Sophia Hub pilot events

 

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Relient K - Be My Escape.

Windows on the world (270)

Benidorm, 2013

 

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The Jesus and Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains.

Anglican, nature and metaphysical poets

Mia Anderson, priest and winner of the Montreal International Poetry Prize, is interviewed in the current edition of the Church Times.

In the interview, she highlights the long tradition of poet-priests including John Donne, George Herbert, Thomas Traherne, Euros Bowen, R.S. Thomas, Rowan Williams and David Scott, among others. She locates herself with the nature poets of any country including Henry Vaughan, Don McKay, Tim Liburn, Jan Zwicky and Mark Tredinnick.

Poetry also features in an insightful interview by Michael Symmons Roberts with John Drury in which they discuss the relative merits of the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert.

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John Donne - At The Round Earth's Imagined Corners.

Come, Lord Jesus, come

The Advent Reflections service at St John's Seven Kings this morning focused on perspectives on Christ's coming. Following a reading of Rowan Williams' 'Advent Calendar', we watched a visual meditation which set my most recent reflection with images by commission4mission artists:   

Coming as Word
Coming as Mary’s “Yes” to Gabriel
Coming as forced journey to Bethlehem
Coming as peace on earth
proclaimed by hymning angels singing
“Glory to God in the highest”

Come, Lord Jesus, come

Coming as nothing

Coming as sperm joins egg
Coming as growth
Coming as foetus
Coming as waters break
Coming down the birth canal
head covered with blood
Coming into light and air
Coming into vulnerability
Coming into poverty
A cold coming

Come, Lord Jesus, come

Coming as flesh

Coming in humility
Coming as servant
Coming in love
Coming through birth
Coming into death
Coming as child
 
Come, Lord Jesus, come

'BC:AD' by U.A. Fanthorpe was read as a reflection on the moment of Christ's coming and this time of reflection was completed with an attempt to sense the challenge and shock of his coming by listening to Jackson Browne's 'The Rebel Jesus', which articulates an understanding of the Christ who came as being at odds with much of our current practice in the Church as his people. 

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Enya - O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

St John's Christmas Leaflet

Does Christmas start with telly ads in October?
Does Christmas start with the office party?
Does Christmas start with a fight on Eastenders?

No! Christmas starts with Christ.

The Christmas story has been around for a long time, but today it's being forgotten. Just 12 per cent of adults know the nativity story, and more than one-third of children don’t know whose birthday it is. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of people now say the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas.

Together we can reverse the trend. Some of the UK’s leading Christian groups, including the Church of England, the Evangelical Alliance and Bible Society, are coming together because they believe Christmas is worth saving. Christmas Starts with Christ is a campaign aimed at helping churches to make Christ and the amazing story of his birth the focus of the nation’s favourite time of year.

The campaign kicks off on December 1st this year with the first-ever nationwide Christmas Starts Sunday, at the beginning of Advent.  The campaign features posters in festive green and red which focus strongly on the message they want to get across, that Christmas starts with Christ.  There are three posters. They ask people to think about when Christmas starts. Is it with the traditional fight on Eastenders? Is it when Christmas ads appear in October? Or is it at the office party? There is also a radio ad and three extra posters, using the same design, which churches can customise for free.

Francis Goodwin of ChurchAds.net, which is coordinating this campaign, says: ‘Christmas is a time when Christians shine light in their communities. But the good news is being lost. We can’t sit back and let that happen. We’re passionate about bringing the church together to remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas.’

Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance says, “I’m excited by this campaign, which really seeks to show that the Church is good news for the nation in every season; not least of all at Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our saviour. The world needs to know that’s why we do what we do.”

Arun Arora, Director of Communications, Church of England says, “Churches do a huge amount to carry the Christmas story into their local communities, through word and deed. Christmas Starts With Christ uses a common logo to ‘join the dots’ of these activities and project a powerful message to our nation that the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus.”

This Christmas let us project that same powerful message as we invite others to church and send Christmas greetings by post, email or social media. The reason for the season is Jesus – Christmas starts with Christ!

Advent & Christmas at St John's Seven Kings -
November/December 2013

 

November  

Saturday 30^th   10.30am          Christmas Bazaar – Refreshments, handicrafts, cakes, raffles, preserves, toiletries, games & toys for children, Christmas gifts and many other stalls. Visit Santa in his grotto.

December  

 

Sunday 1^st         

10.00am        Advent Reflections Service - poems,  readings and songs

 6.30pm         Advent Service - Seven Kings Fellowship of Churches

Saturday 7^th       6.00pm          Tamil Carol Service

Sunday 15^th    

10.00am          All-age Christingle Service - a colourful service of music & light (collection for The Children’s Society)

6.30pm          Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St Peter’s Aldborough Hatch - traditional carols and readings

Tuesday 17^th     7.00pm          Carol Singing around the Parish - wrap up warm. Collecting for Haven

House Hospice.

Sunday 22^nd      6.30pm          Service of Nine Lessons and Carols by candlelight  - traditional carols and readings

Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24^th)

5.00pm        All-age Nativity Service - dressing up & tree lighting - fun for all. Bring a present to

leave under the tree for children helped by Barnados. Collection to Haven House Hospice.

11.30pm     First Holy Communion of Christmas

Christmas Day (Wednesday 25^th)

 

8.00am         Holy Communion - Book of Common Prayer

10.00am       Christmas All-age Holy Communion - children, bring a gift you have received to show others

New Years Eve (Tuesday 31^st)

11.30pm       Watchnight Service - welcoming the New Year in prayer and reflection

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Red Mountain Music - Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus. 

Sophia Hub Enterprise Clinic

The Seven Kings Sophia Hub features in the latest edition of Just News, the newsletter of the Commission for Justice and Social Responsibility in the Diocese of Brentwood.

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Sly and the Family Stone - A Family Affair.

Christmas Bazaar

We had another great Christmas Bazaar at St John's Seven Kings today which was very well attended with those who came thoroughly enjoying the variety of stalls, games, Grotto and refreshments.

Our social and fundraising committee had great support from our congregation which resulted, once again, in an increased amount raised. The lunches served in our restaurant were highly commended and our Santa's Grotto was, once again, a magical experience for those children who queued to see Santa.

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Slade - Merry Christmas Everyone.