St Mary's Whitegate

Notices

Statement From The Vicar Following Today's Announcement 23.06.2020

We are pleased that churches can reopen for public services from 4th July. Our first Sunday services will take place on Sunday 5th July, 9.30am at St Mary's, Whitegate, and 11.00am at St Peter's, Little Budworth. The Vicar will Preside and Preach. Our services will not be quite the same as before as we continue to follow advice to ensure safety and good health. We will be making announcements about future services in the near future.

New Bishop of Chester

The Rt Revd Mark Tanner has been named as the next Bishop of Chester
See Bishop Mark's greeting on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Soai7nvZ3o&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR
19wd5wP7n8yCE7ySD1BGa_2L5nZBV5Tja-Ajm0TZEXZCb2Pc978hAOBl8

Church of England Prayer line

There are a wealth of online prayer resources both on the Church of England website and using various apps we have mentioned before (eg Daily Prayer by Aimer Media). These are all free to use with an internet connection. Daily Prayer is available as an offline version for £2.99 a year.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has now added a free telephone prayer resource – 0800 804 8044. Daily Hope offers prayers, reflections, music and full services for anyone who would prefer not to use a computer or tablet.

Coronavirus

"In light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice. In recent weeks we have done everything possible to keep our church services running in as safe a manner as possible and we very much regret that this is no longer possible. The absence of Sunday and weekday services does not mean that our church is closed.
Online prayer resources are available at https://www.churchofengland.org, click on Prayer and Worship, then on Join us in Daily Prayer. A Daily Prayer app by Aimer media is available for Android and Apple devices free of charge.
We are also committed to support those who need practical assistance due to being unable to get out, or who just want someone to talk to over the telephone."

Updated 17.03.20

Paul's Letter for Trinity 3 Sunday 28.06.20

Paul has also put a video version on YouTube which can be viewed by clicking the following link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoxPXfRLhsw&t=10s

Our Gospel reading today is Matthew 10: 40-42
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,”
When I served as chaplain to the Bishop of Liverpool it was in the days when the internet was in its infancy. We didn’t have email, memos had to be copied on paper and distributed by hand around the various diocesan departments. When a new vicar was appointed, for example, one of my jobs was to let about thirty different people know where things were up to. When we couldn’t hand them a paper memo we sent them a fax, using a line that could transmit one message to one person at a time. I spend many hours late into the night feeding bits of paper into the fax machine.
One day our switchboard transferred a call to my desk, “We don’t know who handles this so we’re passing it on to you.” That is what bishop’s chaplains are for. All the odd jobs nobody else wants ends up with the bishop’s chaplain.
A very nice lady from the Diocese of Blackburn had a problem with a new appointment, but she didn’t understand why her call had been transferred to me. I explained, “Bishop’s chaplains are the lowest form of ecclesiastical life. Any problem nobody else wants ends up with me.” As it happens it was easy to resolve. I simply rang another bishop’s chaplain and we fixed things up. One of the advantages of doing jobs nobody else wants is they are highly unlikely to ask too many questions afterwards.
The lady from Blackburn sent me a thank you note, by fax. But she had mislaid my name, so she simply wrote on the top of the fax sheet – “To the lowest form of ecclesiastical life in the Diocese of Liverpool.” When the fax arrived it was delivered straight to my desk.
For the Jews things were a bit different. They didn’t have bishops of course, but if that had then they would treat the bishop’s chaplain as if they were the bishop themselves. For the Jews to receive someone’s messenger or representative was the same as receiving the person themselves. To pay respect to an ambassador was to pay respect to the ruler who had sent them.
On one occasion, when the bishop had delivered a lecture in London, I found myself invited to the supper afterwards held at the Royal Society. I was somewhat overawed to find myself sat between a very jovial member of the aristocracy on one side and Patrick Head, chief designer for the Williams Formula One team, on the other.
The following evening the bishop gave the same lecture in another city. There was another reception afterwards. But this time I was outside sheltering from the rain sat in a bus stop with a bag of chips.
Jesus told his friends that those who received them received him, and those who received him received his Father. How we perceive and behave towards other people is an indicator of how we perceive and act in response to God. Jesus makes it abundantly clear this is especially so when we encounter people not like ourselves.
For someone who was concerned to make people understand the enormity of how different God’s kingdom is Jesus has a knack of understanding how little things matter. The least person given just a drink of cold water will not be overlooked. We often look at our world and feel dismayed that we cannot solve all the problems. Jesus doesn’t ask us to. He asks us just to do something. A random act of kindness. A willingness to listen. The decision to ring that person you know is lonely and likely to keep you on the phone for hours. Do these things for that person, and in that moment that person becomes for you God’s ambassador.
God our saviour,
look on this wounded world
in pity and power;
hold us fast to your promise of peace
won for us by your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Good News!
We are pleased to be able to open our churches for public services starting on Sunday 5th July. On that day we will hold two morning services, 9.30am at St Mary’s, 11.00am at St Peter’s. The Vicar will preside and preach.

We have made good preparations for this next stage and have made provision for an interim pattern of services which will enable us to meet the challenges ahead. Services will be fewer and simpler. We expect less people and some things need to be done differently. We shall not be able to sing hymns for example, nor share the Peace. But we shall meet together and we will record the sermon to share with those who cannot be with us in church.

I know not everyone will be able to join us in church. We continue to live in strange and difficult times. This is a step on a journey and we will make this new beginning with hope and thankfulness.

The Revd Canon Paul Dawson

READ MARK, learn and inwardly digest

You are invited to join in with a course for 12 weeks at 1.10 -2.00 pm on Wednesdays starting on May 13th and concluding on August 5th.
Clergy from around the diocese, including Bishop Keith Sinclair will talk about sections of Mark’s gospel each week and will take us through the whole gospel.
There are two ways you can join in
1. You can join the sessions live on Wednesdays at 1.10 through Zoom and ask questions of the speaker. If you would like an invitation to be present please contact deansoffice@chestercathedral.com and you will be sent the link to enable you to connect for 1.10.
2. You can watch the sessions on You Tube after they have been recorded on the cathedral website on

https://www.youtube.com/channel

/UCfTBv9K29kok_zzLCT7xSiQ?view_as=subscriber

You will find it helpful to bring a version of Mark’s gospel for the session.
The speakers are following the sections in the link below and some will use the material whilst others may refer to it. You may wish to read it beforehand or afterwards or simply listen to the speakers.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/knowing-bible-mark/#week-2-introduction-mark-11-20

We look forward to joining with you in, ‘READING MARK, learn and inwardly digest’ this summer.

Mews Bookings

Please note that we are not taking bookings for The Mews at the present time.

Prayer List

We welcome new names of those who are ill to be added to our weekly list for prayer. This is intended for a short to medium term prayer list.
After two months names will be
transferred to the Vicar's long term
prayer list. You can of course request that the name goes back on the list for a further period.
Regular updates would be appreciated about the condition of those who are sick.
Please let the Vicar or Linda Dutton know.