Fr Jonathan’s E-mailing - March 2010
I hope that this finds you all well. As I write, we are almost half way through Lent and, despite the ongoing cold snap, we are beginning to see bluer skies and sunnier days. Such encouraging weather fronts have been matched in equal measure by your joyful participation in our Lenten activities. It was great to see so many children are our pre-Lent Shrove Tuesday pancake party, when we also made and decorated the feet of Jesus on his forty day journey through the wilderness and which now adorn the north wall of the Church. On Ash Wednesday our choir treated us to some beautiful music and it was really encouraging to see attendance at this moving service significantly greater than in many previous years. On Friday evenings at 6.30pm it has been lovely to walk and pray the Stations of the Cross and on Wednesday evenings at 8pm we have had significant numbers joining us for this year’s study material from Inclusive Church called ‘LIVING CHRISTIANITY : ‘Everyday Bread’. This and Stations of the Cross continue throughout Lent and you are all most welcome to join us.
This coming Sunday – March 7th 2010
This coming Sunday is our First Sunday of the month 50 minute Family Eucharist at 10 am when our children will be reading, leading the prayers, serving at the altar and there will be a sermon especially with them in mind. It would be lovely to have as many of you joining us as possible for this regular celebration of the joy of our community life.
Owing to unforeseen circumstances there will not be a service of Choral Evensong at 6.30pm, but we very much hope to have this much loved traditional service a week later on March 14th.
Next Sunday – Mothering Sunday – March 14th
Next Sunday is Mothering Sunday and is one of the two Sundays of the year when our church school joins us for the Sung Eucharist at 10 am. There will be the traditional distribution of posies as we celebrate our own mothers, living or departed, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the motherhood of the Church we belong to throughout the world. It is a tangible and visible sign of the warm relationship between church and school in these exciting times when we look towards the school expansion and development project. If you have not yet written or emailed Camden Council in support of this exciting development in the service of our local community as per my email a few weeks ago, may I warmly encourage you to do so in advance of the deadline for the planning application of March 18th. Thank you.
Emmanuel School Quiz – March 17th 2010
Clare Barton writes…
The Parents & Friends of Emmanuel are holding a fund-raising Quiz Night on Wednesday March 17th at 7pm at the school.
In previous years these have been really enjoyable evenings, with a chance to meet up with parents, teachers, governors & friends, have a bit of fun and show everyone just how good your general knowledge is - whilst also raising valuable money for Emmanuel which will directly benefit the children. Please all come along to show your support! Tickets are a bargain at only £2.50 per person, (purchased in advance) & you can assemble a team of up to 6 people, or just buy your ticket, turn up & be grouped with others on the night. Feel free to invite your friends, neighbours & family members too - the more teams the better, & there will of course be a prize for the winning team! Food will be available to purchase all evening, and you can even bring your own wine & beer to wash it down too! (Please note this is an event for over 18’s only, however the PFE hope to be arranging a social function for parents/carers and school children in the summer term - watch this space!)
We are also looking for people who are willing to help out with the Quiz, so if you can give a hand selling tickets, help set up on the night or rustle up some delicious hot food to sell, please do email us: clarebarton@olgatv.com / susanredward@hotmail.com / kimgelirli@hotmail.co.uk. It would be good if we could have a volunteer from each year group in each class to sell tickets, so we can ensure as many people as possible come along & join in the fun.
Applications for School places for 2011 and beyond
Since January, in common with Churches and Schools in London and throughout the country, we have been operating a system of a register for those applying for School places under the church membership criterion. Application under this criterion entails attendance at Church twice a month – together with the child – for a period of twelve months. The complexities of school application procedures and appeals mean that we are legally required to have an impartial record of Church attendance. We hope this will not be seen as a negative intrusion, but rather a joyful record of your presence with us on any given Sunday. We greatly value the presence in Church of all those applying under this criterion and hope that you will glimpse something here of the glory and inclusive generosity of this great God of ours, but also the fun and friendship which binds us together.
Lent Lunch for the Bishop of London’s Lent Appeal.
On the fifth Sunday of Lent (March 21st) after the Sung Eucharist we will be hosting our annual bread and cheese Lent lunch in support of the Bishop of London’s Lent appeal for urgent work with children in our link dioceses of Angola and Mozambique. Posters, flyers and further details of this year’s appeal can be found at the back of Church. Generous offers of bread, soup and cheese may be emailed to Casey Hammett at cemcdh@yahoo.co.uk. The general concept of a Lent lunch is that you donate to charity what you might have spent on Sunday lunch at home or out in a restaurant. Please be assured that this is a very worthy cause, which I would warmly encourage you to support.
Emmanuel Electoral Roll
This is the time of year when, in common with Churches up and down the land, we update Emmanuel’s Electoral Roll. The Electoral Roll is the formal list of all those over the age of 16 who regularly worship at Emmanuel. As such it is a ‘family photograph’ of all the adult members of Church family, but it also entitles you to vote at the Annual Meeting on May 16th and to stand for the PCC. If you are not already a member of our Electoral Roll, I would warmly encourage you to do so. A large, healthy Electoral Roll is one of the visible signs of a large, healthy Church family. Forms for the Electoral Roll can be found at “how to join” section of the website and at the back of Church. If you would like to know more about this please speak to one of the clergy, Emma or our Electoral Officer Carrie Reiners who can be contacted at creiners60657@yahoo.com.
New curate
I was delighted to be able to announce to you a couple of weeks ago that in the summer we will be joined by a new member of the clergy team. Alysoun Whitton is completing her training at St Stephen’s House in Oxford and will be made deacon in St Paul’s Cathedral by the Bishop of London in the same service as Emma on Saturday 3rd July at 3pm. She will then begin her ministry with us at Emmanuel the following day. It is a great sign of encouragement to us that the Bishop has placed a newly ordained person with us and I know that you will give to Alysoun the warm and generous welcome that Emmanuel is well known for giving. Alysoun has also kindly written a few words by way of introduction to herself:
I am very much looking forward to being with you at Emmanuel and to sharing your worship and teaching. I came late to the faith and can clearly recall how strange it all seemed; now that it seems like home I retain a sense of amazement and curiosity about our journey to God.
I attended Camberwell School of Art and became a potter, working in porcelain, which was pierced, decorated and inlaid with colour. I ran a workshop until my husband David became ill and then I stayed at home to look after him. After David’s death it was a church community that took me in and held on to me until I could breathe again on my own.
I began to study first at Birbeck Faculty of Continuing Education and then with Edmonton Area Course in Christian Studies, followed by Reader training. During this time I was aware that God was asking more of me and with the guidance of my parish priest and my spiritual director I began the process of discernment. So here I am at St Stephen’s House in Oxford and, God willing, I shall be ordained to the Diaconate this Petertide.
Holy Week and Easter 2010
Holy Week and Easter will soon be upon us and we will shortly be distributing a leaflet giving further information and a historical context to these traditional, beautiful and moving liturgies in which we follow even more than at any other time of the year the events of our Lord’s earthly life, death and resurrection. We are invited to participate fully in the sequence from Palm Sunday, through Holy Week to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter day. Maundy Thursday to Easter is often referred to as the Paschal Triduum (or the Great Three Days) which is essentially one liturgy beginning with the evening Eucharist of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday and only concluding with the resolution and joy of Easter Day – when the joyful and colourful ‘Alleluia!’ will be retrieved from its Lenten confines!
In brief these Services are:
Palm Sunday – 28th March – when British Summer time also begins this year!
8.00 am Eucharist
10.00 am Sung Eucharist with Procession of Palms
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week
8.00pm A quiet said Eucharist with devotional address
Maundy Thursday – 1st April
10.30 am Chrism Mass in St Paul’s Cathedral
8.00 pm Sung Eucharist of the Lord’s Supper followed by watch at the altar of repose
Good Friday – 2nd April
10.30 am Stations of the Cross for Children – a 30 minute family friendly service, followed by hot Cross Buns and juice
2.00 pm Traditional Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion and Death
Easter Day – 3rd April
8.00 am Eucharist
10.00 am Sung Festal Eucharist for all the family and renewal of baptismal promises
There are so many signs of vitality and growth in the life of Emmanuel and it is a privilege and honour to serve as your parish priest. Thank you for all that each and every one of you contributes to our life together. It is very much appreciated.
With my love and prayers, as ever,
Fr Jonathan
05 Mar 2010 Fr Jonathan 0 comments









