Dear Friends
It was such a joy to welcome so many of Rev’d Eileen’s friends and past parishioners to her licensing on Sunday evening. We were blessed with a beautiful evening, God smiled on the whole occasion.
Thanks to everybody who helped make the evening such a success. A special thanks to Chris and Janet Lucy who set up the food tables and arranged food, purchased and served the drinks and helped clear away. To those who brought food to share and those who helped in any way, thank you so much. This licensing marks and new and exciting chapter in the life of St Nicholas.
Thanks also to our Archdeacon for presiding and preaching. I was glad he spoke of Ordinary Time, or Sundays after Trinity. Basically all the fun and games of our great Church festivals are now over and we embark on this extended exploration of the ‘mystery of Christ’. This ‘Green Time’ might be the most mundane time of the Church year, but it is the place and opportunity to meditate upon that which we have celebrated at Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. It is a time for refreshment and growth. During Ordinary Time we read in a semi-continuous form one of the Synoptic Gospels. In year A we read Matthew, in year B Mark and in year C we read Luke.
This year we are in Year C so we are reading from the Gospel of Saint Luke. The Gospel of Luke is divided into seven sections to fit the 33 Sundays in Ordinary time:
Weeks 1&2: The figure of Jesus the Messiah. Weeks 3&4: Luke’s programme for Jesus ministry. Weeks 5-12: The Galilean Ministry.
Weeks 13- 23: The first part of the ‘Travel Narrative’ spelling out the qualities Jesus demands of those who follow him.
Week 24: The parable of God’s mercy.
Weeks 25-31: The second part of the travel narrative, the obstacles facing those who follow Jesus.
and finally weeks 32&33: Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem.
Next Sunday the 12 June, we celebrate the 11 Sunday in Ordinary time.
I hope this helps to make Ordinary Time a real time of renewal and growth for all us us.
With my prayers.
Simon
Dear All
It is with great pleasure that I am writing my first contribution to the St Nick’s weekly email bulletin. My licensing on Sunday evening was a particularly joyful occasion for me and I was very moved to see so many people in the congregation come to support me. I am most grateful to everyone at St Nick’s involved in the planning and participation, both of the service itself and of the reception that followed – thank you all very much! I am looking forward very much to serving everyone here in this parish.
For those who do not know me, my husband and I have lived in Bedford Park for over 30 years with our three children, now all grown up and married. As a family we have worshipped regularly at St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park where I served until my ordination in many different capacities, culminating in five years as a churchwarden.
Since my ordination in 2010 I have served first as curate, and subsequently as associate priest, at All Saints, Fulham. It is a very big and busy parish and working in the team there has been a great experience for me. The main disadvantage for me was the time-consuming commute to Fulham. It is a great joy for me that I can now walk to work and hopefully raise the visibility of this church a little as I traverse the parish from north to south most days.
Eileen