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The Joy, and Challenge, of Being Yourself This coming week, children across the country return to schools for a new academic year. Recent headlines highlighted some of the findings of the Good Childhood Report 2018, published in August by the Children’s Society in partnership with the University of York. The major shock-fact was that one in four girls had harmed themselves in the course of the last year. The report’s key findings note the effects of pressure and expectation on children, the fear of not fitting in or not looking good enough, and the damage caused by outdated gender stereotypes. Many of us may well have experienced such pressures and fears in earlier years, or indeed at any point in life, or perhaps we fear our children and grandchildren do. It is a sadness that the Church has too frequently had its own forms of social coercion (not least when it comes to outdated concepts of gender). For all the talk about acceptance and welcome, freedom and grace, it is still easy to walk into a church service or event and feel out of place or judged. We each have a role in what sort of place people will encounter when they engage with the Church. Will they find us insular, and bickering about seeming irrelevancies? Or will they discover a family of people who know they need each other, who know they stand in need of grace and seek to be a means of it? At the heart of the Christian gospel – and I hope at the heart of our community at St Mary’s – is a message that we are accepted for who we are, and that our failings and fears need not define us. We are offered the joy of being ourselves, and the challenge of learning how to become ourselves. And weare sent to speak and live that message in a world where so many experience anguish over how others perceive them. Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Revd James CrockfordAssistant Priest
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| | The Week Ahead
This Sunday
Sunday 2 September - The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity 10.30 Sung Eucharist
Preacher: The Revd Susan Bridge
15.30 German Lutheran Service - Chancel
Next Week
Monday, Gregory the Great, 604 09.00 Morning Prayer - Chancel 12.15 Eucharist - Chancel
Tuesday Birinus, 650 09.00 Morning Prayer - Chancel
12.15 Eucharist - Chancel
Wednesday 09.00 Morning Prayer - Chancel
12.15 Eucharist - Chancel
Thursday Allen Gardiner, 1851 09.00 Morning Prayer - Chancel 12.15 Eucharist - Chancel
Friday 09.00 Morning Prayer - Chancel
12.15 Eucharist - Chancel
Saturday
Next Sunday
Sunday 9 September - Patronal Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary 10.30 Sung Eucharist
Preacher: The Revd Dr William Lamb
15.30 Choral Evensong - St Cross Church |
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| | | Pilgrimage & Pub
Our series of walks continues on Saturday 1 September, through the University Parks to St Nicholas’, Old Marston, followed by a stop-off at the Victoria Arms on the river. Please meet, with suitable walking footwear, sun hat and a water bottle, in the De Brome Chapel to leave at 14.00. If you would rather meet us there, please aim for 15.00.
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| | | The Bishop's East Oxford Pilgrimage Day On Tuesday 4 September, the Bishop of Oxford will be walking a pilgrimage from Cowley through the centre of Oxford, stopping at various churches along the way. He is due to arrive at St Mary’s at 13.10, for a blessing and short service of prayers. Please do join us if you can.
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| | Open Doors Weekend
On Saturday 8 September, we will be holding an exhibition (10:00 – 16:00) in the Old Library on Grace Hadow (1875-1940) whose memorial is in the nave. The exhibition forms part of Oxford Open Doors, which has a theme this year of Extraordinary People’. Grace Hadow was an alumna of Somerville College and went on to become Principal of St Anne’s College (then called the Society of Oxford Home Students) and the Vice Chairman of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. An acclaimed public speaker, Grace Hadow was an active supporter of the campaign for women’s rights as well as other social justice issues.
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| | | Ride and Stride On 8 September, the annual Ride and Stride event takes place in aid of Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust. How many churches are you able to visit in one day either on foot or bicycle? If you would like to take part and require sponsorships and information about which churches will be open, please contact Margaret (margaret.chaundy2@btinternet.com).
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| | St Cross Patronal Festival
On Sunday 9 September, we will be holding a service of Choral Evensong at St Cross Church at 15:30. This is an annual celebration, and everyone is welcome.
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| | | St Mary's Volunteers Fair Many members of St Mary’s congregation are already involved with and support voluntary organisations– e.g. Oxford Food Bank, Gatehouse, Christian Aid, prison visiting, Home Start, Parkinson’s Association, etc. We are planning a ‘Volunteers Fair’ to showcase this work and to encourage others to get involved. There is to be a planning meeting in the Old Library at 12noon on Sunday 16 September. The Fair itself will take place after the service on Sunday, 14 October. If you would like to be involved, please contact: Margaret Lipscomb (M.Lipscomb@ntlworld.com) or Janet Greenland (janetgreenland@gmail.com).
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