St James The Great
Old Milverton, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
May we remind all our Sunday morning Lesson Readers to stand at the lectern so that the microphone picks up your voice. Even if you are someone who can be heard without it, it is essential for those in the congregation with hearing aids if they are to access the loop system. Thank you.
Coffee Rota: our Sunday morning coffee time is an important part of our morning worship, offering a welcome to visitors and giving us all time to share God’s love with one another. Please think about whether you might offer to take a turn at serving coffee and sign up on the rota at the back of church. If bringing the water is a problem for you, we are happy to arrange that, leaving you just to bring milk and biscuits.
In place of our normal Coffee & Chat on Wednesday 19th February, we have been invited to join St Mary Magdalene’s for a fund raising coffee morning in their church between 10.45 am – 12.30 pm. They will also have an ambulance outside, which will soon be off to Ukraine with everyone’s donations of medical supplies. Please do try to come and support this, even if you are not regular Coffee & Chat person.
For the rest of the year, we will gather as usual in the Parish Room, between 10.30am and 12.00 noon during the Nursery School’s half-terms and holidays. The dates for 2025 are
- April 23rd
- May 28 th
- July 30 th
- August 27 th
- October 29th
Dates for the coming year
I’m sure you all have beautiful, pristine 2025 diaries just waiting to filled! Here are just some of the church events taking place this coming year for you to look forward to: put them in your diaries now to make sure you don’t double-book yourselves.
March 5th Ash Wednesday Holy Communion 10.30am
April 5th Quiet Morning for Lent 10am – 12noon
April 12th Lent Lunch
April 20th Easter Day Holy Communion 10.30am
April 27th Morning Worship and Annual Parochial Church Meeting
July 27th Patronal Service
October 5th Harvest Festival and Lunch
November 2nd All Souls Service
December 16th Carol Service 7pm
December 21st Carols in the Churchyard 4pm
Muddy Church: If you know of any young folk who might enjoy our Muddy Church events, do please encourage them to come along. It’s good fun and there is always some delicious to eat before we go home. Dates for this year are:
March 23rd
June 8 th
September 28th
All on a Sunday afternoon starting at 3.00pm
Churchyard Clearing Dates for 2025
Saturday 12th April
Saturday 14th June
Saturday 16th August
Saturday 18th October
Saturday 13th December (leaf clearance)
Thought for the month: The peace that passes understanding
If you come to a service on Christmas night here at St James, you will have experienced the stillness and peace of the world as you step out of church and make your way home. It’s one of my favourite moments in the whole year – the feeling that the world is holding its breath and standing still, just for a short while.
But it’s not a feeling that lasts for very long and as I write this, the world is in a state of change and uncertainty: a change of President in the USA; ongoing conflicts around the world and only a very fragile ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. Add all that to the daily news that brings us endless disagreements between those in positions of authority and influence: how on earth can we hope to hold on to a sense of a ‘peace that passes all understanding’ that St Paul talks about in his letter to the Philippians and which we hear in the words of our usual blessing on a Sunday morning?
Realistically, in terms of our wider world, we can’t. A world where, as Isaiah suggests, swords are turned into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks (Isaiah 2:4) still feels to be little more than a distant hope. But what about in our own lives? Can we recapture that sense of peace and stillness of Christmas night and take it forward with us into the coming year?
In Philippians 4.6-7, St Paul tells us what we need to do to obtain this perfect peace:
‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’
The key here is that this peace comes as the result of an action: that of taking our requests, our worries, cares, and concerns to God in prayer. When we do, we find that not only does he hear us, but we will come to discover a secure, deep-rooted confidence that God is in charge and will take care of everything.
Jesus himself, gives us a similar assurance when he says:
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
Prayer is an essential element in finding that peace. We all know that answer to prayer is unpredictable and may not happen within our preferred time-scale, but we also know that when we hand over our lives to God and talk to him about both the good things and the many things that make life uncertain and difficult, we discover that we do not face the challenges alone.
As we move into another year with all its joys and challenges, may the Prince of Peace continue to make his presence known to us and bring us that peace which passes all understanding.
With love, Sue
You, Lord, are in this place, your presence fills it.
Your presence is peace.
You, Lord, are in my heart, your presence fills it.
Your presence is peace.
You, Lord, are in my life, your presence fills it.
Your presence is peace.
David Adam
Clergy
Revd. William Smith 316475 wms.smith@btinternet.com
Revd. Sue Fairhurst 735254 sue@fairhursts.me.uk
Churchwardens
Michael Rayner 831522
Jane Marshall 831680
Website & email
www.stjamesoldmilverton.co.uk churchwardenstjames@outlook.co
Parish News
Ali Foster © 2013