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Welcome to our resources for the Third Sunday of Epiphany.  I hope you’re all well and staying safe.

This week in the Church of England national service Rev Dr Paul Goodliff speaks of living with difference in this service which marks the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, featuring contributions from Chemin Neuf and led by Rev Charles Hadley.

You can find out more about the Chemin Neuf community here https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/priorities/prayer-and-religious-life/religious-communities/chemin-neuf-community-lambeth-palace

and find the service here https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/living-difference

The Diocesan podcast is available as usual, and can be found here https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/podcast-sunday-hope/

The Cathedral continues to live stream its Communion service and you can access that from this page https://www.cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/events/detail/2021/01/10/default-calendar/live-stream-sunday-service

Songs of Praise is at 13.15 as usual, but this week moves to BBC Two

Radio Two has Good Morning Sunday at 06.00

Radio Four has Sunday Worship at 08.10    

I hope something there will work for you.  Next week we have our Zoom Service which will be celebrating the Feast of the Presentation, or Candlemas.  If you would like to join us and aren’t on our regular mailing list, please just contact Liz – rector@wroxhambenefice.org or 01603 784150. If you would like to join our mailing list, just let us know.

Church opening times

In the current situation I have talked with the wardens/ministry team in our various churches and the new opening times for private prayer are as follows

Wroxham Sunday 12-3

Hoveton St John Saturday 10-3

Hoveton St Peter staying closed at present

Belaugh Wednesday 10-3

Tunstead Saturday 10-3

Love and prayers to you and yours – stay home, stay safe.

Liz x

Dear All,

Here we are at the Sunday before Christmas, the Fourth Sunday of Advent.  This week in Church we will light our fourth advent candle to remember Mary and her faithfulness and trust in God.  Normally at this time we would be enjoying all the special services of the Advent and Christmas season; clearly this year many of those cannot go ahead.  In particular we miss our Carol Services which won’t be taking place.  To compensate in some small way we have put together a Virtual Carol Service – a video of carols and readings for Christmas which you can find on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMIiA1kTHBg  We hope you enjoy it – thank you to all who gave their time to take part in reading the lessons.  The carols are sung by the very wonderful choir of St Martin in the Fields, London.

Our Midnight Mass is still going ahead at 11.30pm at St Mary, Wroxham, and our Christmas morning service at 10am at St Mary, Tunstead.  

This week our service is at Hoveton St John at 10am.  We hope you can join us, but understand if in the current climate you find this difficult and instead we share the following resources to help you worship at home.

From the Church of England this week we have the Online service for Worship at Home.  Introduced by Rev Kate Bottley, this service for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is in partnership with Marie Curie.  This online service pays tribute to those suffering from illness, bereavement and mental health setbacks.

You can find the service here

https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/worship-home-fourth-sunday-advent-marie

From the Diocese we have the Sunday Hope Podcast which you can find here

https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/podcast-sunday-hope/

The podcast can also be listened to from any landline telephone: call 01603 537577 (local rate) to hear the latest edition.

Don’t miss Bishop Graham’s Christmas Message – listen here

https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/a-christmas-message-from-the-bishop-of-norwich/

Norwich Cathedral have much on offer, and you can find details at https://www.cathedral.org.uk/christmas

There are live events as well as digital, but most need you to book in.  Tickets are usually free, but needed for COVID safety.

BBC One brings us Sunday Worship at 11.15 and Songs of Praise at 13.15

Radio Four offers the Sunday service at 08:10 from St David’s, the UK’s smallest city

I hope you find something there to help with your worship at home, and we do hope you enjoy our virtual Carol Service!

Our notice sheet is below, and contains the Collect and Readings for today.

Love and prayers,

Liz

This week we are back in church and will be in Hoveton St John at 10am.  If you aren’t able to join us there are the usual links here to online services and activities for you, as well as links to information on services for Worship at Home and other resources for the coming weeks.  Here in the Benefice we will be continuing our usual Sunday services, dates can be found on the website and on the news sheet at the end of this post, and we are also planning to hold a Midnight Mass at Wroxham.  Please note that you need to reserve a place for this, because of the limits on numbers due to COVID restrictions.  Just ring Liz 01603 784150, or email rector@wroxhambenefice.org  If late nights are not your thing, we are holding a service of Holy Communion at Tunstead on Christmas morning at 10am.

The Church of England this week invite you to Worship at Home for the Second Sunday of Advent with HOPE Together who lead the Comfort and Joy online service for the Second Sunday of Advent. The service is led by Rev Yemi Adedeji and Rachel Jordan-Wolf preaches on the theme of waiting and can be found here https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/worship-home-second-sunday-advent-hope

It is also possible to see what will be on offer in the coming weeks of Advent, and at Christmas from the Church of England, just click here https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/preparing-advent-christmas-2020-comfort-and-joy

From the Diocese of Norwich there is the Sunday Hope podcast here https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/podcast-sunday-hope/

The Diocese are hosting an online Advent Calendar which you can subscribe to here https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/subscribe-to-our-new-digital-advent-calendar/

Norwich Cathedral is also running an Advent Calendar, with a different carol from the choir each day.  In a time when we can’t sing ourselves, it is good to hear the sound! https://www.cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/events/detail/2020/12/01/default-calendar/video-choir-advent-calendar

The Cathedral also have some events which you can attend, by ticket but at no cost – Advent Procession, Christmas Procession and more. See the website for details https://www.cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/events

Next Sunday, the Children’s Society are running an online Christingle service.  For more information and to register, click here https://register.childrenssociety.org.uk/page/70731/data/1

BBC One has Songs of Praise back at its usual time of 13.15, this week with the final of the young chorister of the year, and Radio Four brings Sunday Worship at 08.10

The news sheet for this Sunday can be found here

With love and prayers,

Liz

Today we arrive at the first Sunday of Advent, and hopefully our final week of the second lockdown!  My expectation is that next week we will be back in church, and we will meet together at 10am in Hoveton St John.

This week there is much on offer for our online worship.

From the Church of England we have the national service, this week from St Martin in the Fields.  This is led by the Revd Sam Wells, who is always worth hearing.  You can find that here

https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/worship-home-first-sunday-advent-st

Norwich Cathedral are publishing a service on YouTube for Advent Sunday which you can find here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDpIc368n8DrfB6kH7hYvw/videos

The preacher is the Dean of Norwich, also always worth hearing.

From the Diocese we have the weekly Sunday Hope podcast, which you can find here

Podcast: ‘Sunday Hope’

BBC One has Songs of Praise as usual, though at the earlier time of 12.20pm (to allow for the football!) and Radio Four has Sunday Worship at 08.10

The Church of England is sharing Advent and Christmas reflections weekly until Christmas Day, and daily from then until Epiphany.  We will be sharing as much as possible through our social media, but you can sign up for yourself here https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/faith-action/living-out-our-faith/advent-and-christmas/comfort-and-joy

The news sheet for this Sunday can be downloaded here

Love and prayers,

Liz

This week is the Second Sunday before Advent.  We don’t have a Zoom service this week, but below are a number of resources which are available from the Church of England and the Diocese.  Next week is the feast of Christ the King, and we will be together on Zoom again.  I hope you are all managing during this second lockdown.  If anyone needs anything at all, please just contact me or one of the ministry team. 

The notice sheet for this week is here along with a short reflection on the Gospel reading.

The service from the Church of England this week is led by Bishop Anthony Poggo, the service includes a sermon from Sheran Harper, President of the Mother’s Union, and reflects on how communities in different parts of the world support one another in both good and hard times.

We are invited to join in celebrating friendships that cross continents, with this online service from the Anglican Communion.

You can find this service here https://www.churchofengland.org/news-and-media/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/celebrating-friendships-cross

From the Diocese of Norwich there is the weekly Sunday Hope podcast prepared by the Cathedral which you can listen to here

Podcast: ‘Sunday Hope’

Don’t forget that you can also now access the podcast by phone on 01603 537577 (local rate), which might be useful if you share these resources with those who don’t have internet access.

There is also of course the morning service at 08.10 on Radio 4, and Songs of Praise at 13.15 on BBC One.

I hope something here will work for you.  We look forward to meeting next week, and information about the Zoom service will come out towards the weekend.

Love, prayers and blessings to you all,

Liz

November is the month of Remembering, from All Saints to All Souls, to Remembrance Day.  Each of our churches now has a prayer focus for remembering those we have loved and lost, which will stay in place throughout November. A huge thanks go to Sandy and Sue who have set up those in Hoveton St Peter and Hoveton St John.  Do go along to your church and take some time to pray and remember. Opening times for the churches are on the website.

There is much available for Remembrance Sunday. From the Church of England we have the National Service led from the Royal Military Chapel by Rev John Vincent CF.  The service honours those who gave their lives for the peace of our nation. You can find that here https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/remembrance-sunday

From the Diocese we have the Sunday Hope podcast

Podcast: ‘Sunday Hope’

The Cathedral has a recorded service which will be available at 11am and can be found here

https://www.cathedral.org.uk/whats-on/events/detail/2020/11/08/default-calendar/video-remembrance-sunday-service

and they are also hosting a Field of Remembrance, details here https://www.cathedral.org.uk/about/news/detail/2020/11/02/field-of-remembrance-memorial

There will be the usual Songs of Praise at 13.15, with Aled Jones hosting from the Brecon Beacons, a military training area, and Radio 4 has Sunday Worship at 08.10 from RAF Air Force College Cranwell

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishop of London have sent out a call to prayer for the month of November. You can find details, and how to join in here https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/call-prayer-nation

I do hope something there will work for you.

With my love and prayers,

Liz x

The latest edition of The Bridge is here.

Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, along comes another lockdown!  

Following this evenings announcement, we are awaiting further advice from the Church of England.  Parliament has yet to vote, but it looks likely from the information on Gov.uk that we will not be able to meet for worship for the next four weeks.  This is sad, but we have been here before and came through it together, safely.  We will do so again.  We will still be meeting this week in Wroxham Church at 10am for Holy Communion, and it is likely that our churches will continue to be open for private prayer.

I will be in touch again with more information as soon as I have it, but we will be able to share in a Zoom service if worship in church isn’t possible, so we will still meet. If you would like to join in with that and don’t have the information, please just ask. Liz 01603 784150 rector@wroxhambenefice.org

In the meantime, this week brings All Saints day.

From the national church this week we have a service for All Saints.  The invitation on the website reads

Join us for our All Saints’ online service, and be comforted that “God is with us in our pain and fear”. 
The Bishop of London, Rt Rev Dame Sarah Mullally, leads this special service of thanksgiving, hope, and remembrance from St Paul’s Cathedral.

You can find that here https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/service-thanksgiving-hope-and

The Church of England is also still running the Daily Hope phone line.  You, or anyone you know who would find it helpful can dial in on 0800 804 8044 to hear prayers, hymns and reflections

More information here

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches/daily-hope-phone-line

The Diocese of Norwich Sunday Hope podcast is available here https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/news/podcast-sunday-hope/

Morning Worship on Radio 4 is at 08.10 and Songs of Praise on BBC One at 13.15

I hope something there works for you.  I will update the website as soon as I have more information, but in the meantime we are here to help in any way we can, so please do be in touch if you need anything. 

With my love and prayers,

Liz

If last week was confusing with two possible lectionary offerings, today manages to go one better as we have a choice between the last Sunday of Trinity, Dedication Festival, or Bible Sunday.  In church we are celebrating Bible Sunday and the readings you will find on the news sheet below are those for this festival.

This week we are meeting in Hoveton St John church, and look forward to seeing many of you there.  For those who aren’t able to join us yet, I hope the resources here will be of help.  It has been good to see some of you with Home Communion; if any of you who are unable to be in church would like Communion, please just let me know. Revd Liz 01603 784150

The Church of England national service this week comes from Holy Trinity Kendal, where the Bishop of Penrith is joined by people from across Cumbria, including two newly ordained clergy, in a celebration of Bible Sunday.  You can find that here

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services/celebration-bible-sunday

From the Diocese of Norwich we have the Sunday Hope Podcast here

Podcast: ‘Sunday Hope’

and the Saving Graces podcast here

Podcast: ‘Saving Graces’

On the radio there is Sunday Worship on Radio 4 at 08:10, this week from St Martin in the Fields and on BBC One Songs of Praise is at 13.15 this week coming from the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.

Our news sheet is available for download below, do have a look.  There is information about All Souls’ and the first of our plans for what is likely to be a very different Christmas is introduced – more to follow next week.

I hope that you find something here that works for you.

Love and prayers,

Liz