Dear Siblings in Christ,
How time flies! Christmas and Epiphany have come and gone, and Lent will begin on the 2nd March. Just before Lent begins is Transfiguration Sunday which falls this year on 27th February.
Ask anyone who is around age 9 to 30 what is transfiguration, and they’ll probably tell you that transfiguration alters the appearance or form of an object and is achieved through concentration, precise wand movements, and the proper pronunciation of an incantation! You can study the subject of transfiguration with Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, somewhere in the highlands of Scotland! But if you don’t have an avid Harry Potter fan in your family, then the word transfiguration probably doesn’t feature much in your vocabulary!
Transfiguration Sunday is the Sunday when we remember Jesus climbing to the mountain top with three of his disciples and as they watched, Jesus was transfigured into a dazzling brightness. Transformed or changed would be alternative words. What a holy, glory-filled moment. One that is hard to grasp and is not to be explained away as Hogwart’s magic!
Glimpses of God’s glory give us strength and hope. Sometimes a glimpse is all we get. And yes, it is frustrating. We prefer to have tangible, graspable, experiences of God, but sometimes mysterious glimpses are all we will see. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message), Paul says: We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! So, let us be open to the moments of glory that come our way.
And as we enter Lent this year, let’s go on a journey of discovery and change as we climb the mountain together rising to the call.
All are invited to the Lent Study
Rising to the Call: 7 Big Questions
at Museum Street
on Thursdays at 10 – 11.30 a.m.
from 3rd March to 14th April
Rising to the Call is a study about the challenges and joy of discipleship. We will look at the Lectionary Year C gospel scripture passages as we ask seven big questions that can be applied to our discipleship in general and to issues of justice and especially climate justice. This study has been written collaboratively by David Welbourn and myself and we will co-lead this group. The circuit online worship services during Lent will also follow this theme, as will the sermons at Museum Street. Download the free study guide at: https://methodistic.org.uk/rising.
ZOOM coffee morning (contact us for the code) is on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Friday Coffee Morning from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at Chantry has resumed.
Landseer Road mid-week activities are running during term term.
At all three church councils in February, we shall be considering the question as to whether to register that church’s building as a location where same-sex marriages can be performed. The meetings will be open to all who wish to attend, but only church council members can vote. If you have any concerns, or wish to know more, then do please speak to Rev. Joan in advance of the meetings. Please hold our churches in prayer as we vote on this. We know that we will not all agree with whatever conclusion is reached. We value all our members, and we will move forward, trusting in God’s presence, as we live into the future together.
Landseer Road Tuesday 15th February at 2 p.m.
Museum Street Tuesday 15th February at 7 p.m.
Chantry Friday 18th February at 11 a.m.
Here is February’s preaching plan (*=communion, LA=local arrangement, CS=Covenant Service, CA = Church Anniversary). Or download the plan for the whole circuit.
| Chantry 9.30 a.m. | Museum St 10.45 a.m. | Landseer Rd 11 a.m. | Video from 6 a.m. | |
| 6th Feb | N Glasse | *Pell | No Service | Keeble |
| 13th Feb | Rokobuli | Welbourn | *Pell | Sankey |
| 20th Feb | *Pell – CS | C Finbow | No Service | M Cassidy |
| 27th Feb | D Sawyer | Westren – CA | I Gardner | Yelland |
In addition, on 27th February, I will be preaching at Seaton Road.
The February issue of our joint magazine for the three churches has been published. Read it here.
In Christ
–Pastor Joan
Joan’s Jottings are written to the churches at Museum Street, Landseer Road and Chantry where Joan is the minister, and a monthly summary is shared here for all to read.