Into the wilderness?

posted 29 Jan 2015, 04:26 by Church Office [ updated 4 Feb 2015, 02:23 ]

Lent is not all misery and fasting!

It is a time when we re-engage with who we are and what we are here for; our calling as people of God here in Clapham.

This Lent we encourage you to get involved. We will be offering many opportunities for prayer and reflection, spiritual engagement and study, sharing and service as well as a little bit of fellowship and fun.

What's it all about?

Lent is the period of 40 days leading up to Holy Week & Easter.

The 40 days echo the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness and the 40 years that the Israelites spent in the desert.

Historically was the time when new Christians prepared for their baptism by study, prayer and fasting.

The 40 days of Lent are a good time to think about who we are and what gives our lives meaning.

Lent Groups

This year we will be discussing "The Long Road to Heaven", written by Tim Heaton and based on the film THE WAY. We'll meet in small groups together with people from other churches in Clapham.

They will meet for 5 weekly sessions from Monday 23rd February (not in Holy Week).

There are several day time and evening groups that you could join:

Tuesday Evenings: St Paul's

Wednesday Lunchtimes: Holy Trinity

Wednesday Evenings: Clapham Methodist

Thursday Afternoons: Church of the Holy Spirit

Friday Afternoons: St James' Church

Sign up sheets can be found at the back of the church. Be sure to tick the relevant box if you would like a copy of the book as well (£8).

There will also be a FREE screening of the film in the Contact Centre on Sunday 15th February at 6.30pm. Free Popcorn! Akk wekcine,

Worship

On Sunday evenings during Lent, we will be making Pilgrimages to one another's churches with the rest of the Churches Together in Clapham Community. Details in the table below:

Date	Venue
Sunday 15^th February	Church of the Holy Spirit, Contact Centre. FILM NIGHT
Sunday 22^nd February	St Mary’s, Clapham Park Road
Sunday 1^st March	Church of the Holy Spirit, Narbonne Avenue
Sunday 8^th March	Christ Church, Union Grove
Sunday 15^th March	St. James’, Park Hill
Sunday 22^nd March	St. Peter’s, Clapham Manor Street
Sunday 29^th March	Clapham Methodist Church PALM SUNDAY SERVICE

Soup Lunches

Every Saturday during Lent (Saturday 21st February to Saturday 28th March) we will be opening our doors from 12.00pm-2.00pm offering a bowl of soup and a friendly face. If you would like to make soup; help serve soup; help set up then please get in touch with Alan Mundy or the church office- office@holyspirit-clapham.org.uk.

Absolutely everybody is most welcome: bring friends, neighbours, relatives... The more the merrier!

Soup will be accompanied by some gentle musical interludes and a book stall.

Special Occasions

ASH WEDNESDAY - 18th February, Eucharist of Ashes, 8.00pm

Penitential service marking the start of Lent with the imposition of ashes

St. DAVID'S DAY - 1st March, Parish Eucharist, 6.30pm

We will be welcoming members from our sister churches in Clapham to celebrate St David's Day. It would be great to see as many people there as possible,

MOTHERING SUNDAY - 15th March, Parish Eucharist, 10.30am

A wonderful celebration of mothers and motherhood. We hand out bunches of daffodils, hold a fabulous cake sale with accompanying music from a string ensemble!

PALM SUNDAY - 29th March, Procession of Palms, 10.15am

Followed by Passion Eucharist, 10.30am

Marking Christ’s journey from triumphal pro cession into Jerusalem to his death on the cross.

We gather for the procession outside Bonneville School on Bonneville Road.

At 6.30pm on Palm Sunday, everybody is invited to join Clapham Methodist Church, especially those who might want to sing in the choir!

Holy Week Services:

More details on Holy Week services will be released nearer the time, but highlights will include:

PASSOVER MEAL; Monday 30th March, details to be confirmed!

MAUNDY THURSDAY, 2nd April Eucharist of the Last Supper: Eucharist with feet washing. Followed by a time of quiet candlelit prayer until Night Prayer at 10pm

GOOD FRIDAY- 3rd April, The Easter Story, Workshop, 10.00am: Bring the whole family to help build the Easter Garden & make & eat Hot Cross Buns.

Good Friday will also feature Stations of the Cross (12-1pm), Liturgy of the cross with veneration of the cross (1-2pm), a time for reflection with poetry and music (2-3pm) and a candle-lit performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion at 7pm.

EASTER SUNDAY, 5th April Easter Vigil, time to be confirmed.

First Eucharist of Easter is marked by the dawn lighting of the Easter fire and the

Paschal candle. Followed by Easter breakfast

Easter Parish Eucharist 10.30am

Festival Eucharist with baptisms and renewal of baptismal vows.

Charitable Giving

And if you really do want to give something up, why not give the money you would have spent on:

Coffee
Cake
Wine
Crisps
Biscuits

to charity? We will publish more information on the charities we will be supporting in Lent very soon!