This week at St Laurence's

Coming up ....
tomorrow (Weds 29th): mass with hymns at 10.30am, followed by tea/coffee and biscuits - everyone welcome, of course!

Next Sunday will be the 22nd in ordinary time, with masses at 8am and 10am, and choral evensong at 6pm to celebrate the beginning of the autumn term after the summer holidays.

The following Sunday, September 9th is the deadline for articles for the 'Harvest' edition of the parish magazine, so bring in anything you'd like to see included in the magazine. I'll be adding any relevant information from the Parish Office, and maybe an article too .... we'll have to see!

I shall be back in the office tomorrow, hoping that the Bank Holiday hasn't resulted in too much extra work piling up while I wasn't there!

Coming up this week ...

Mass on Tuesday at 7.30pm, and on Wednesday at 10.30am (followed by tea/coffee).

There are still some copies of the Summer parish magazine left - do pop in and pick one up if you haven't got one.

On Saturday it's the parish barbeque from 6pm to 11pm (social event of the Summer, of course!). Tickets are £6 adults and £3 children.

Here in the office I have just spent the morning doing some therapeutic paper shredding and clearing out the cupboard in the office - most satisfying, I must say. I was doing pretty much the same at home yesterday afternoon too. While I'm going through this phase, don't leave anything lying around as you may find I've shredded/recycled/binned it by the time you return!

Recycling

Being a bit of a recycling nerd, I was really excited to read that at long last we are going to be able to recycle locally all those cartons that hold juice and what-have-you. The locations of the recycling bins are here. Whoopee!

Of farming, floods and foot and mouth ....

Although there may not be much by way of farming in Catford nowadays, of course these issues do affect us all. I was looking at a map the other evening because my other half has been sent to work in the Farnham area a couple of times recently. In fact he has been very close to the area of the suspected foot and mouth outbreak. No-one who saw the interview with the farmer who was in tears after his animals had been culled could fail to be moved by his situation. Likewise, people trying to repair homes and businesses after the floods.

I had a look to find what the Church of England's response to these crises was, and you can read an article here. Whilst reading, I also found the following prayers. Prayer being a ministry that we can all take part in without the need for any special skills or outlay, this means that all of us who want to do something to help can hold these situations before God in our prayer.

Creator God,
Hear our prayers for our farmers and for all who are deeply affected by the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Surrey.
Bless all efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
To those who are stressed and anxious bring comfort and hope;
to those entrusted with the decision-making give wisdom and discernment;
to your Church in its ministry to all, grant a watchful eye, a loving heart
and a prophetic voice in the service of your Kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.


Lord of Order and all Goodness,
We pray for those whose lives have been made even more uncertain by the Foot and Mouth incident in Surrey.
May all livestock farmers act wisely and calmly, and may they know that we who value their work and the food they produce for our good support them by our prayers. We pray too for those who have to enforce difficult regulations to safeguard the farm animals of this country.
And finally we pray for local churches whose members will be supporting the farming families in their anxiety.
We ask these things, being confident of your love for all your creation, expressed in the life of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Amen.

The Transfiguration of the Lord

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is wonderful for us to be here, so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah' - he did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.' And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.

Luke 9:28-36

A Quiet Day with a difference

Several of us will be visiting Southwark Cathedral on Wednesday for a day called "Godwatch - a quiet day with a difference!". It will also be my "anniversary" as it was at a similar event last year that I first met the St Laurence's crowd!

Details of the event are here.


Meanwhile, back here at St Laurence's there is a healing mass at 7.30pm on Tuesday, with anointing and laying on of hands.

Some of the organisations that use our centre are on their summer break, but the office is still open as usual on Thursday evenings from 6.30 to 7.30 for hall bookings. (And I'm here during the day dealing with parish stuff.)

Next Sunday is our patronal festival when the church remembers St Laurence, deacon and martyr, the man himself!