As Lent begins, we encourage you to join us for our Ash Wednesday services:
Last year’s palm crosses can be placed in the basket at the south door and will be burned to make the ash for these services.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a forty day period of prayer and preparation as we ready ourselves for the joy of Easter. There are lots of different ways to approach this season but beginning well is certainly key and so I encourage all of you to come to join us for a service on Ash Wednesday itself – click here for details of the services.
Then, what comes next is up to you, but we have plenty of choice on offer. The overall theme is entitled ‘The Greatest Love’ as we reflect on the very many ways that God’s love is revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and within the programme there is something on offer most days. Each talk or service does not rely on being at the previous one so come to whatever you can as we ‘keep a good Lent’.
SUNDAYS at 6.30 pm LOVE DIVINE
On Sunday evenings we’re going to be worshipping in a wide range of styles from formal and choral to informal and reflective services using Celtic and Taizé forms of worship. During each service a short Lenten address looking at ‘Hymns of Love’ will be offered to encourage us on our journey through Lent.
| 18 Feb
25 Feb 4 March |
Healing Eucharist
Evening Praise Choral Evensong |
11 March
18 March 25 March |
Celtic Prayer
Taizé Service The Way of the Cross – in music & readings |
MONDAYS at 12 noon LOVE WINS
On Monday lunchtimes we meet in the Transept and enjoy some friendship and lunch together, sharing a simple (but very delicious) meal of homemade soup, bread and fruit. As we do this we’re going to talk about life, death, funerals and heaven using the excellent ‘Grave Talk’ material. It sounds a bit heavy but I can assure you that the relaxed, open and informal discussions will be fascinating as we reflect together on the meaning and purpose of life and the hope of heaven offered in the resurrection of Jesus.
| 19 Feb
26 Feb 5 March 12 March 19 March |
Life
Death Society Funerals Grief |
What makes life good and special?
Is death to be feared? What makes for a good death? How does society deal with death and mortality? What does a good funeral look like? What helps us to grieve? Where do we find hope? |
TUESDAYS at 9.00 pm THE GREATEST OF THESE…
On Tuesday evenings we will gather in the Church and be led in a fifteen minute reflection on the gift of love that is so central to all it is to be human and consider why it is God’s will for us to be people of love. Each address will be followed by a time of quiet and then the prayerful service of Compline.
| 20 Feb
27 Feb 6 March 13 March 20 March |
God is love
Love your neighbour Love is the badge Showing the world another way Growing in love |
WEDNESDAYS at 10.00 am ‘CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS’ at New Forge Place
Ecumenical discussion and study group using the book ‘Christ in the Wilderness by the Bishop of Chelmsford which will be looking at several pictures by the renowned artist Stanley Spencer. All welcome.
21st, 28th February and 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th March
WEDNESDAYS at 7.30 pm TEACH US TO LOVE
During Lent we enhance our usual Wednesday Eucharist with a five minute ‘Thought for the Day’ – an inspiring reflection based on a passage from chapter 18 of the Gospel according to St Mark.
| 21 Feb
28 Feb 7 March 14 March 21 March |
Mark 18. 1-8
Mark 18. 9-14 Mark 18. 15-17 Mark 18. 18-30 Mark 18. 31-43 |
The parable of the widow and the unjust judge
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector Jesus blesses the little children The rich ruler Jesus again foretells his passion and heals a blind beggar |
THURSDAYS at 8.00 pm ‘THE PASSION’, St Mary’s Transept
On Thursday evenings we will be gathering to watch four sections of the superb BBC film ‘The Passion’ which bring to life the final days and events in Jesus’ life. Each section of film will be followed by refreshments and a chance for questions and discussion.
22nd February and 1st, 8th and 15th March
To complete the series we offer the following:
22nd March – Service of Tenebrae in Church
FRIDAYS at 12.30 pm LENT CHARITY LUNCHES, at Redbourn Methodist Church
On Friday lunchtimes, the Redbourn Churches will take it in turn to provide a simple lunch at the Methodist Church as we share together and socialise. Donations equivalent to the cost of your lunch are invited and these will be given away to the charities we’re supporting this Lent.
23rd February and 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd March
Yours in Christ,
Will
On Thursday 22 March we will be hosting a service of Tenebrae at St Mary’s Church, Redbourn. But what is it?
The word ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. If your expectation of Christian worship is that it should always be happy and exhilarating, you won’t appreciate this service until the second time you attend it.
The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it can be used at other times in Passiontide. The service has long passages of scripture, which for this service is divided into seven, eight, or nine parts, each one assigned to a different reader.
The service may include other parts, such as solemn hymns, a sermon, and Communion, but the core of the Tenebrae service works like this: It starts out with the church in candlelight. There are as many candles as there are readings, plus a white Christ candle. The readers go up one at a time, read their assigned selections, and extinguish one of the candles, until only the Christ candle remains. Then someone reads the first part of Psalm 22, which Jesus quoted on the cross. Then the Christ candle is put out, leaving the congregation in near total darkness – and near total devastation. At this point, the service ends. There is no blessing and the people leave in silence. (The lights are turned up but remain dim so that people can see their way out.)
The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is purposefully left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day.
We invite you to come and join us at 8 pm on Thursday 22 March at St Mary’s for what will undoubtedly be a powerful and moving service. All are welcome.
St Mary's Church, Redbourn 