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

 

A mere mortal


by Patricia O'Neill


Psalm 8 v 4 - 5


When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers

The moon and the stars that you have ordained


What are mortals that you should be mindful of them

Mere human beings that you should seek them out?


As I entered the church last Sunday, I caught sight out of the corner of my eye of what looked like a giant balloon and I was flummoxed. Richard Branson popped into my mind. No prizes for guessing who hadn’t been attending to the notices. But as I sat and watched my planet revolving on its axis, its power possessed me. It is an extraordinary emotion: to be aware of my tiny-ness, the planet’s immensity, the planet’s smallness in the universe, and perhaps most peculiar, my reality relative to the Gaia installation. It is a dizzying pendulum swing between a mortal’s conscious being and the multi-universe.


Once upon a time people would have pondered the mighty works of God when thunder rolled or the sun disappeared behind the moon or plague swept through the land. Now we know how these things happen without divine intervention. And that is as it should be, since the point of humanity is to grow in wisdom and understanding. I am content that other people can explain creation scientifically and I don’t deny their knowledge. But it seems to me that if we lose the sense of mystery at the heart of creation, we are poorer. As I sit contemplating Gaia, I am inspired, not by the scientific reality, but by a sense of the sacred mystery of it all. And my rationale for this stance? My experience as a mere mortal, of being in the hands of the God who has sought me out.

SUMMER OPENING HOURS


July brings with it our summer opening hours:

Monday - Saturday: 9.30am – 6pm

Sunday 12noon – 6pm


Please note the church might be closed at short notice for specific events. For the most up to date information, always check our website.

Livestreamed Services

at the University Church

Due to the sound system installation, we won't be able to livestream the Sung Eucharist this Sunday, 10 July either.

We should be back on Sunday 17 July and we will keep you updated.

Livestreamed Services Playlist

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

Concerts

at the University Church

TODAY, 9 JULY, 7.30PM

SATURDAY, 16 JULY, 7.30PM

Notices


CHORAL EVENSONG: SUNDAY 10 JULY – 3:30PM

Join us today (and on Sunday afternoons throughout July) for an uplifting service of choral music, sung by the University Church choir. This week features repertoire by Harris, Byrd, Farrant and Howells. This service, devised during the English Reformation by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, draws on the Christian Scriptures and the ancient monastic offices of Vespers and Compline; it offers a simple, elegant framework for reflection and prayer.


THOMAS MERTON – A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION,

15 JULY - 15 SEPTEMBER, ADAM DE BROME CHAPEL

From 15 July we are hosting a new free exhibition in the Adam de Brome chapel, of photographs belonging to the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton. Our own Esther de Waal has graciously curated a series of his photographs, accompanied by his own words and created a deeply moving and thought-provoking experience. Free to see during our nomal opening hours.


QUIET CREATIVITY

SATURDAY 16 JULY, 10AM – OLD LIBRARY

You are warmly invited to bring your own creative project and enjoy a relaxed morning of quiet productivity in the company of like-minded people. Snacks, coffee, and tea will be provided. For more details, contact ana-maria.niculcea@universitychurch.ox.ac.uk


SUPPORTING UKRAINIAN REFUGEES

The Diocese of Oxford has joined Citizens UK in providing a safer, more streamlined system designed to provide support for those undertaking the sponsorship process for supporting Ukrainian Refugees. For more information on hosting or supporting refugees visit: www.oxford.anglican.org/everyday-faith/becoming-a-christian/how-to/make-a-difference-in-ukraine.php


STILE ANTICO: ENSEMBLE IN RESIDENCE

Stile Antico, our Ensemble in Residence, will be offering two events in the

autumn. There is a concert, A Garden of Delights, which will take place at 8.00pm on 23 September 2022, and a workshop for singers on Saturday 12 November 2022 beginning at 2.30pm. Please make a note in your diaries if you would like to attend either of these events. You can book on the church website.


NEW TO ST MARY’S? If you are new to St Mary’s and have started coming to services in the last six months or so, we may not have your contact details. If you would like to find out more about what is going on at the University Church, please email admin@universitychurch.ox.ac.uk with your name, address and telephone number and ask for your name to be added to the Parish Directory. This directory is used only by parish staff but it enables us to get in touch with you as the need arises.

Events elsewhere in the University


NEW VISONS OF JULIAN OF NORWICH

International hybrid conference, "New Visions of Julian of Norwich", 15th and 16th July 2022, Somerville College, Oxford University. More details here.


St Mary's Church, High Street, OX1 4BJ, Oxford, United Kingdom

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