, we pray that the world can move on from this and that the commemorative events taking place today to mark this anniversary may be carried out with a sense of peace and reconciliation. Amen.

Blue Sky Thinking

Blue Sky Thinking has been the flavour of the month – I suspect this just means having a larger perspective of life and looking outside ones own parameters. Being part of the ‘big society’ encourages us to think of others and work for the better of all leaving our comfort zone behind.

From the secular understanding one looks at the whole then translates to the individual; by contrast the Christian starts with self and then relates to the larger society in which we seek to be pro-active in a Christian way encouraging all to be less selfish and more open.

Read more in September's Parish Magazine - out now!

Sunday 21st August - 10.00am service

This week we will be sparing a thought for some of the younger members of our congregation who will be receiving examination results - we wish them well!

Peace in our Communities - a prayer

This prayer has been circulated by the Church of England during this troubled week:

Gracious God,
We pray for peace in our communities this day.
We commit to you all who work for peace and an end to tensions,
And those who work to uphold law and justice.
We pray for an end to fear,
For comfort and support to those who suffer.
For calm in our streets and cities,
That people may go about their lives in safety and peace.
In your mercy, hear our prayers,
now and always. Amen

Join us at 10.00am for our service tomorrow - a time for peace, contemplation and reflection.

New doors

Our new internal porch doors are now in place letting light into the church and enabling a view through to proceedings during services. Why not come along this Sunday at 10.00am to take a look? There will be refreshments in the porch after the service.

Fundraiser outcome

Our blog has been rather quiet of late due to holidays etc. Thought you'd all like to know that the Tarts and Vicars event raised a very acceptable £220 towards church funds. If you have any ideas for fund raising events, please do let Sally, Elizabeth or Genna know.

Tarts & Vicars! Sunday 26th June 2011

Our fund raising tea is this Sunday at 4.00pm. A selection of delicious tarts will be available for your delectation along with the usual teas and coffees. Raffle tickets and our 'Tarts & Vicars' recipe booklet will be on sale, and there will be a 'Tarts & Vicars' themed quiz. All we need is a lovely dry sunny afternoon!

Ascension Day - 2nd June 2011

All being well we will be marking Ascension Day with Eucharist at 8.00pm. Falling on a Thursday, this is an often overlooked festival yet a significant one. It being half term this year, if you are around Hounslow, do try to join us and swell the ranks!

Easter 6 - 29th May 2011

10:00am Eucharist as we come towards the end of the Easter season. Refreshments as usual after the service - do try to join us.

The Big Lunch - Sunday 5th June 2011

St Stephen's Residents' Association will be organising The Big Lunch in the church grounds. Everyone is welcome.

Tickets for Sale - Tarts & Vicar's tea

Available after the 10.00am service on Sunday, tickets for our summer fund raiser - Tarts & Vicar's tea on Sunday 26th June at 4.00pm! Sweet and savoury tarts, quiz, raffle. Hopefully in the church grounds. Tickets are £5.00.

Vicar's Letter - May 2011

…slowly the gauze begins to lift from those downcast eyes of the disciples and they begin to see the transformation of the man they had given their allegiance to – Jesus, the Christ now risen from the dead. Joseph of Arimathea had the body of Jesus wrapped in linen cloths and laid it in a new tomb – it would appear to be the end of a journey, the end of the line, but God had other ideas.

The narrative of this Easter morn transcends from the gloom of the garden on Good Friday to the joy of a garden bathed in early sun as Mary approaches the tomb expecting to see the corpse of the one she had loved. Mary had intended to spend time alone and reflect on all that had happened, but now the tomb is empty – she is afraid and goes off to fetch the others. They come, they enter, they believe for they too remembered the words of Jesus. With speed they return home with the ‘glad tidings’ leaving Mary alone in bewilderment. It is here that a remarkable encounter happens.

Seeing a figure in the haze of the early sun she asks where the body of Jesus had been taken – for she only wanted to offer perfume and spices to the one who had changed her life so dramatically. The Venetian artist Titian captures this precise moment in his canvas Noli Me Tangere where Mary suddenly recognises the man as her Lord and begs to cling to him. Sadly here Mary, like so many of us, was living in the Good Friday experience rather than the new dawn of Easter, but this of course changed later.

As we move from the Easter celebration towards the Ascension at the beginning of next month, I commend this painting to you for contemplation and invite you to consider the Easter experience as happening now dispelling all gloom and doubt in the glory of the Easter experience. Perhaps in some way your life might be changed too and enable you to go forward in the light of the Risen Christ.

Easter Sunday 2011 - 24th April

10am Parish Eucharist to celebrate this Easter Day. Our worship begins with the lighting of the Easter Candle as we renew our Baptismal vows. May the light of Christ shine in our hearts and lives. A festive reception will follow (quite possibly in the church grounds if this glorious weather continues!)

Palm Sunday 2011 - 17th April

To mark the beginning of Holy Week, our service will begin with the procession of palms whilst we sing 'All glory laud and honour'. Instead of our usual sermon, we will have a dramatic reading of our Lord's Passion from the gospel of Matthew. Do join us at 10.00am.

Lent Giving

This year's Lent giving will be going to support Alaric, our link missionary in Japan. Alaric returned to Japan early in the new year to a new role with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship co-ordinating language teaching.

New handrails

Grab rails on the side of the porch are finally in place to assist those feeling a little less confident on their feet heading up and down the rather steep steps.

Our lovely new chancel handrails have also been installed. Elegantly crafted by a local blacksmith, the inlaid brass is particularly attractive. Again, another measure to reassure those who need a helping hand up and down our chancel steps and an important step in making sure our church remains accessible.

Lent 3 - Clocks forward! - Sunday 27th March

Don't forget to move your clocks one hour forward tonight otherwise you are in danger of missing our 10am Parish Eucharist!

Lent 2 - Sunday 20th March 2011

Our 10.00am Parish Eucharist will include readings from Paul's letter to the Romans and John's gospel.

AGM - Sunday 10th April 2011

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday 10th April 2011 at 11.00am following the service. We will be electing our Church Wardens, PCC members and Diocesan representatives so please be there to participate in making these important decisions for our church.

Japan - OMF contact safe

We are pleased to be able to report that Alaric Dunsmore Rouse, our link missionary with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Japan, has emailed to say that he is safe and well. Alaric is based in Sapporo which is on an island to the north of Japan and away from the Sendai earthquake region.

The OMF has been able to report that all its workers are safe although some are living in difficult conditions. Please remember them in your prayers. There are updates on the situation on the OMF website which is linked from this blog.

Say One for Me this Lent

This Lent, the Church of England has launched a dedicated prayer website http://sayoneforme.org/. You can post your own prayers during Lent (up until April 23rd this year) and these will be prayed for by various Christian communities throughout the country.

Prayers will be moderated to make sure they don't contravene guidelines, and may be edited to retain privacy.

Ash Wednesday - 9th March 2011

10.00am Parish Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes will mark the beginning of this year's season of Lent. Here's an Ash Wednesday Collect to meditate upon:

Oh God, you have made us for yourself
and against your longing there is no defence.
Mark us with your love
and release in us a passion for your justice
in our disfigured world;
that we may turn from our guilt and face you,
our heart’s desire.

(Ash Wednesday collect, Janet Morley)

Sunday 6th March - Book Give Away!

March 5th is World Book Night! The following morning, Sally will be giving away copies of one of her favourite books, Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time". To receive a copy, come along to our 10.00am Parish Eucharist and join us for coffee afterwards.

Four weeks till Lent

At 10am this Sunday (13th February) we reach the 4th Sunday before Lent. In this month's Parish Magazine, Fr Raymond turns his thoughts towards this season:

Clement of Alexandria had paved the way not only by emphasising the relevance of Greek philosophy for Christian thought but by reminding the Church of the creators delight in the beauty of the world for its own sake. For Christian artists the task was to maintain the heavenly vision while making use of the forms that pagan civilisation provided, seeking all the while to revitalise them. The wealth and technical resources of the Empire were now at their disposal as a result of their new status. Classical art must be ‘baptised’ into Christianity.

I have been reminded of these thoughts whilst contemplating the magnificent painting in the National Gallery ‘The Baptism of Christ’ by Piero Della Francesca (1410-92). This emotive work is born from the Classical understanding of figures and composition. It presents Christ accepting the baptism of John, friend and colleague, for the work he is about to assume. At baptism he receives the approval of God through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

This theophany of the Jordan experience marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry as he is pushed forward into a time of trial and contemplation. It is to this period in Churches liturgical calendar, Lent, that our thoughts are beginning to turn. A time of reflection and inner searching as we too need to consider our life’s vocation. Baptism is the mere beginning of our Christian life and one of the two sacraments of our Church.

The baptism of water to which Christ submitted himself too is essential in our understanding of death and resurrection. A symbol of New Life. Whist we are demonstrating our allegiance to him through the ‘waters of baptism’, it is in essence a sign of God’s love for us.

I invite you to reflect on your own baptism as you too approach with me the journey through Lent and Passiontide.

Candlemas 2011

Sunday 30th January at 10.00am we will be celebrating Candlemas, the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the temple when the elderly Simeon and Anna recognised the greatness of the child before them. Join us when we will be lighting candles to mark this occasion.

Christian Unity reflections

Thank you to our friends at Maswell Park Church for making us so welcome last Sunday afternoon. It was good to see so many churches represented and to focus our thoughts and prayers on the local Hounslow community.

Church Unity Service - 23rd January

At 4.00pm we will be joining together with other Christians in Hounslow to celebrate the Week of Christian Unity. The service will take place at Maswell Park Evangelical Church, situated on the corner of Inwood Road and Heath Road. For more information about the church, please take a look at their: website.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland which is an expression of the Churches' commitment to be One in Christ.

16th January - Epiphany 2

10am Parish Eucharist with readings from Isaiah, Corinthians and the gospel of John. We look forward to seeing you for the service and for coffee after.

Christian Unity Week - 18th to 25th January 2011

Churches in Hounslow will be holding a joint service at Maswell Park church at 4.00pm on Sunday 23rd January. More information can be found on the Churches Together website http://www.ctbi.org.uk/511.

Happy New Year

On Sunday 9th January we will be celebrating the Baptism of Christ during our 10am service. Interestingly Christ's baptism is mentioned in all four gospels. This year we will, of course, be hearing the version from St Matthew. Do come and join us.