ST LUKE’S CHURCH, DEEPLISH
ST Luke’s Church, Deeplish will hold a Holy Communion service on March 31, at 10am, officiated by Revd Anne Gilbert.
The service is followed by tea/coffee and biscuits and a chance to chat.
Monday, April 1: Bible Study - 10.30 am in the church side room. This is open to anyone who wants to find out more about the Bible in a friendly, informal setting.
Tuesday, April 2: Ladies only Zumba at 10am. It costs #3 and you need to book, please contact catherine.szymanskyj2@ yourtrustrochdale.com or ring 07814 712 271. We are a friendly group and have space for new members.
Wednesday, April 3: 11am - Morning Praise service officiated by Revd Pam Parr.
We look forward to welcoming our regular members and anyone who would like to join our very friendly, caring congregation.
ST MARY’S, BALDERSTONE
WE can’t wait to celebrate Easter this year. We believe Easter is more than eggs and rabbits, it’s a time to reflect and remember the way God poured out his love and grace on the days of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
It’s in this season more than most we have reason to celebrate the price that was paid for our freedom.
‘In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace’ - Ephesians 1:7.
Tomorrow, at 10.30am, we’ll be meeting for our Easter all-age communion service.
This is a fun, family friendly gathering celebrating the goodness of God and Rev Wilknson will be exploring the hope Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection through 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1-20.
There will also be some tasty Easter snacks, alongside our usual refreshments. If you’d like to join us, we’d love to share this day with you.
Our regular schedule looks a bit different this week. There will be no evening prayer gathering on Easter Day.
Smurfs and Bible Studies will also be taking a break this week. Smurfs resumes on April 16, 1.30pm-3pm, in the parish room for stay and play fun. Bible Studies will return the same week on April 17 and 18.
From all at St Mary’s we wish everyone a very happy Easter.
If you are interested in what’s going on at St M’s and like to know more head to our website www. stmarysbalderstone.org. uk or please get in touch by e-mail stmarysbalderstone@ gmail.com or see our Facebook page, www. facebook.com/ saintmarysbalderstone
ST CHAD’S AND ST MARY IN THE BAUM
LAST Saturday, St Chad’s staged a magnificent performance of Stainer’s Crucifixion, under the direction of Philip O’connor (currently director of music at
Bolton Parish Church), with St Chad’s musical director Philip Lowe playing piano and organ.
The concert was preceded by a day of rehearsal and included: choruses The Agony (Could ye not watch with Me one brief hour?) and Processional to Calvary (Fling wide the Gates); and then the hymn The Mystery of the Divine Humiliation (Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow); and the chorus God so loved the world.
The hymns Litany of the Passion (Holy Jesu, by Thy Passion) and The Adoration of the Crucified (I Adore Thee, I adore Thee) were followed by the chorus The Appeal of the Crucified; and the hymn For the Love of Jesus (All for Jesus, All for Jesus). The Vicar, the Rev Anne Gilbert, was the narrator. The singers gave an accomplished performance and were well looked after by the ladies of St Chad’s, who generously provided refreshments, before the thoroughly worthwhile and ultimately moving presentation of the much-loved work.
Also last weekend, St Chad’s Palm Sunday service, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and marks the introduction to Holy Week, began in the sunshine outside the church with prayers and the blessing of the palm crosses held by each of the congregation. This was followed by a reading from St Mark’s Gospel, and then the singing of the hymn All Glory, laud and honour, as the choir led a procession into the church.
A dramatised reading of St Mark’s Passion, by several members of the clergy, choir and congregation, was followed by an address by the Area Dean, Canon Karen Smeeton, who suggested to the congregation that Palm Sunday was: “Not what you expect. It is what you need.”
When we hear the Passion story again on Good Friday, we will realise that God’s love is “glorious”. We began Lent with a smudge of ash on our foreheads to remind us that: “We are dust dust made by God”.
Canon Smeeton said we were “dimly aware that God can create miracles with dust”, and reminded us of Jesus’ final words on the Cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The choir, conducted by Philip Lowe, sang the first eight verses from Psalm 69, to a chant by T. Tertius Noble, and the anthem Tantum Ergo by Deodat de Severac.
The Area Dean led the service and celebrated Eucharist, assisted by Hannah Currin, who read the Gospel.
Don’t forget the clocks move forward one hour tomorrow, Sunday at 2am. Tomorrow, Sunday, is Easter Day: “Jesus Christ is risen today!” Festive Eucharist, with hymns, is at St Mary’s at 9.15am.
Festive Choral Eucharist is at St Chad’s at 11.15am, when the Easter candle is blessed and lit at the beginning of the service. The choir will sing Psalm 114 and two anthems with the same title: Christ the Lord is Risen Again, by Anthony Foster and Richard Shephard. The celebrant and preacher at both services is Canon Karen Smeeton, Area
Dean. Next Thursday, April 4, Morning Prayer is at St Chad’s at 10am. Next Sunday, April 7, is the 1st Sunday of Easter.
The Eucharist, with hymns, is at St Mary’s at 9.15am, when the celebrant and preacher is the Rev Sue Morgan. Choral Eucharist is at St Chad’s at 11.15am, when the celebrant is the Vicar, the Rev Anne Gilbert, and the preacher is Hannah Currin.
ST ANDREW’S, DEARNLEY
EASTER weekend is here. This Sunday is Easter Sunday or Easter Day, depending on the individual. No matter. It’s THE day in the Christian calendar.
The Lord is risen. Alleluia! There will be lots of Alleluias in Churches throughout the world tomorrow - and why not?
It is arguably the day when our Faith was sealed in stone; the day when Our Lord came back from the dead to save us all.
We celebrate not only with Easter Eggs, representing the goodies in life, but in the way all Christians know best: By getting together in a holy environment and praising the Lord in prayer and in song. Alleluia!
We get together twice tomorrow (Easter Sunday), firstly at 6.30am for what we appropriately call the Dawn Gathering and secondly (and more popularly) at 10.30am for our Easter Eucharist, which many people believe, quite rightly, is THE biggest and most important service in the Christian Year.
On a more secular note, you’ve only to see national news on telly, which will give Easter messages from religious leaders such as our own Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope from Rome, to see that the world at large recognises the real significance of Easter and knows what it means to millions across the world.
Back to St Andrews and there are two items of note regarding tomorrow. The Dawn Gathering in recent years has taken place up at Hollingworth Lake under the ‘Littleborough Churches Together’ banner, but please note that this year it will actually be at St Andrew’s so whatever you do please do NOT go to Hollingworth Lake where you will see the sun coming up over Blackstone Edge but not much more other than the ducks !
Secondly, please note that our BIG service at St
Andrew’s, the Easter Eucharist, stats at
10.30am, an hour later than usual.
We think this will suit most people, especially on a weekend which sees the start of British Summer Time and which effectively means we lose an hour of sleep on the Saturday night.
In that respect, kicking off at 10.30am is not as good as it sounds, but it is certainly a lot better than
9.30am and we hope that will be reflected in our attendance figures.
Before then, of course, we have our Easter Eve Vigil at 8pm TONIGHT (Saturday).
This is a particular dramatic service in which we are unaware of the sensational events that were to take place the following day.
We are still in a state of deep shock and unbelievable sorrow, but unknown to us, all that is soon to change and the Stations of the Cross, the sorry-looking Church and the desolation that we have all experienced at one time or another will be replaced by joy, a bright and beautiful church building and happiness all round. Alleluia!
See you in Church tomorrow - and don’t forget the 10.30am start!