Dear Friends
Do please also check in with the facebook page www.facebook.com/ccpitsmoor/ and website www.pitsmoor.church/ during the week as things do change!
A little word
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23.1-2
Perhaps the best known of all the Psalms came up in MP this week. It’s funny how sometimes something so familiar can strike you differently. I noticed the word ‘makes’ in a way I’d not noted before. The language is not identical in every version, but ‘makes’ is consistently used apart from the paraphrases. There is a sense of being forced for your own good to rest that struck me. We all need downtime, and we all need someone to tell us when we are overdoing it, for our own good and health. Sabbath, rest, is after all a commandment; built into the creation pattern, and it would seem a reflection of God’s nature.
Things to pray for
- Give thanks for the joy of proper rest.
- for our PCC as they meet this week.
- for the safe release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Services
In-Church worship Sunday at 10am. Holy Communion with CoGs group for primary children.
Face coverings please and be especially conscious of how some people will still want to be cautious.
You can also watch by live-stream on the church facebook page.
This week’s reading is: Mark 13.1-8
We will have our Act of Remembrance at 11am.
10am on Thursday
Holy Communion in Church
Service details
We are going to continue with our current Sunday morning pattern at 10am through to the end of November. We don’t want to be changing constantly. Now that the schools are back the children’s work has restarted also. We will review it again for the later Autumn and adapt as we go.
Being all together in one service means some differences from ‘normal.’ We would love to know what you have liked and found valuable and if there are ways we could adapt. Use the post-its on the noticeboard at the back of church.
A change of pace for Advent
We are planning to do a short reflective service each Sunday evening during Advent. Look out for details.
Rotas to join please
As we become more settled on Sunday mornings it will be good to re-establish a refreshment rota. We welcome old and new faces to take a turn. Find a friend and sign up. Three weeks out of four are now taken, so this is the last push to sign-up.
As part of their outreach work the Chocolate Box project get through a lot of cake. I have suggested we might be able to help. Would you be willing to supply a traybake on a Sunday? If enough of us sign up it would only be once a quarter or so. Only two names so far!
Let Maureen know ([email protected] or 07765 232789) if you want to join either rota or sign up in church.
Climate Crisis action point
Prayer for the last few days of COP26
Thanks for changed attitudes… that responsibility is being faced, by Governments and individuals.
Please pray specifically in order to keep us to the urgently necessary 1.5 degrees of warming:
– For commitments to totally phase out fossil fuels.
– For money to be made available for the poorer nations, hardest hit by Climate change and Covid, which will allow them to develop sustainably.
LLF Study Day – Saturday 20th November, 10.00 – 4.00
You may be aware of the Living in Love and Faith project by which the Church of England is learning and praying together as part of discerning a way forward in relation to matters of identity, sexuality, relationships, and marriage. The LLF resources explore these matters with the idea we both learn, discern and feedback our thoughts.
Living in Love and Faith is a course that can be done over weeks, and some may choose to do that, but to help those who may prefer or need a more compact version, we’ll have a study day at Christ Church on Saturday 20th November, 10.00 – 4.00.
This is your last chance to sign up (there will be a small piece of prep to do before the session). Please see Huw Thomas if you are interested, or message him on Facebook or email [email protected] or give your name to Pip.
Remembering those we have lost – 21 November
In the evening we will have the church open from 5.30pm for those who would like to light a candle or record a name of someone they have lost. This time will be quiet and unled and will be suitable for those of any faith or none. Folk can just pop in for as long or short a time as they need. At 6.30pm we will have a short act of Christian worship to draw it all together. Please get this message out to those you know who are grieving or would want to mark or remember someone. If someone would like us to do it on their behalf, because they can’t attend, they can contact Pip to leave details.
Ecclesfield & Hallam Deanery Event
Christ Church is hosting this on Tuesday 30 November, 7-9pm. Open to all to hear from and engage with the Bishop and members of the Senior Staff Team.
‘Granddads and Grandmas, Uncles and Aunts.’
All are needed in bringing up children… in fact.. someone said a child needs a whole Church-full of people to bring them up happy and healthy!
Being alongside children in their journey of faith is demanding but totally awesome. We are very grateful to have a great Children of God team developing… but they are going to be over-stretched with- out a few more helpers… especially Granddads and Uncles. Please consider: could God be calling you to this very important ministry? If you are wondering… have a chat to Joanne, Sara, Pip… one of the team…We need you!
Earlier news
Previous editions of this news update are on the website if you can’t find it in your in-box.