News from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin

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Subject: News from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Action4Creation
by the Revd Charlotte Bannister - Parker

St Cuthbert’s Isle is a place of refuge, where St Cuthbert (634 – 687), the early Anglo-Saxon Saint in the Celtic tradition, went to rest and pray in the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, in Northumbria. This was a place St Cuthbert sang psalms ‘in tune with the wind and the waves’.

This term, St Mary’s is delighted to offer a pilgrimage on a journey to creation care. St Cuthbert found peace and a closeness to God in nature even when he was living in that very remote and isolated landscape. So while we are grappling with lockdown and our own social isolation in these difficult times, please join us online this term for a warm and welcoming series, looking at our relationship with God, creation and the environment.

I envisaged this course to be like going on a pilgrimage together. Pilgrimages have been defined as acts of faith, a former spiritual practice in which devotees, the pilgrims take a spiritual journey to a sacred destination and undergo a transformation in the process. Due to the lockdown, we can’t physically go on this pilgrimage together but I promise the course for Action4Creation will be a fun, inspiring and thoughtful pilgrimage to help us understand our role as co-carers of God’s beautiful creation.

Through this journey we can look forward to a ‘new haven and new earth, home of justice’ (2 Peter 3.13 ) and move towards the revelation of God in creation and expand our ecological action and personal growth.

This is one of my favourite Trinitarian prayers inspired by the Celtic tradition, written by Esther de Vaal.

The keeping of God upon thee in every pass,

The shielding of Christ upon thee in every path,

The bathing of the Spirit upon thee in every stream,

In every land and sea, thou goest.

The course starts on Tuesday 13 October, at 6pm and will take place on Zoom. Please contact the Church Office at admin@universitychurch.ox.ac.uk if you're interested in attending.

Sunday, 11 October 2020: Harvest Festival

Sunday Services

There will be two services on Sunday 11 October, one at 8.30am and one at 10.30am.

Those attending must have registered on Eventbrite to ensure that we have your contact details for test and trace, and to ensure that we maintain social distancing.

Please note that following Government & Diocese guidance, from 8 August, face coverings are required by law to be worn in a greater number of public indoor settings, including places of worship. Those who are leading services and those who assist them (for instance by reading, preaching, or leading prayer) do not need to wear a face covering if physical distancing can be maintained. This exemption does not apply to worshippers, who should wear face coverings when attending services.

Click the link below for Upcoming Services in order to register for Sunday 11 October

https://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/content/upcoming-services

Registration will be open for services on Sunday 18 October 2020 at 11am on Sunday 11 October.

University Church Online

We will release our video cast on Sunday around 11.00am. Catering for those who need to shield at home, the video will include a recording of the Eucharist as well as music recorded virtually by the University Church Choir.

You can watch the video cast on our YouTube channel, on Facebook or on our website on Sundays.

You can also listen to it on our Soundcloud.

If you would like to be added to our online events mailing list, please fill in our Keeping in Touch form.

Harvest Festival - Support the Gatehouse

This Sunday, we will have our yearly collection for items to support the work of the Gatehouse. Many of you will be familiar with the Gatehouse but for those who aren't, please read more about the great work they do here: http://oxfordgatehouse.org/

These are the items needed:

Shop-bought cakes

Crisps

Individual bottles of water

Chocolate bars

Basic tins (beans, soup, spaghetti, mince, curry etc)

Basic packets (cuppa-soup, pot noodles, any sort of instant meal etc)

This year, for safety reasons, please bring the items in the Adam de Brome.

NOTICE

APCM & Electoral Roll

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Zoom on Sunday 25 Oct at 16:00. At this meeting, we will elect Churchwardens as well as elect members of the Deanery Synod and members of the Parochial Church Council.

If you would like to get a form to join our Electoral Roll or for more information about the APCM, please contact the Church Office at admin@universityhchurch.ox.ac.uk.

Book your visit to the Tower online

We are very pleased to announce that you can now purchase a ticket to visit the Tower online or at the welcome desk at the High St entrance.

You can find more information as well as our Terms & Conditions on our website.

Online Bookings