CTiW Newsletter No. 23 Winter 2021/22

Churches Together in Westminster are pleased to announce that Issue No. 23 Winter 2021/22 of our Newsletter is now available on http://ctiw.london/wp-content/uploads/Newsletter-23.pdf

We trust you will find it of interest, and please feel free to make copies for your congregation or include the link in your own newsletters.

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Karen Peris - I Would Sing Along.

CTiW AGM: Beyond Cop26 – What next? EcoChurch & other steps

The Churches Together in Westminster 2022 AGM took place on Monday, 17th January at 6pm via Zoom.

Following the AGM there were talks exploring how to make your church more environmentally-friendly following Cop26, including how to become an EcoChurch and how to get involved in Citizens UK Just Transition campaign.

Speakers were:

• Helen Stephens, Church Relations Manager, A Rocha UK introducing EcoChurch;
• Rev Simon Woodman, Minister, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, on Citizens UK JustTransition campaign;
• Rev Joan Ishibashi, St James Piccadilly on becoming an EcoChurch

For the video of the talks please click here or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO43Y1gJDjYSsN_5knpJK45scuDcQkXOT.

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Linda Perhacs - Winds Of The Sky.

Beyond Cop26 - What next? EcoChurch & other steps

 

We are pleased to invite you to the Churches Together in Westminster 2022 Annual General Meeting On-line via Zoom at 6pm on 17 January 2022.

The AGM will be followed this year by talks on the subject of “Beyond Cop26 - What next? EcoChurch & other steps”. These will include how to become an EcoChurch and how to get involved in Citizens UK Just Transition campaign.

Speakers will include

• Helen Stephens, Church Relations Manager, A Rocha UK, introducing EcoChurch;
• Rev Simon Woodman, Minister, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, on Citizens UK Just Transition campaign;
• Rev Joan Ishibashi, St James Piccadilly on becoming an EcoChurch

See our website http://ctiw.london/2021/ctiw-agm-and-talks/. Register for the Zoom link at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-cop26-what-next-ecochurch-and-other-steps-tickets-224242554517.

We look forward to welcoming you.

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Chris Thile - Laysong.

CTiW Christmas Message

Here's my Christmas message to the members of Churches Together in Westminster:

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor who directed an underground seminary in Germany, an intentional Christian community that practised a new form of monasticism. The seminary was closed down in 1937 by the Gestapo and more than two dozen of its students were arrested. Bonhoeffer, too, was arrested in 1943 and executed in 1945, just weeks before the end of World War II. Earlier, while still at liberty, he wrote circular letters to his students encouraging them to pursue and maintain fellowship with one another in any and every way possible; just as we also need to do in the challenges of the pandemic.

In his circular letter sent at Christmas in 1939 Bonhoeffer wrote this about the nativity:

‘The body of Jesus Christ is our flesh. He bears our flesh. Therefore, where Jesus Christ is, there we are, whether we know it or not; that is true because of the incarnation. What happens to Jesus Christ, happens to us. It really is all our “poor flesh and blood” which lies there in the crib; it is our flesh which dies with him on the cross and is buried with him. He took human nature so that we might be eternally with him. Where the body of Jesus Christ is, there we are; indeed, we are his body. So the Christmas message for all … runs: You are accepted. God has not despised you, but he bears in his body all your flesh and blood. Look at the cradle! In the body of the little child, in the incarnate son of God, your flesh, all your distress, anxiety, temptation, indeed all your sin, is borne, forgiven and healed.’

That is the great insight of Bonhoeffer’s letters; where Jesus Christ is, there we are, whether we know it or not; what happens to Jesus Christ, happens to us. He became a human being like us, so that we would become divine. He came to us so that we would come to him. He took human nature so that we might be eternally with him. Where the body of Jesus Christ is, there we are; indeed, we are his body. Like new parents seeing their new-born child for the first time and recognising their features in their child, so, when we look in the manger, we see ourselves looking back at us. I pray that that might be your experience this Christmas.

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Tessera - Mary, Did You Know.

Churches Together in Westminster Ecumenical Advent Service

 

Churches Together in Westminster held its Ecumenical Advent Service this evening. Kindly hosted by St James’s Church, Piccadilly, this service of readings and carols was led by Revd Dr Ivan Khovacs with readers from American International Church, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, Hinde Street Methodist Church, London Prisons Mission, St James Roman Catholic Church Spanish Place and St Martin-in-the-Fields. The service included poems by Andrew Hudgins and U.A. Fanthorpe from whose 'BC:AD' the title of the service, 'Walking by Starlight' was taken.

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St James Church Piccadilly - 'Walking by Starlight'.

Churches Together in Westminster Ecumenical Advent Service

Churches Together in Westminster Ecumenical Advent Service

At 6pm on Sunday, 28th November 2021 kindly hosted by St James’s Church, Piccadilly, W1J 9LL. This will be a service of readings and carols. All welcome to attend.

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CTiW & St James Piccadilly - Ecumenical Advent Service 2020.

Becoming a Westminster EcoChurch

 

Becoming a Westminster EcoChurch is on Sunday, 14 November at 1.30pm for 2pm start.

Learn more about the EcoChurch process, meet others from different Westminster faith groups who are also interested in this subject.

In light of the challenge of the global climate emergency and COP26 how do we respond locally as faith groups in Westminster? How might we take a lead as institutions of faith in answering the need to live sustainably?

One response might be to develop concrete local climate action through EcoChurch. This event hopes to help us make personal connections, raise the potential of your own emerging ‘EcoChurch’ and give you an opportunity to gain insight from people who have experience transforming their local faith communities through the EcoChurch process.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/becoming-a-westminster-ecochurch-tickets-178106851387?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

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James Taylor - Fire And Rain.

Meet the Chaplains and Becoming a Westminster EcoChurch

Churches Together in Westminster is currently running its BLM Reading Group where we are reading “We Need to Talk About Race – Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches” by Ben Lindsay. All are welcome. Register on Eventbrite at https://cutt.ly/amQqpkI.

“Meet the Chaplains” is to be held at 7pm on 22 October 2021 online. Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-chaplains-tickets-164735122185. 

Many of you will be familiar with our “Meet the Neighbours” events hosted by CTiW member churches, and this is an extension of this idea. Chaplains from a number of different sectors within Westminster will be speaking online about their ministries. Everyone is welcome, and we anticipate that this will be an enjoyable and informative event.

For further information please see http://ctiw.london/wp-content/uploads/chaplains-poster-2.pdf.

Then, Becoming a Westminster EcoChurch is on Sunday, 14 November at 1.30pm for 2pm start.

Learn more about the EcoChurch process, meet others from different Westminster faith groups who are also interested in this subject.

In light of the challenge of the global climate emergency and COP26 how do we respond locally as faith groups in Westminster? How might we take a lead as institutions of faith in answering the need to live sustainably?

One response might be to develop concrete local climate action through EcoChurch. This event hopes to help us make personal connections, raise the potential of your own emerging ‘EcoChurch’ and give you an opportunity to gain insight from people who have experience transforming their local faith communities through the EcoChurch process.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/becoming-a-westminster-ecochurch-tickets-178106851387?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

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Bruce Cockburn - If A Tree Falls.

We Need to Talk About Race – Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches

The new BLM Reading Group from Churches Together in Westminster begins soon. 

We will be reading “We Need to Talk About Race – Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches” by Ben Lindsay and meeting online to discuss the book on Thursdays 8.00 – 9.00pm, September 16, 23, 30 & October 7, 14. Free – All welcome. 

Register on Eventbrite at https://cutt.ly/amQqpkI.

Explore eye-opening insights into the black religious experience, challenging the status quo in white majority churches and discuss how we can work together to create a truly inclusive church community. From the UK Church’s complicity in the transatlantic slave trade to the whitewashing of Christianity throughout history, the Church has a lot to answer for when it comes to race relations. Christianity has been dubbed the white man’s religion, yet the Bible speaks of an impartial God and shows us a diverse body of believers. It’s time for the Church to start talking about race.

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The Staples Singers - Got To Be Some Changes Made.

CTiW Newsletter, BLM Book Group and Meet the Chaplains event

Churches Together in Westminster are pleased to announce that our latest CTiW Newsletter Issue No. 22 Summer 2021 is now available at http://ctiw.london/wp-content/uploads/Newsletter-22.pdf. Please do feel free to copy this for your congregations.

Also, we would like to tell you about two new initiatives. The first of which is our new BLM Reading Group. We will be reading “We Need to Talk About Race – Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches” by Ben Lindsay and meeting online to discuss the book on Thursdays 8.00 – 9.00pm, September 16, 23, 30 & October 7, 14. Free – All welcome. Register on Eventbrite at https://cutt.ly/amQqpkI.

Explore eye-opening insights into the black religious experience, challenging the status quo in white majority churches and discuss how we can work together to create a truly inclusive church community. From the UK Church’s complicity in the transatlantic slave trade to the whitewashing of Christianity throughout history, the Church has a lot to answer for when it comes to race relations. Christianity has been dubbed the white man’s religion, yet the Bible speaks of an impartial God and shows us a diverse body of believers. It’s time for the Church to start talking about race.

For poster please click here.

The second initiative is an event called “Meet the Chaplains” to be held at 7pm on 22 October 2021 online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-chaplains-tickets-164735122185. Many of you will be familiar with our “Meet the Neighbours” events hosted by CTiW member churches, and this is an extension of this idea. Chaplains from a number of different sectors within Westminster will be speaking online about their ministries. Everyone is welcome, and we anticipate that this will be an enjoyable and informative event.

For further information please see http://ctiw.london/wp-content/uploads/chaplains-poster-2.pdf.

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The Staples Singers - I'll Take You There.

CTiW Pentecost Service

Churches Together in Westminster held their annual CTiW Service of the Word for Pentecost yesterday which this year was very kindly being hosted by St Mary le Strand church.

For the benefit of those watching the recording, a service sheet is available on the CTiW website (http://ctiw.london/2021/ctiw-service-of-the-word-for-pentecost/) or from CTiW.net@gmail.com and you may also wish to have a candle ready to light during the service. We are grateful to Canon Peter Babington, Priest-in-Charge and the people of St Mary le Strand for hosting this service.

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Taizé - virtual choir : Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Churches Together in Westminster: Pentecost Service

Churches Together in Westminster are pleased to invite you to our annual CTiW Service of the Word for Pentecost which this year is very kindly being hosted by St Mary le Strand church at 6pm on Sunday, 23 May 2021.

All are very welcome to join us either in person (please wear a mask and follow guidance to ensure social distancing) or via Livestream link https://youtu.be/Nq5CmXeJDYw

For the benefit of those watching from home, a service sheet will be available on the CTiW website (http://ctiw.london/2021/ctiw-service-of-the-word-for-pentecost/) or from CTiW.net@gmail.com and you may also wish to have a candle ready to light during the service. We are grateful to Canon Peter Babington, Priest-in-Charge and the people of St Mary le Strand for hosting this service.

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Come, O Holy Spirit, come.

Something we have barely been able to imagine that goes by the name of resurrection

Here's my Easter message as Chair of Churches Together in Westminster:

On Good Friday at St Martin-in-the-Fields I spoke about Christ’s forsakenness on the cross using, as an equivalent for that experience, a book ‘Blackpentecostal Breath’ written by the academic and artist Ashon T. Crawley as a love letter to his people; African Americans with a history of enslavement and therefore of having been treated by others as objects to be bought, sold, abused and killed, rather than valued as people.

Crawley writes: ‘Having been said to be nothing, this is a love letter written to we who have been, and are today still, said to have nothing. And to a tradition of such nothingness.’

However, Crawley continues by writing of ‘a love letter to a tradition of the ever overflowing, excessive nothingness that protects itself, that with the breaking of families, of flesh, makes known and felt, the refusal of being destroyed.’ He then says that, ‘There is something in such nothingness that is not, but still ever excessively was, is and is yet to come.’

I ended my Good Friday reflection with the thought that, in the words of Al Barrett and Ruth Harley, ‘There is something that endures. Something that defies despair, and the dispersal orders of the powerful. Something that gives hope … that we have barely been able to imagine … Something that goes by the name of resurrection’ (‘Being Interrupted’).

In the words of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, ‘There lives the dearest freshness deep down things’ which ‘will flame out, like shining from shook foil’ (‘God’s Grandeur’).

As we emerge from our latest lockdown - uncertain of the future, not knowing what the pandemic will bring next, yet needing and searching for hope – this is the understanding of resurrection we need in this moment. The dearest freshness deep down things that suddenly flames out, something in nothingness that still ever excessively was, is and is yet to come, something we have barely been able to imagine that goes by the name of resurrection.

Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

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Mark Heard - Rise From The Ruins.

Churches Together in Westminster Newsletter No. 21

The Churches Together in Westminster Newsletter No. 21 for Autumn/Winter 2020/21 is now out and can be downloaded from the CTiW website. 

The newsletter includes the report of activities that I gave at the CTiW AGM, a summary of the discussion on 'The Spiritual Health of the Nation' involving Fr Roger Dawson, SJ, Director St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre, and Ann Morisy, Community theologian, that followed the AGM, plus a report of the latest activities of London Prisons Mission.

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Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir - Step By Step.

Hope is love stretched into the future

Here's the Christmas message I have shared from Churches Together in Westminster:

I recently came across the phrase, 'hope is love stretched into the future' and used it for some Christmas intercessions. I prayed for a future where we can live free from fear of the Covid-19 pandemic because of the development and rollout of effective vaccines. These intercessions asked that God lead and guide all involved in developing, testing, approving and using the different vaccines and be with all who currently have the virus and all who are providing care and treatment; may his love be shown now in care and be stretched into a future that is free from of current restrictions.

As well as giving cause to pray into this time of pandemic, the God of hope also creates hope in us that we might see his love stretched into a future where his kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Let us place our hope in the God of hope, the one whose love stretches into the future, and make that our prayer this Christmastide:

God of hope, we pray for a future where the good news of Christmas – of God with us – is experienced in every community throughout the world. May our experience of a Christmas in which we are only able to be with others in small numbers and for a short time make us hunger and thirst for depth of community and greater love of all. May your love in coming to be with us be stretched into a future where we reflect your love by being with those who are alone, marginalised, despised or rejected. Amen.

Happy Christmas from all at Churches Together in Westminster.

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Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir - The Prayer.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God

A Solidarity Sunday resource booklet has been prepared by Churches Together in Westminster to help churches focus on those in developing countries who are suffering from the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is hoped this will encourage congregations to engage actively with Christian organisations worldwide in their work with vulnerable communities. This should surely be a part of our response to the universal gift of God that we remember and celebrate in Christmastide.

The booklet has been arranged as a series of daily readings around key themes:

• Day One Impact of coronavirus on people in fragile countries
• Day Two Health, shelter and survival
• Day Three Poverty and livelihoods
• Day Four Education and children
• Day Five Violence against women and girls, and gender inequality
• Day Six Impact on those with disabilities
• Day Seven Loss of rights and freedoms
• Day Eight Impact on peace processes and conflict

CTiW encourage churches to make the booklet available to their congregations and consider holding a Solidarity Sunday service to introduce the booklet and encourage support for the organisations listed in the booklet’s appendix. Solidarity Sunday is about reminding ourselves and each other that there is so much good we can do - through giving, through prayer and through powerful demonstrations of unity.

The booklet is available from http://ctiw.london/2020/coronavirus-solidarity-booklet-letter/

I have written the reflection on peace processes and conflict:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5.9)

When, in a festive spirit of munificence, Peter Kennard and Neville Brody collaborated to produce a new artwork for our troubled times entitled ‘Peace on Earth’, they reached for Christian imagery. Based on a painting from the National Gallery of the Virgin Mary praying, ‘Peace on Earth’ replaced the Virgin’s halo with the CND Peace symbol and her face with planet Earth.

A New Year gift in 2016, the image was made available as a free download, the idea being to give something back at that time of year, and as a designer; with that something being an image to make people think, that wasn’t too horrific for them to put on a wall.

Kennard said:

‘At the heart of mobilising positive, peaceful activism is a radical, subversive generosity on the part of artists and designers, which runs counter to any social structure that privileges the ‘I’ over the ‘we’, and refutes the unfestive – but nonetheless accurate – observation that we may no longer know how to give without counting the cost.

Giving breaks the cycle of greed, and encourages people to be generous, community-minded and constructive. It’s about doing something for the sake of change, for the common good – which is what the original peace symbol was about. There’s a refreshing positivity to giving freely, which runs counter to one’s normal transactions in the world.

Anyone who’s been involved in the best bits of peaceful activism knows that mobilising positive human energy is life affirming. Like singing in a Christmas choir, one of the reasons to go on a march is to be there in a group of people who believe the human race isn’t doomed after all.

As artist Jimmy Durham says, ‘Humanity is not a completed project,’ meaning both that we are still here and that we need to try harder. Artists and designers have a long tradition of bending the tools of their trade to that cause, beating swords into aesthetic ploughshares.’[i]

In these thoughts and in this image Kennard draws deeply on scripture and Christian imagery to describe the prayerful, generous, incarnational, transformational (instruments of war into implements of peace), community-building and environmentally-focused peace-making which Jesus said can be named as characteristic of God’s children. Our dual challenge is to become involved in such peace-making ourselves – particularly in this time of increasing nationalism – and also to name such peace-making and the peacemakers themselves as being part of God’s peaceable kingdom yet to come in full; on earth as it is in heaven.

[i] https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/rca-stories/peace-on-earth/

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John & Yoko Plastic Ono Band + Harlem Community Choir - Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

CTiW Solidarity Resources booklet

Churches Together in Westminster has prepared a Solidarity Resources booklet for churches. Here is my letter introducing the booklet to our members:

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of all people across the globe. We, in the wealthy countries of the G20, need to recognise and take responsibility for the fact that our progress, quality and way of life is at the expense of the people of the least developed countries.

The coronavirus pandemic is not a great equaliser as some have claimed. This pandemic has reminded us that we are all connected, and that to be well and healthy we depend on others, and on our communities. In fact, unequal systems of power double down in a crisis.

The danger is that, even with a vaccine, for some time to come our focus in the UK will shift almost entirely to domestic issues and to our own recovery. This will not be a quick process but has already led to claims that we cannot afford to support the most vulnerable countries at the level we did before, thus casting them adrift.

Pope Francis has said, ‘We exist only in relationships: with God the Creator, with our brothers and sisters as members of a common family, and with all of God’s creatures within our common home.’ As a global Christian family we need to embody Pope Francis’ prophetic words as we unite to
pray and take action for our common home during this season of global pandemic.

Lucy Olofinjana writes for Churches Together in England & Wales that we need to:

‘Unite with Christians from all continents to ask for a coronavirus response that embraces sharing, not plundering. Learn the importance of living out Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 12, ‘If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.’ Let’s seek to make this a reality as we go about life as part of God’s family. Let’s ‘rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn’ (Romans 12:15) – being real and honest with one another, and truly being there for each other, in the good times and the bad. Because, after all, we are family.’

This resource booklet has been prepared by Churches Together in Westminster to help our members focus on those in developing countries who are suffering from the COVID-19 Pandemic. We hope we will all encourage our congregations to engage actively with Christian organisations worldwide in their work with vulnerable communities. This should surely be a part of our response to the universal gift of God that we remember and celebrate in Christmastide.

This booklet has been arranged as a series of daily readings around key themes:

• Day One Impact of coronavirus on people in fragile countries
• Day Two Health, shelter and survival
• Day Three Poverty and livelihoods
• Day Four Education and children
• Day Five Violence against women and girls, and gender inequality
• Day Six Impact on those with disabilities
• Day Seven Loss of rights and freedoms
• Day Eight Impact on peace processes and conflict

We encourage you to make the booklet available to your congregations and consider holding a Solidarity Sunday service to introduce the booklet and encourage support for the organisations listed in the booklet’s appendix. Solidarity Sunday is about reminding ourselves and each other that there is so much good we can do - through giving, through prayer and through powerful demonstrations of unity.

A celebration of solidarity organised by Farm Street Church with CTiW can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=XvJ4mE5C3AY. The service includes a sermon preached by Revd Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, testimony and readings from homeless guests of the Central London Catholic Churches service at Farm Street, and prayers from Churches Together in Westminster.

We hope you will organise your own Solidarity Sunday service and will be happy to provide any support, ideas or advice that would assist.

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World Day of the Poor 2020 - Churches Together in Westminster.

CTiW Annual Meeting: The Spiritual Health of the Nation

The 2021 Churches Together in Westminster Annual Meeting will take place online on Monday 18 January 2021 at 6.30pm. 

After the Annual Meeting, there will be a Panel Discussion on the subject “The Spiritual Health of the Nation”.

To book free tickets see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ctiw-agm-the-spiritual-health-of-the-nation-tickets-133327701745. All are very welcome.

Covid has been a time of huge upheaval and an opportunity for soul-searching. What are we learning as individuals and as society? Fr Dominic Robinson will chair a discussion on the spiritual health of the nation with Fr Roger Dawson SJ and Ann Morisy.

Fr Roger Dawson SJ is a Jesuit priest and is Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre in North Wales. He trained as a clinical psychologist and worked in adult mental health in the NHS before entering the Society of Jesus in 1996. He continues to be interested in ‘positive psychology’ (the psychology of flourishing and ‘what makes life worth living’) and sees many connections between this and Ignatian spirituality.

Ann Morisy is an internationally acclaimed lecturer and writer. She was the Director of the Commission on Urban Life and Faith which produced the report ‘Faithful Cities’. She has written on numerous themes: religious experience (with David Hay), inter-generational fairness, community ministry. In her book ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ she re-envisions theology for troubled times.

Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ. is Parish Priest, Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception and Chair, Justice and Peace Commission, Diocese of Westminster.

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Steve Bell - Wouldn't You Love To Know.

CTiW Advent & Solidarity Sunday services

 

Churches Together in Westminster joined together with St James Piccadilly for their annual Advent Service. This online service was organised by St James Piccadilly and led by Revd Lucy Winkett with contributions from members of the CTiW Executive Committee and the congregation of St James Piccadilly. This was a moving and challenging service which helpfully focused our thoughts on the core themes of Advent itself, rather than treating it just as preparation for Christmas.

CTiW also observed Solidarity Sunday and World Day of the Poor today to mark our commitment to those most vulnerable in the Coronavirus pandemic – and those who are responding. Solidarity Sunday is about reminding ourselves and each other that there is so much good we can do - through giving, through prayer and through powerful demonstrations of unity.

In his message for the fourth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis wrote that ‘keeping our gaze fixed on the poor is difficult, but that it is more necessary than ever if we are to give proper direction to our personal life and the life of society. Until we revive our sense of responsibility for our neighbour and for every person, grave economic, financial and political crises will continue.’ The Pope reminds us that prayer to God and solidarity with the poor are inseparable.

This was a celebration of solidarity with a sermon preached by Revd Tricia Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. The service included testimony and readings from homeless guests of the Central London Catholic Churches service at Farm Street and prayers from CTiW, including Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Revd Jonathan Evens, Revd Joan Ishibashi, Revd Dr Simon Woodman and Minister Belinda Letby. The service also included music from the Farm Street choir.

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The Choir of Farm Street Church, Mayfair - I Say We Are Wound With Mercy.

CTiW: Advent Service & Solidarity Sunday

Churches Together in Westminster Advent Service - Sunday 29 November, 6.00 pm, St James Piccadilly - on YouTube.

Churches Together in Westminster join together with St James Piccadilly for their annual Advent Service. An online service led by Revd Lucy Winkett with readings by members of the CTiW Executive Committee.

CTiW will also observe Solidarity Sunday and World Day of the Poor on 6 December, to mark our commitment to those most vulnerable in the Coronavirus pandemic – and those who are responding. Solidarity Sunday is about reminding ourselves and each other that there is so much good we can do - through giving, through prayer and through powerful demonstrations of unity.

In his message for the fourth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis writes that ‘keeping our gaze fixed on the poor is difficult, but that it is more necessary than ever if we are to give proper direction to our personal life and the life of society. Until we revive our sense of responsibility for our neighbour and for every person, grave economic, financial and political crises will continue.’ The Pope reminds us that prayer to God and solidarity with the poor are inseparable.

The Diocese of Westminster are holding a special service on that day and all CTiW members, including St Martin's, are invited to attend. You are invited to join this United Service for the World Day of the Poor: A celebration of solidarity at Farm Street Church. The service will be held online at https://www.farmstreet.org.uk/livestream at 3pm on Sunday 6 December.

CTiW are producing a Resources Booklet of Readings, Reflections, and Prayers to help individuals and churches reflect upon and raise awareness of how the pandemic is impacting the vulnerable of the world. This booklet is arranged as a series of daily themes on specific issues. It will have information on organisations working abroad, and how you can support them.

 

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Arvo Part - The Deer's Cry.