Bexley Team Ministry News for Sunday 28th March 2021

Bexley Team News

St Barnabas, Joydens Wood

St James, North Cray

St John the Evangelist, Bexley

St Mary the Virgin, Bexley

 

28^th March 2021  Issue 54                                                                                         Palm Sunday

 

                                           Holy Week and Easter with the Bexley Team

 services            7.30 pm   Maundy Thursday                                  

10.00 am  Good Friday

10.00 am   Easter Day

 

St Mary’s         10.00 am Palm SundayHoly Communion

10.30 am Good Friday service of the word

10.00 am Easter Day Holy Communion

St James           11.00 am to 1.00 pm Good Friday Individual prayer

9.30am Easter Day Holy Communion

St Barnabas     11.00 am to 1.00 pm Good Friday Individual prayer 

10.45am Easter Communion on Easter Day.                                       Artist unknown, Armenian Ceramic Tile

St. John’s          10.00 am Palm Sunday Livestreamed Holy Communion www.facebook.com/stjohnsbexley

Blessed Palms will be available for collection from the church porch (while supplies last).

Maundy Thursday -the St John's Community is strongly encouraged to join with the congregations of our sister Churches in the Team for the 7.30pm Zoom Service.

Good Friday A pre-recorded devotion from the outdoor cross www.facebook.com/stjohnsbexley

Easter Day: Livestreamed Dawn Eucharist: 5.30am: www.facebook.com/stjohnsbexley 

(All livestreamed services remain available to watch at a later time!), thereafter St John's will be open for individual prayer throughout Easter Day (please observe social distancing measures).

 

This Holy Week we invite you to place a small cross at the foot of the large cross in each of the church grounds. You can do this in remembrance of something or someone you have lost over the past year, or you can place it in thankfulness of the love that God has for us all. You can bring your own cross (or use one of the ones provided) You might like to place a flower as well.

 

There will be music on this link  www.stjamesnorthcray.org.uk/welcome/music/  to take us from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday.  The music team from St James North Cray with then have a couple of Sundays off after Easter weekend, so won’t be putting anything else on the site until 25 April. We hope you find the music helpful and inspiring.

 Team Zoom Services and Worship material

Saturday 27^th March at 5.30pm                                                       Saturday NightWatch Zoom Service

This short, informal service will include material to help us to reflect on the week that has past and will be suitable for all ages. Do have a candle ready to light.

Palm Sunday 28^thMarch at 10.00 am                                                                          Sunday Zoom Service

A Service of bible readings and prayer. See the final sheet of the BTNews for the songs and any liturgy.

Invitations to the above Zoom services are being emailed. If you haven’t received the link, or are having problems, please contact any member of the Team Clergy. Dial in option is available.

 

Palm Sunday 28^thMarch                                                                         Bexley Team Children’s Church

Throughout Lent we're going to be thinking a bit about some of the differentparts of God's character.

Here is the link for Children's Churchthis week https://youtu.be/hnxCpRi_akg

The Diocese ofRochester are producingmaterial for children during lockdown.

All of the Ministry@Homesheetscan be found on the main Diocese website under

 (under 18s) or click here. Diocese of Rochester | Family Worship in the Home (anglican.org)

 

Bible Readings                      

Liturgy of the Passion                         Isaiah 50 v4-9a   Philippians 2 v5-11  Mark 15 v1-39 

Liturgy of the Palms(Zoom Service)   Mark 11 v1-11

 

The Collect for Palm Sunday Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race  sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and  to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example  of his patience and humility,and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit one God, now and for ever.

 

The Additional Collect: True and humble King, hailed by the crowd as Messiah, grant us the faith to know and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way to the cross, which is the path of glory.

 

Rev’d Sue writes-

This week we celebrate Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus went up to Jerusalem, was welcomed by the crowd with the waving of palm branches. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Jesus earthly life. It is week which we journey with Jesus and experience a whole range of emotions as we re-examine, explore and reflect upon what Jesus did for us.

Jesus’ journey began three  years prior to that day when he started out on his ministry, he didn’t travel far by today’s  standards, but he met many people, some of whom followed him, others who were indifferent to him and others who were angered and threatened by his message. Jesus knew that as he travelled into Jerusalem for that final time he knew where his journey would end.

Jesus was accompanied by his followers who had not yet fully understood his destiny as the Son of Man. The journey became a pilgrimage, a procession which had huge significance. By shouting triumphantly “Hosana, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” they are reflecting back to Psalm 118. A psalm which is one of praise and considered to be a psalm suitable for royalty and would have been sung by many previous pilgrims as they approached the temple. And yet amongst the celebrations Jesus according to Mark, rides on, in enigmatic silence, with dignity, humility and strength.

If any of you have been to Jerusalem and walked the path Jesus took on that day from the top of the Mount of Olives to the entry gate into Jerusalem, you will remember how steep that hill is. It is also narrow with high walls on either side of it. I am not sure that those walls would have been there on that Palm Sunday and I doubt that the people inside the walls of Jerusalem would have even noticed Jesus and his followers until they walked through the gate – certainly no one came out to meet them – but once he arrives – the crowds are there to wave him on.

Immediately he arrives his presents becomes a challenge for all sorts of people.

The Pharisees, the scholars and the intellects see Jesus riding in on a donkey, not a mode of transport to suggest someone wanting to pick a fight. They, the people who want to get rid of Jesus, are left asking themselves “How do we deal with this person who offers no violence and who discourages violence in his followers?”

The crowd who are desperate for an end to roman occupation and who want a better life after their initial euphoria are left asking themselves, “Is he really going to change things for us? Will he fight for us?’

Jesus’ followers as they watch the crowd turn from celebration to an ugly baying mob, they have to ask themselves, “Am I prepared to be seen on the losing side? Am I prepared deal with the conflict and the unpleasantness that I will encounter if I remain close to Jesus?”

And what about ourselves as we revisit the events at the beginning of this Holy Week?

As we face our own challenges “Are we prepared to adopt a new way of being, following the way of peace that does not shrink away from conflict but refuses to go down the path of violence, the way that does not theorise but engages with the real needs of suffering people, the way that sees the people who are overlooked and not counted, the way of self-offering?”

As we journey with Jesus this week let us pray for courage to face the challenges we encounter in our lives and remain faith to Jesus’ message of peace, justice and humility.

 

Caring for our world

It is good to remind ourselves that we are all Stewards of God’s Creation.  This list might be helpful.

Rethink           Do I really need that new item?

Can something be achieved in amore eco-friendly way?

Refuse             Plastic bags, extra paper napkins, sugar sachets etc.

Reduce            Try to avoid excess packaging, reduce the amount of waste.

Reuse              Give unwanted items to charity, turn an old item into something new..

Repair             Can a purchase be repaired easily if it goes wrong? 

                        Can an old item berepaired?

Recycle           Recycle items correctly.

Consider whether future purchases have been madefromrecycled materials?

Can they be recycled at the end of their life?

 

Gent’s Pub Lunch at the Horse and Zoom.For an invitation to the next of these 12.15 pm on7^th April please contactAndrew Melling atamelling700@btinternet.com

 

Clive will be leading a holiday to Austria and Oberammergau including the Passion Play 22-29 June 2022. If you would like a hard or e-copy of the holiday/pilgrimage brochure please let Clive know.

 

FINANCIAL GIVING TO THE TEAM CHURCHES

For StBarnabasAny contributions can be dropped off at the Treasurer’s house or at the Vicarage. Or you can give by BACS transfer. In all cases, if you are a taxpayer please “Gift Aid” your giving.  If you have any questions regarding this please contact, David Peters on 01322 529796 or by email  davidpeters45@hotmail.co.uk

For St James, North Cray      Contributions can be dropped off at 91 The Grove, or made by BACS transfer, contact Suzy Higgs on 07799072548

For St John's   You can give to the continuing upkeep and ministry of St John's via our Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/stjohntheevangelist-bexley

For St Mary’s  If you ordinarily make your financial contributions in church but, in the present circumstances, wish to contribute by cheque then please make your cheque payable to St Mary’s Bexley PCC and send it c/o C. Lee 11 Holmesdale Road, Bexleyheath, DA7 4TJ. Your continued support is very much appreciated.

 

 

Each week the musicians at St James North Cray offer links to a selection of songs and music for us to enjoy. These can be found on our website www.stjamesnorthcray.org.uk/welcome/music/

 

St John’s Sermons are posted each Sunday at fatheredwardbarlow.wordpress.comSocial Media - engage with us via Facebook (/stjohnsbexley), Twitter (@stjohnsbexley) and Instagram (@stjohnsbexley)

 

THE BEXLEY TEAM CLERGY

Team Rector: Rev’d Ren Harding              renharding@hotmail.co.uk          01322 528923     07836644782

Associate Priest: Rev’d Sue Twynam      susantwynam@btconnect.com 01322 559501     07952 468127

Team Vicar: Rev’d Edward Barlow            fr.edwardbarlow@gmail.com     01322 521786    

Team Vicar: Rev’d Clive Wood                 revclivewood@gmail.com            01322 270942     07982 392809

Team Curate: Rev’d Matt Hodder            matthodder10@gmail.com                                          07889873125

 

Songs for Zoom Worship – Sunday 28^thMarch at 10.00 am.