Mattishall

Andrea's latest email to everyone can be read at HERE.

The Easter booklet for 2022 is now available online HERE.

More details will be forthcoming soon, but North Tuddenham are having a festival the weekend of 6th to 8th May to celebrate the completion of the major (as in, major) work done on the tower of St. Mary's church there. A special edition of their magazine, "The Mardle" is available HERE.

Please do have a read and see what will be happening.

Dear Friends,

A very Happy Easter to you all.

I look forward to seeing some of you over the week end. For those of you who are away I hope you have a wonderful break. I will be holding in prayer all of you I know who are unwell or recovering.

As we remember Jesus death and complete separation from God because of the weight of our sin on Good Friday  and as we celebrate his victory over death and his rising on Easter Sunday  let us never forget that Easter means Forgiveness, friendship with God an invitation to follow Jesus and an opportunity to share with others the Fantastic Hope that we have through the Love of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Liturgy and readings for Easter Season can be found HERE.

With every blessing

Andrea  

We are continuing to have problems with the repair of the church tower of St. Mary's at North Tuddenham, with the expected date of completion still uncertain. For the time being, there will be no services in the church building itself apart from during the festival weekend on 8th May.

We are hoping to have some services in the village hall and will let you know when these will be when we know ourselves.

Dear Friends,

Litturgy and readings for Lent and Holy week for Morning Prayer which starts on Wednesday 2^nd March is now available from HERE

As always you are welcome to join us via zoom or use the booklet at home. Please do be in touch if there is any situation you would like us to pray for.  

Prayer is vital in our lives as God’s faithful people, transformational for us and for those people and places  we pray for so whenever or however you pray just do it.  

From the diocesan vision:

Prayerful: Transform us O Christ, that, deeply rooted in prayer, we may be fully alive to you and your purposes for us and for all people. Amen

With every blessing

Andrea

As some of you may be aware before Christmas Bishop Graham launched a new vision for the Diocese of Norwich. Prayerful, Pastoral and Prophetic.

“We are called to listen ever more attentively to the God who seeks to bring transformation in Christ to us. Who longs for us to be a prayerful people, a pastoral people and a prophetic people.”- Bishop Graham

This year 2022 Churches around the Diocese are asking us to consider how we can all be more prayerful.

I don’t think it would take very much research to discover that most Christians find prayer hard, we all know we could pray more, or more sincerely or less selfishly.

Why do we pray?

It helps us to understand our relationship with God through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit

It helps us to understand the outworking of God’s plans.

The Bible

When we look at prayers in the Bible, we quickly discover the variety of ways that God’s people have connected with their creator.

Intercession happens in different forms and with different effects.

Thanksgiving and prayer in the face of conflict are recurrent themes in Psalms and Acts and the central focus of Hannah and Mary

Repentance Recurs regularly particularly in the great prayers of Abraham, Moses, Daniel, and Nehemiah 

Prayer for our own needs and the needs of others- This is real, stark, and honest in the prayers of Hannah and Paul.

You don’t have to be highly qualified or super spiritual to pray.

The prayers we encounter in the Bible are about ordinary people being involved in God’s purposes, despite weaknesses, fear and mixed motives. Prayer need not be complicated, long winded or full of unpronounceable words, in order to be significant.

God knows that we find prayer tough, he forgives us our failings, helps us start a fresh, time and time again.

The adventure of prayer is for all of us to be involved in. It is high risk, high pain, long term, hard work, unglamourous and potentially costly and always leads to some form of action on our part. It is a lifelong adventure that begins where you are. It is an adventure we take hand in hand with Jesus – the one who went willingly to the cross for us and intercedes at the right hand of the Father for us and who wants us all in prayer to enter deeper into his purposes for the lives of those around us. 

I have mentioned the Bible as a way into prayer but there are so many other wonderful ways we can connect with God.

This week has been a tough one for Tim and myself and our families and I have prayed in at least 7 different ways:

1. I have ranted at God in my frustration. (he is big enough to take it)
2. I have cleaned my house while in a mindset of confession. (a great way to destress and get chores done!!)
3. I have sat up in bed at 3am and recited the Lords Prayer, The Gloria and Psalm 23.
4. I have delighted in the sunrise and the pheasant family taking their daily constitutional across my back garden.
5. I have lit a candle and focused on praying for specific people and situations, for our Country and the World .
6. I have given thanks for all who have prayed for us and with us, for the roof over my head and the food in my stomach. I have given thanks for the marvel that is the NHS and all those who work within it.
7. I have sung praise to God at the top of my voice just because God is Almighty and because I can. (even if I was slightly croaky and out of breath!!)        

Does it work? Does it help? Yes it does!! (Not always in the way we expect or imagine- none the less God’s Grace is evident and his love unconditional and everlasting.)

God is present always and everywhere in all our circumstances and experiences, for better or worse. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. (Joshua 1:9) (Matthew 28:19-20)

Where do we Start? – the answer- right where we are!

How do you connect with God?

How do you intercede for others?

What works for you?

What would you like to do better?

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you pray and how prayer has made a difference in your life?

with every blessing      

Andrea

The recently filmed Christmas Special episode of "The Chosen" is now watchable online at https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen/watch?vid=S1:E0 Some of us have been watching series 1 and 2 (there should be a total of 7 series in all once finished) and a special episode featuring the birth of Jesus is now available.

The Rootham family have created a wonderful video of the carol "O come, O come, Emmanuel". Sit back and enjoy... and worship with them.

Click here

Dear Friends,

Sunday 28th November begins the season of Advent, the season of waiting and watching expectantly and prayerfully.

To aid our prayers  the readings and liturgy for Morning Prayer each day can be found HERE (Advent) and HERE (Christmas and Epiphany). We are continuing to meet on Zoom Mon – Sat 9am  and you are welcome to join us on any day as we come before God to pray for the needs of and seek God’s vision for this benefice.

Also the Bishop has this week launched the Diocesan Vision Transformed by Christ: Prayerful, Pastoral and prophetic

This year the focus will be on Prayer. Do check out the diocesan website for more details of how you can join in.

https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/churches/mission-hub/ideas/transformed-by-christ-prayerful/

As a busy time approaches I pray that you will all keep safe and well and are able to enjoy the blessing and joy of  time with family and friends as we celebrate the birth  of Saviour .

With every blessing

Andrea