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Hello ´Keep watch over yourselves’Acts 20v28 Paul arriving in Ephesus spoke to the leaders there and told them to ‘keep watch over themselves’ – I have always assumed that he was referring to what they believed and taught, but I have come to think that is one application of what is a general command and that in these days of Covid, it has particular relevance to weary clergy.  Many clergy have such a sense of service, that we are prone to sacrifice ourselves for the sake others, to the detriment of our wellbeing (and sometimes our family).  I won’t be the only one to have heard the words ‘people need me’ ringing around my head even as I feel totally spent.  Paul’s words to ‘keep watch over ourselves’ are a helpful counter to such thinking – when we take a moment to think about it, it is obvious.  We will only be able to lead and minister well when we are well.  We won’t ‘be there for others’ if we are running on empty, depleted in body, mind, and spirit.  Jesus, at the most demanding moments in his ministry, withdrew from the crowds to find restoration.  He kept watch over… Read More

The post Parish Brief – 9th February 2021 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

Watch this extract from our weekly service, led by Rev Liz Clutterbuck. From Emmanuel Holloway Church, the full service marks the Second Sunday before Lent. Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website. Read More

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Dear Friends I hope you managed to catch some of the very welcome sunshine the last couple of days. It’s so lovely to see the snowdrops flowering and the birdsong is definitely increasing. This week we have an online service for you which you can find here: www.capelandockleychurch.org.uk/2021/02/06/second-sunday-before-lent-sunday-7-february-2021/ Please do join us for the Lent course that Rev Liz will be running from 22 February 7-9pm for 6 weeks entitled ‘Creation Matters’. This course will be on Zoom. We will be recording the sessions so don’t worry if you can’t attend all of them you can always watch it later. Please email on liz@hostmyserver.co.uk if you would like to be added to the list. Whilst we are on the subject of courses, I just want to remind everyone that we have 2 bible groups running on Zoom at the moment. There is the weekly bible group which meets on Mondays from 3 – 4.30pm which is currently half way through a study of Isaiah, and a monthly bible group which meets generally on the 4th Monday of the month 7.30pm -9pm. The monthly bible group will be starting a new topic after Easter – ‘Understanding the Old Testament’. Both groups… Read More

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Virtual service, for the Second Sunday before Lent Post expires at 7:33am on Sunday February 6th, 2022

The post Second Sunday before Lent, Sunday 7 February 2021 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

Hello ‘Now is the time to be sowing onions’. It was a throw-away remark from a friend last week, which somehow stuck in the mind. At that point we were still in the middle of the forty days of Christmas (which draw to a close on the feast of Candlemas, which we celebrate today); and this particularly bleak midwinter was evidenced by the snow on the ground as I looked out of my study window. The idea of anyone planting anything at such a time seemed absurd. But my friend knows a thing or two about gardening, and I had no reason to doubt him. Now is the time to be sowing onions. It was the Area Deans who gave me some idea of what that might look like as we met together on a zoom call yesterday morning. No-one was minimising the challenges of this season in the life of our church and wider communities (not to mention the personal challenges it’s throwing up).  No-one was unrealistic about the complexities of a gradual return to some kind of normality. But as we began to address the question, ‘What might a post-pandemic church look like, and how should we prepare for it?’… Read More

The post Parish Brief – 2nd February 2021 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

Rev Tiffer Robinson leads this week’s online service for Candlemas. This marks the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, when Jesus was offered to his Father and revealed as the future Saviour of all people. Click the read more link to go to the service on the Church of England Website. Read More

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Virtual service, for the 4th Sunday of Epiphany, the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, known as ‘Christingle’. Post expires at 8:02am on Sunday January 30th, 2022

The post Candlemas, Sunday 31 January 2021 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

Dear Friends, This week we have both an online service and another Zoom coffee morning. The online service can be found here: www.capelandockleychurch.org.uk/2021/01/30/candlemas-sunday-31-january-2021/ Zoom Coffee and prayers is from 10am tomorrow, do join us if you can, you can drop in any time and leave when you want. We look forward to seeing you, the link is here: us02web.zoom.us/j/83991317357 Meeting ID: 839 9131 7357 Many of you will know that this weekend is the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, and with all of us in lockdown what better way to spend an hour of your time than with a cup of coffee watching the birds that are visiting the garden. You can still join, the link is here: www.rspb.org.uk/?channel=paidsearch&gclid=CjwKCAiApNSABhAlEiwANuR9YBASiv8H9c4hjuC2OUcxMQSF5UzqYoqgcXwirDFrP5qS5PEH0AWO7BoC0SAQAvD_BwE Our Lent course this year follows a similar vein and will be looking at ‘Creation Matters’. The course will be run by Revd Liz and starts from 22 February 7-9pm for 6 weeks on Zoom. If you would like to join this course please let Revd Liz know. Revd Liz also did a lovely Christingle service for the children at Scott Broadwood this week. If you would like to have a look at it you can find it here: https://youtu.be/URtlrj34Eiw A huge… Read More

The post Weekly news sheet 31 January 2021 appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.

I am no marathon runner but I can imagine that it is typical that in those final last stages of a race i.e. more than three quarters through with the end in sight – these must be some of the most difficult to physically and mentally to run – your body and mind is tired yet you have to keep going. Yes the combination of January and a more intensive lockdown because of the Covid variant is tough. Yet and yet the end is in sight. It has been a delight and wonder that so many of our over eighties and key workers have proudly been vaccinated and surely helps us all to cope with current restrictions. Each of the three lockdowns we have experienced have seemed to have their different flavours so to speak. Last March seemed very much quieter and of course we had the blessing of the beautiful Spring in which I remember lots of lovely walks with bluebells and primroses, exploring more of our local countryside around Capel and Ockley, clapping for the NHS and Carers, digging allotments, scarecrows and all sorts! Flexibility arrived in the early summer so that was another change and support bubbles… Read More

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This month sees Valentine’s Day on 14th and there are articles marking it in this issue.  Also, Lent begins on Wednesday 17th February and we have articles, prayers and reading recommendations from Rev Liz, Parish Pump and the Church Times.  ‘Lent … Reflection, Reconciliation, Renewal’. February_2021_auto-colour.pdf Post expires at 8:08am on Sunday January 30th, 2022

The post Issue 47 February 2021 Keep me in the shelter of your wings appeared first on The Parish of Capel and Ockley.