Weekly letter from St Luke's - 15th March 2024

Dear Parish Friends

You will notice that the builders have moved on apace over the last week. Asbestos has been removed from the old house and demolition work begun on the lower hall. The kitchen fittings from there have been safely stored for reuse, with the Zip boiler to be installed in the flower room in the next couple of weeks. The meeting space created at the back of church has proved very workable.

Our Sunday morning's services will be as usual at 7am (Holy Communion) and 9am (Family Communion with Zoom streaming). Children's Church is still on. The notice paper and 9am service sheet are available via the links below. To mark Lent as a more solemn season, I encourage you to arrive early for the services, Five minutes before the service starts I will ring the bell and read the sentence of the day and we will then sit in silence for prayer before the bell is rung again and we sing the opening hymn.

Our gospel reading this Sunday from John 12 picks up on a theme from John 1 where Andrew was told to 'come and see' Jesus, and then to follow him. Seeing in this gospel is active. In means to come to know Jesus, to believe or trust in him, and to recognize his unity and singleness of purpose with the Father. Here in chapter 12 it is Greeks that have come - the message of Jesus is for all the world. Jesus goes on to show that seeing, hearing and following him means to move beyond the small definition of life in the world, and embrace the abundant gift of eternal life.

Finally, note that Alma Turnbull's funeral will be held at St Luke's next Tuesday, 19th March, at 10am.

Yours in Christ

Rev'd Timothy