Dear Friends in the Northwest
This Sunday is the Sunday before Lent; there will be services in Ullapool and Achiltibuie. Next weekend, the first Sunday of Lent, there will be a service in Kinlochbervie (The Ceilidh House) on Saturday and in Ullapool and Lochinver (The Assynt Centre) on Sunday.
Following the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, you will be aware that the Disasters Emergency Committee, including Christian Aid, have launched an appeal. I am sure that many if you will have of will be contributing to this. If you wish to contribute and it would be more convenient for you to do so via the church, there will be a separate basket in St Mary’s this Sunday and next. If any members of the other congregations would like to contribute in this way, please pass your donation to me at the services this weekend and next.
A reminder of things coming up this week and in Lent:
Tuesday 21st February (Shrove Tuesday) – pancake party and ‘angel drive’ at St Mary’s at 5.00 pm. It would be helpful if you could let me know if you are planning to attend but it is not essential.
Wednesday 22nd February (Ash Wednesday) – services of Holy Eucharist with imposition of ashes at 11.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. There will also be the usual Wednesday soup lunch at 1.00 p.m. If you would like me to burn your palm cross from last year for ashes, please give it to me by Sunday 20th February.
Our Lent course this year has been prepared by Fr David Higgon and will take place in St Mary’s on Sundays 26th February, 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th March at 11.30 a.m. If you are unable to attend but would like to receive the handouts, please let me know. Fr David has prepared the following synopsis of the course.
Faith in a time of ecological chaos.
This is a five-week course that explores today’s ecological chaos. using the prophecy of Jeremiah, the ministry of Jesus, poetry and art.
Week 1 The waters of Chaos How Jeremiah links human behaviour with the biblical view of the universe.
Week 2 The Crucifixion A reflection on Matthias Grunewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece and of our need to make space for lamentation.
Week 3. The flood of Violence A reflection on the damage we do the natural world and to others, using scripture, W M W Turner’s painting The Slave ship and, W B Yeats’s poem The Second Coming.
Week 4 The Field of Dreams An examination of false hope and ultimate hope in the Book of Jeremiah and its significance for today in finding hope through action.
Week 5 Jesus and the Waters of Chaos This reflects on finding hope in the chaos, using Jesus and Jonah as signs of the possibility of the renewal of God ‘s creation, the East Window of St Martin’s in the Fields and Karl Schmidt Roffluf’s wood cut The Road to Emmaus.
The SEC is also providing a series of Lent webinars entitled Teach Us to Pray: A Close Reading of the Lord’s Prayer. These will take place on Mondays at 7.00 p.m. You can register for these here on Eventbrite.
With love and prayers
Rev’d Clare
Please click the link below for this week’s reflection