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

Richard Rolle and solitude

by Tim Glover

Richard Rolle, who is commemorated by the Church of England in the coming week, was a medieval hermit and religious author. As a hermit, he pursued a life of solitude to dedicate himself to God. Hermits positioned themselves on the margins of society and rejected worldly ways of living, yet were perceived as exemplary models of a holy life. Indeed, for Rolle solitude was not only a choice but practically a prerequisite for the deepest experiences of God; an opportunity to escape the clamour of the world and tune in.

Rolle was a fierce advocate for solitary life, but this does not mean it came without difficulties – in fact, the point was that it was difficult. It involved abandoning things that seem valuable, like wealth and reputation, and laying aside sources of comfort. Rolle encourages his readers to adopt a discipline of recalibrating their perspective, learning to find God in what appears small, weak, and humble. He writes:

‘I walked through the endurance of harsh things, and I found Jesus, tired from his journey, afflicted with hunger, thirst, and cold; I sat alone, making myself a solitary, and I found Jesus fasting in the desert, praying alone in the mountain. I ran through pain and penance, and I found Jesus bound, scourged, wounded. Jesus is not to be found among rich men, but among poor; not among those who delight, but among the penitent; not in crowd, but in solitude.’

Timothy Glover is currently reading for a DPhil in English Literature at Exeter College. He is working on the writings of Richard Rolle.

Richard Rolle and solitude (Audio)

Sunday 17 January: The Second Sunday after Epiphany

Sunday Services

There will be two services on Sunday 17 January.

8.30am - Holy Eucharist in the Chancel

10.30am - Sung Eucharist in the Nave

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.

Due to the recent lockdown, we have reduced the numbers for each service, so that now there are 10 tickets available for the 8.30am service and 30 tickets available for the 10.30am service.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a ticket, please put your name on the waiting list and we will endeavour to give you priority the following week.

Equally, if you find that you cannot attend a service after booking, please cancel your ticket or let us know so we can cancel it for you.

Read more about changes to our worship patterns here: https://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/thinking/lockdown-30

On the day of the service, please remember to arrive in good time to ensure everyone gets seated in a safe and organised manner before the beginning of the service. It is a legal requirement to wear a mask when attending our services, unless you are exempt.

Registration for services on Sunday 24 January 2021 will be possible on the website at 12noon on Sunday 17 January.

Sunday Focus:

Join us for a discussion on Zoom at 4pm on Sunday.

Religion and Politics in Trump’s America

The Vicar will be in conversation with Tobias Cremer, who is a Junior Research Fellow in Religion and the Frontier Challenges at Pembroke College Oxford. His research focuses on the relationship between religion, secularisation and the surge of nationalism and populism throughout western societies. For more information about Tobias and joy research, you will find some further details here: https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/Staff_and_Students/tobiascremer

This is the first of a series of conversations and interviews as we explore a number of different issues. There will be opportunity for questions, conversation, as well as a cuppa and a chat.

Online Worship:

Every Sunday, we will publish a recording of the 10.30am service at 1pm.

Please subscribe to our social media channels to ensure you see the videos in your newsfeed and you are alerted to all our other online events coming in Hilary term.

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