Weekly Email w/b 7th February 2022

Last weekend it wonderful to hear the bells ring out to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of our Queen’s accession!

Some of you will remember how, on 6 February 1952, the young Elizabeth was staying in Kenya with her husband Prince Phillip when she heard of the sudden death of her father King George VI. We are told that without delay, she returned home, where she was proclaimed, ‘Queen Elizabeth II’ aged just 25.

On her coronation, the Queen dedicated herself to a life of service – to her people, both in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to God. Archbishop Justin Welby, interviewed by the BBC recently, likened her role as monarch to a lifelong religious vocation and the coronation to the vows for religious ministry.

How blessed we have been by Queen Elizabeth’s devotion to duty and to God. Before her Coronation, Elizabeth had asked the people of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth to:

Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.

We ourselves may not be called by God to serve our country as King or Queen, or as even priest, but each of us is called to follow Christ and to serve one another and God. This too is a lifelong vocation, which we cannot do faithfully without God’s help.

Let us pray that God will give us wisdom and strength to carry out our vocation too. Amen.

Valerie Pitt

Associate Minister

 

This Lent we’re hosting two midweek opportunities to go stronger in faith and grow deeper in prayer. We’d love to invite people from across our life at Trinity to join in.

On Wednesdays we’ll be engaging with the amazing musical / film “Hamilton”, with the help of the new book “The Room Where it happens” by Bishop Rose. We’ll be exploring some big themes of injustice, adversity and temptation, and each week opening up scripture and exploring how the Christian faith speaks into some of the really big issues in life.

On Thursdays we’re taking part in “The Difference Course“. In a divided and fractured world, it can be hard to know where to begin with the issues that surround us. Over five weeks we’ll be using film clips, Bible study, prayer, discussion and interactive exercises to explore some big themes together, and be thinking how our everyday relationships might be transformed.

Watch trailers, find out more, and sign up

We want to say another “thankyou” to everyone for living out our COVID guidelines these last months. We are so grateful for the many small sacrifices people have made, and for the ways in which people have been looking out for each other, especially those who feel more vulnerable or concerned at coming to church and public gatherings.

Given current levels and the impact of Omicron, and government changes ahead, we are obviously continuing to reflect on how best to meet together. These changes may impact recommendations about face coverings and distanced seating at some of our services, as well how we receive communion.

The Vicar and Wardens continue to monitor all of this closely, with our next more formal ‘review’ coming towards the end of February. If you have particular thoughts, concerns or questions then please do ask, and we will feed back and discuss future recommendations as soon as we can.

With Lent approaching we’ve invited the team from illuminate Christian bookshop on Wyle Cop to join us at Meole Brace church for a day. So on Sunday 20th February – at the 9am, 11am and 6.30pm services – you’ll be able to browse some of their latest books and resources, and take something home with you. There will be a couple of book recommendations in each of the service, as well as resources for children and families for you to check out. You’ll be able to pay with cash or credit card, so do please come suitably prepared!

Illuminate Bookshop Website

What better day to consider being baptised than Easter Sunday?! Alongside the regular baptisms we hold for babies, this year we’re offering children, young people and adults the opportunity to be baptised on Sunday 17th April as part of the 11am mid morning gathering.

For most people you won’t have been baptised before, and this will be an amazing opportunity to more fully live out your faith as someone baptised. For others you might have been baptised as a baby and then have found a deep and living faith as an adult, so we’d explore with you about “renewing your baptism vows”.

Interested? Talk to one of the staff team, or let us know and we’d love to continue the conversation.

Explore more about being bapitsed

Whatever our new year resolutions – and diets? – we hope there’s still space for doing life together over a cup of coffee and around a meal table. Alongside small groups, growing friendships and looking out for people who live locally here are three opportunities you can do that with us at Trinity over the next weeks.

Café Connect is our church-run coffee shop at the heart of the Radbrook community offering great food, good value and a warm welcome. We want to be a place where faith is lived, hope is offered, and God’s love can be shared. Open six days a week and staffed by a team of volunteers, the cafe offers good food and a warm welcome. Join us for drinks, snacks and light lunches to eat in or take away.

Cloisters Cafe opens for business once more on Tuesday 11th January. During the winter months we’re open on Tuesday mornings in the back of church, and so if you’re looking for a warm welcome, drinks and cakes in a beautiful surrounding, and the company of friends old and new then we’d love you to join us.

Trinity Table is our regular lunch club for people from across the local community. It takes place on Tuesdays from 12.30pm in the Trinity Centre. To help with capacity we’re having two Trinity Tables each month, with people able to attend one of these.