18th
March 2020
St Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop, teacher of the faith, 386
Fr
Andrew writes:
As parish priest I am
writing to all those connected with the Croydon Minster by email. I intend to
do this on a regular basis whilst we face and endure the Coronavirus (Covid-19)
emergency.
These are spiritually,
emotionally and physically challenging times.
I hope these emails will
help to keep us in touch, to give information about practical matters - such as
when the church is open and how we might help get food and supplies to those
who are self-isolating or unwell - and what resources are available for you to
read, ponder and pray.
The church has a data
protection (GDPR) policy and we will respect that. We have your email address
because you have given it to the church in the past. If you do not wish to
receive these email bulletins please simply press ‘Unsubscribe’ at the bottom.
***
The bombshell we learnt
yesterday was that the in light of the Government guidance around non-essential
contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further
notice.
They say that churches
should be open where possible but with no public worship services taking place.
In response Croydon Minster is open for personal prayer at the following times:
Sundays: 10.00am – 12noon and
4.00pm-5.00pm
Weekdays
& Saturdays:
10.00am – 12noon
The Blessed Sacrament
will be exposed as a focus for prayer. Prayers and devotional reading material
will be available for those present.
There will be no acts of
corporate public worship until further notice.
***
Many people will be
feeling isolated not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too as
well as feeling angry, uncertain, bewildered and plain lonely.
As a church community we can
draw on our faith and our fellowship to be sustained ourselves and to sustain
others in these difficult times.
One way we’re responding
to that is that we will be calling members of the congregation by phone so that
we can keep in touch and help with any needs people may have, insofar as that’s
possible.
If you know someone who
would appreciate a phone call from someone at the church, or to join this email
list please ask them to contact connect@croydonminster.org
and we can add them to the lists.
I’ll be in touch again
soon.
***
The
Church of England has prepared prayer material for this time. You can click
here (https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-liturgy-and-prayer-resources) to find more
PERSONAL
PRAYERS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU CAN’T GET TO CHURCH
Lord Jesus Christ, you
said to your disciples, ‘I am with you always’.
Be with me today, as I
offer myself to you.
Hear my prayers for
others and for myself, and keep me in your care.
Christ be with me, Christ
within me,
Christ behind me, Christ
before me,
Christ beside me, Christ
to win me,
Christ to comfort and
restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ
above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ
in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend
and stranger. from St Patrick’s Breastplate
I am giving you worship
with all my life,
I am giving you obedience
with all my power, I am giving you praise with all my strength, I am giving you
honour with all my speech.
I am giving you love with
all my heart,
I am giving you affection
with all my sense,
I am giving you my being
with all my mind,
I am giving you my soul,
O most high and holy God.
Praise to the Father,
Praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit, The
Three in One.
adapted from Alexander
Carmichael,
Carmina Gadelica (1900)
Before
going to sleep
God
our Father, by whose mercy the world turns safely into darkness and returns
again to light: we place in your hands our unfinished tasks, our unsolved
problems, and our unfulfilled hopes, knowing that only what you bless will
prosper. To your love and protection we commit each other and all those we
love, knowing that you alone are our sure defender, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
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