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HOLY WEEK 2015 Vicar’s Blog
The photography on this week’s front cover is by Rhiannon Cole, her second Station of the Cross, from last year’s Holy Week Festival. The humanity of Judas Iscariot, shrouded by betrayal, as he kisses Jesus Christ. Each year the festival is an arena where we invite the Spirit to speak, through images, through beauty, through hospitality, through silence, through teaching, music & drama. It’s a season where we don’t underestimate the power of God to connect with the human imagination; He gave us one after all. In 2015 you can expect similarities to previous years: daily prayer, café, an open air service on Palm Sunday, a late-night labyrinth, an Easter Egg Hunt, a dawn service and of course Malmesbury School are already working on their Stations of the Cross art exhibition. But there is more that will make this year’s festi-
val fresh, and an opportunity for our community to meet with God; yes, please invite others. On Saturday 28th March, supported by live music, the comedian Paul Kerensa will be at the Abbey. Paul is a writer for TV’s ‘Miranda’ and ‘Not Going Out’ and has played London’s Comedy Store and the Montreal Festival as well New Wine. On Monday 30th March Professor Simon Conway Morris is with us for a talk and Q&A on ‘Does the Resurrection make any scientific sense?’ Simon holds the chair of Evolutionary Paleobiology at the University of Cambridge. A Fellow of the Royal Society, and a Christian who has lectured on evolution at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On Tuesday 31st March you can expect another silent movie in a darkened Abbey with Anthony
A B B E Y D I A RY THIS SUNDAY: January 18th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship, Junior Church & The Grid 6pm The Mix at the Campbells Hammond improvising live on the organ. And on Wednesday evening we will have a Glory! prayer meeting, then a late night performance of Bach and Allegri by the Abbey Choir, a preview of their Devotional Concert on Good Friday. Maundy Thursday begins with prayer and Holy Communion together and later, in the evening, musicians from The Royal Academy of Music in London perform solo Bach suites and Olivier Messaien’s Quartet for the End of Time, written in Stalag VIIIa Camp during WWII. On Good Friday The Passion will be brought to life in word and worship and then on Easter Eve BBC Wiltshire are with us again to record Easter from Malmesbury Abbey. More details and more events to follow. More of God to discover.
THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer TUES 20th 7.30pm Glory! WED 21st 10.30am Communion THUR 22nd 10.30am Time for Chat 7pm Choir Practice FRI 23rd 10.30am Creative Response SAT 24th 10am The Meeting Place
NEXT SUNDAY: January 25th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Morning Prayer & Healing Ministry 4pm All-age Communion
ADVANCE Feb 1st 4pm Welcome to Andrew & Jude Beebee Feb 18th Ash Wednesday Feb 18th Malmesbury Abbey Skate -20th 2015
HEBREWS 4:14-5:10 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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5 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; 6 as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’ In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
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Additional Reading:
John 17:1-5
DISCIPLESHIP 1.
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Read Hebrews 4:14-4:16, and then discuss together what you heard and learnt last Sunday. See verse 16. Spend some significant time discussing what your understand by ‘mercy’ and ‘grace’. Share other Bible passages which help you understand these words. How does v 16 imply that a human being might connect with mercy and grace? Which of them is more closely related to strength, and which to forgiveness? Read 5:1-5a. What are the two significant qualities (not functions) of a high priest that the writer observes? To these significant qualities the writer adds another quality of Christ’s priesthood citing the king-priest Melchizedek. Read verses 5-10, Genesis 14:18-20 and Psalm 110:4 . What is that quality? How might we practically approach the throne of grace?
D A I LY R E A D I N G S Monday Psalm 146 Amos 6 Hebrews 4:1-13 Tuesday Psalm 142 Amos 7 Hebrews 4:14-16 Wednesday Psalm 81 Amos 8 Hebrews 5:1-10 Thursday Psalm 76 Amos 9 Hebrews 5:11-6:12 Friday Psalm 27 Hosea 1:1-2:1 Hebrews 6:13-20
TEXT GIVING You can now give to the ministry and mission of Malmesbury Abbey, and gift aid it, via text. Text 70070 and enter the code MALM12 when requested.
BRISTOL CATHEDRAL CHOIR
G LO R Y !
As well as our beautiful monthly Choral Evensongs sung by Malmesbury Abbey Choir, the gentlemen of Bristol Cathedral Choir are singing an additional Choral Evensong on Sunday 25th January at 6.30pm. This is followed by refreshments and then a short informal concert by the gentlemen. All are very welcome.
Our first 2015 Glory! prayer meeting is this Tuesday, 20th January, from 7.30pm-9pm. We’d love everybody to prioritise coming to this time of prayer, praise and seeking the Spirit’s leading for our church. Small groups might wish to have a week off and come to pray instead.
A S H W E D N E S D AY
CELEBRATION
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which for many is a reflective season of prayer, renewal and fasting before the celebrations of Easter. In the Malmesbury & Upper Avon Group there are two penitential services of Holy Communion with Ashing on Ash Wednesday: 10.30am at Eilmer House, and 7pm at Holy Rood, Rodbourne. (The morning service is moved to Eilmer House because of the Skate Park.)
Andrew Beebee joins the Abbey staff as our full-time Children’s & Youth Minister in late January and will be commissioned by the Bishop of Bristol on February 1st 2015 at our 4pm service. Please make sure this very special service of celebration is in your diary. For those of you who worship at a morning service, Feb 1st is now officially a two-service Sunday; just like it used to be.
NOTICEBOARD
With only 4 weeks to go, we are super excited about launching our Abbey Skate 2015, which takes place Wed 18th - Fri 20th February. This three day event runs all day from 10am to 9pm and is open to all ages and all abilities! Invite your friends and family, get out your scooter, your skateboard or your roller skates and come and join with us! Book your tickets on-line before they sell out: www.malmesburyabbey.com/skate Volunteers needed - This event, which is an extraordinary opportunity to share God’s love with people in our town, is dependent on your support. To combat ‘someone-else-can-do-it’ syndrome (!), please pray about what help you can offer and pop the dates in your diary so that prayer can turn into action! If you’ve got a pulse (even with the help of a pacemaker!), you can help. We need people to offer accommodation to the lovely Christian Skaters UK team, people to welcome at the door, people to help out with admin, sound, set-up, prayer and catering (even if it’s making just one meal). Please contact john@malmesburyabbey.com for more information or to sign up, or write your name on the sign up sheet on the welcome desk in the Abbey. Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey
CONTAC T ABBEY OFFICE Monday (10am-12noon) Tuesday-Friday (9.30am– 3pm) Tel: 01666 826666 sandie@malmesburyabbey.com
CAFÉ HOURS Tuesday-Saturday (normal) 9am– 3.30pm Sunday & Monday closed all day clare@malmesburyabbey.com
www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey Staff members can be contacted by name@malmesburyabbey.com
12th CENTURY BEAUT Y 21st CENTURY CHURCH