Welcome to my new online presence!

I can’t promise to have something interesting to say every day, but I thought it would be good to expand my Bridge magazine Rector’s letter writing over the next few weeks.  If you’d like to follow along, just bookmark this page in your browser.

Earlier this morning I sent the following to everyone on our email list - if I missed you, just send me an email - rector@wroxhambenefice.org - and I’ll add you to future mailings.

Please feel free to ring, email, comment on here or send smoke signals. It’s a couple of years since I blogged, but I’ll get up to speed again quickly 😁

Above all, remember we are still church, and still here.

Love and prayers,

Liz
 
Dear All,

Life has changed rather dramatically in the last few days, and I wanted to write and assure you all that even though public worship has been suspended in our churches we are still church, and still here.  Our churches are places of prayer, and we are people of prayer, and nothing changes that.  We will not be able to meet together physically as the church for some time, but we remain the Body of Christ, and prayers continue as they have done throughout the centuries.  Now more than ever we need to hold each other in prayer, and support each other in whatever ways we can.  As a Ministry Team we are working out day by day how we minister in this new way.  We are putting together online resources for prayer and to mark the events of Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and there are some details below.  Please know that, even though we can’t meet together we will make sure that prayer is said regularly in our churches, and the events of the season are marked.  Our buildings remain open and available for private prayer and quiet space.  

I am aware that many of you will be either maintaining social distancing measures or self-isolating, and we are here to help where we can.  Our website https://wroxhambenefice.org will flag up resources and help available, as will our Facebook page The Wroxham Benefice.  For those not online, the Bridge will contain information each month, and we are supporting many by phone.  If you would like a regular phone call, or can suggest someone who may find this helpful, please let me know.  We are working with The Wroxham and Hoveton Good Neighbours and the parish councils to support people who are self-isolating, and details of this will be on our website.  We are here to help, and will do all we can – please just contact us if you need help, or just a friendly phone call! 

Our plans for Lent, Holy Week and Easter follow.  Do join in with what you can – the journey to the cross continues, and we walk with Christ together.

With my love and prayers,

Liz
----------------------------------------
Rector, The Wroxham Benefice
The Vicarage
11 Church Lane
Wroxham
NR12 8SH
01603 784150
====================

Still Church. Still here.

We are continuing to hold our communities in prayer as we always have done, and there are ways in which we can pray together even while keeping separate as advised.  Each day the clergy will be praying at the following times, and you are invited to join with us from your home.

9.00am                 Morning Prayer
5.00pm                 Evening Prayer

These services are available online https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/midweek_worship_at_home_0.pdf and booklets will be available in the churches in the next 24 hours for you to pick up.  Please take one home – we can’t share service sheets, so using one and putting it back is not possible.  If you need us to drop one off to you if you are self-isolating just contact us.  Other resources will be added to the website for your use.

Prayers will be said in the Churches on Sundays even though no one can attend, and we will make sure that the events of Holy Week and Easter are marked in our buildings.

You can join in with this in the following ways.

Palm Sunday 5th April
Palm Crosses will be blessed as usual, and available in the church porches to pick up on the day.

Maundy Thursday 9th April
From the safety of our homes we will pray together from 7.30pm, the time of our usual service.  A service will be made available online, or reading the Gospel of the Watch (Luke 22:31-62) would be a good thing to do.

Good Friday 10th April
We will put together a reflection for the hour at the cross, accessed online.  The Gospel of the Passion (John 18:1-19:42) could be read.

Easter Eve 11th April
A service will be available online.

Easter Sunday
A service will be available online.  Read the Gospel of Easter (Matthew 28:1-10) and if you have a candle to hand, do light it!




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