New Year – New you/us??! Thinking of getting married? If the New year has bought thoughts of marriage, then come and join us as we gently explore marriage – what this can look like in our 21st Century culture and how to foster good relationships. On the 21st January we are running a Pre-Marriage course …
Author archives: Philip Rawlings
Sermon 8th January 2023
Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13 – end This passage in Isaiah shows God speaking into the pain of exile to send a servant who will bring justice, and not to Israel only but to all nations. Dramatic and powerful! But we’ve entered in the middle of the story of God’s people, so let us rewind a …
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Crib Service
This Sunday, 18th December, at St. James, 10:30am, we have a new and exciting offering for all ages – 0-99! A Crib service where you can come dressed as your favourite Nativity Character (Costumes available on the day!). We will tell the Christmas story, interspersed with well-known Carols, with interaction from the congregation (think Panto …
Sermon 13th November 2022
Remembrance Reflection Why can darkness seem scary? Is it, to state the obvious, the fact we can’t see? There is more than one way to interpret darkness. Barbara Brown Taylor wrote a brilliant book entitled ‘Learning to walk in the dark’. In it she explores her own fear of darkness and challenges it. She also asks the …
Sermon 6th November 2022
Luke 20: 27-38 These Sadducees were a tricky bunch. Jesus has spent the last few chapters of Luke turning upside down the values of this world with parables about short tax collectors, a man with a seemingly dysfunctional vineyard and disrupting the economy of the Temple and now the Sadducees were determined to trip him …
Seasonal Spruce-up – Saturday 3rd December 9.30 to 12.00am
SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER, 9.30-12.00am Volunteers needed ~ Bacon rolls and refreshments provided! We’ve had an exceptional year at St. James’, and as we look towards our Christmas celebrations, we’d love to get our church tidied up inside as well as outside. So we could really do with your help! If you’re handy with a duster …
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Contemplation
We have recently started a new offering at both Christ Church and St. James’ alternately, on the 4th Sunday of the month at 6pm called a Julian Meeting. Follow here for some explanation!
Reflection 16th October 2022
Perhaps we should start at the beginning – What is Worship? So if worship isn’t just singing what does it look like and how do we do it? Our three readings gave us a clue. Romans 12:1 talks of an everyday lived worship. John 4:23-24 tells us that we must do it in Spirit and truth …
Sermon 9th October 2022
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 (Luke 17:11-19) Our readings are taken from the lectionary which as I’m sure you know is the church of England’s daily readings for the liturgical church year. We have a choice, normally of 5 or 6 different books and passages that we can preach on. Supposedly there are common themes between the Old Testament, …
