As the calendar turns over the page to a new year, let us face this together with our attention focussed on the good news of the Gospel.
The global pandemic is yet another reminder of the broken world that we temporarily inhabit and it has disordered our lives in so many ways. However, the truth of the Gospel remains the same, as as the Apostle Paul recounts when writing to the Romans. The Gospel is the good news that we all need to receive as it has the power to transform and free us from our broken state to live full of faith, hope and love. This only comes from the grace extended to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Difficult as it is to live with the imposition of restrictions that are necessary to protect one another we have, nevertheless, a freedom that the world can neither give nor take away.
It seems appropriate that following the celebration of Christmas, when God came to live among us, that we study Paul’s Letter to the Romans through our sermon series up until Easter to help us fix our eyes upon Jesus and why he is the good news we need to keep tuned-in to.
We are working hard on the technology to stream our Sunday worship live via a YouTube channel. We will give you all the details when this is up and running. In order to preserve the sense of us worshipping together, only the sermons will be made available ‘after the event’. That means if you wish to participate in the worship at St James’ by Live Stream you will need to ask for an email with a YouTube link; details to follow.
The use of Face Masks will be directed by national advice and the decision of the churchwardens and incumbent. In addition, seats will be allocated for those who would like to sit with more distance around them. Please respect this space and make any social contact you wish, by mutual consent or outside the building.
The heating will be on in Church but please come dressed warmly so that we can ventilate the building.
Holy Communion will continue in the modified way practiced this year. The minister will dip the wafer into the wine for each person. You may come to receive the sacrament, standing at the chancel step, as individuals or as households. We will celebrate Holy Communion on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 10am and Wednesdays at 10.30am, as long as gathering for worship is permissible.
RChildren and young people will continue to join us at the end of Sunday Services after their own activities in the Parish Centre. On the first Sunday of the month we will be together for Morning Worship, following the Junior church theme of Joseph, from Genesis. The Crèche corner will not be available until further notice.
The APCM will be on Palm Sunday 10th April and it is hoped to hold this in person after the morning service.