Dear Friends,

Christ is risen!

This event is so wonderful that a special word has been invented to describe it. Maybe it’s a word you’ve never seen before. The word is eucatastrophe – catastrophe with a eu added at the beginning. You know what a catastrophe is. We only have to look at the news to see what a catastrophe looks like. But what is a eucatastrophe?

Well, JRR Tolkein, who was the man who wrote “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings”, invented the word. He defines a eucatastrophe as: “a sudden and miraculous grace… It does not deny the existence of catastrophe[s], of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; [but] it denies…universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium [good news], giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.”

May you have a glimpse of that Joy this Easter.

With love and my prayers,

James

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Sunday and weekday Services

Our weekly service times are:
Sunday 10:00am Eucharist
Tuesday 10:00am Morning Prayer (BCP)
Thursday 10:30am Holy Communion (BCP)

New Regular Services
2nd Sunday of the month 6:30pm Evening Praise – an informal service
4th Sunday of the month 6:30pm Choral Evensong

The weekly online service is now a livestream of our Sunday Morning Eucharist Service. The link for the livestream page is https://stmarymagdalene.church/livestream-service/ the Service for the coming Sunday is listed on this page on a Friday. The page includes a video that will go live at approximately 9:55am on Sunday, it also has the words to the hymns, collects and readings and has a downloadable service booklet. It will continue to be made available to those who, for whatever reason, are unable to attend church.

Lunchtime Concerts

The March concert was presented by Enfield Grammar School’s ‘Groove Band’. As every other year, this recital was lively and well prepared. In the many years since these bands have been coming to play for us, there have always been many different players. The school has given so many youngsters the opportunity to perform music. If you have ever attended one of the school’s concerts you will hear many different kinds of music.
The next recital will be at 12:30pm on the 10th of April when Keith Beniston, a very popular past organist of our Church. Do come along and enjoy a relaxed half hour of music and also come for coffee or tea and cake in the vestry before.
Eleanor Pritchard.

Community Café
Free, warm, welcoming, safe.

Every Tuesday, we open the choir vestry for anyone and everyone as a free, warm, welcoming, and safe place to be for a couple of hours. Cups of tea or coffee will be provided along with the opportunity for somewhere warm to meet others in a friendly and safe space.
Every week, following on from the Community Café, at 3:30 pm…

Tuesday’s at 3:30pm following on from the Community Café

Short, weekly sessions, exploring themes that encourage us to develop our relationship with God, a ‘Rekindling’.

Opening the Church on Saturdays

Our church is a valuable resource for people in our community to take some time out of their daily lives to reflect and connect with God. Not everyone is available on Sunday mornings and some just want a few minutes to pause and be still. We are hoping to make our church available for private prayer on Saturdays and are looking for volunteers who can give a couple of hours of their time. A minimum of two people will need to be always present. Names will be added to a rota, so the more people who are available to help us, the less often you will be called upon.

If you are able to help with this, please see Alison Reeve.

Electoral Roll renewal

To be an official member of any Church of England Church you need to be on the Electoral Roll. This is not the one that is completed to vote in General and Local Elections. This is so that you are able to stand for being a member of the church PCC or other official role and being able to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

If there are any changes, please ensure we have your correct details by filling in a new Electoral Roll form. These are available at the back of Church, or you can fill in the form on our website: https://stmarymagdalene.church/contact/electoral-roll-form/

Thank you.

Bingo!

Come and have some fun and enjoy fish and chips at our Bingo evening on Saturday 20 April at 7.00pm. The price is yet to be decided as we have to negotiate with Burlingtons but, just to warn you, fish is very expensive at the moment!

Nonetheless, I will be collecting names as of this week.

Judy

Spring Fair
Saturday May 11th

If you think you would be able to help by running a stall or a game on the day, please let me know.
Start thinking about ways you can contribute by making cakes or raising plants.
To be successful we need donations.

Thank you, Alison Reeve

Christian Aid Week 2024
12th-18th May

Volunteers needed!

We are now beginning to prepare for Christian Aid Week which this year is the week of 12th – 18th May.
A huge thank you to all those who are on the team of envelope deliverers already.
If you are not involved yet, maybe this is the year to do so
It is not too late to join us and there are a lot of roads in our area that are not yet covered.

WHY GET INVOLVED WITH CHRISTIAN AID?

Christian Aid Week is the single biggest act of Christian witness in Britain and Ireland.

For thousands of people throughout the country it is a way of answering Jesus’s call to help people in need and showing the community just how much good the Church is doing in the world.
Maybe you feel you could just deliver envelopes but not collect. Maybe you feel you could not cover complete roads but just a few houses near where you live. Any additional collecting to what is already done could make a big difference.

If you have any concerns or queries or want to talk about how you can help do ask me.

Thank you, Alison Reeve

Save the Date

You may have noticed that there was no Parish Feast in January this year. That’s because we have decided to hold a Summer Ball at the golf club on Saturday 20th July to celebrate our Patronal Festival. There will be a meal and dancing to a live jazz band. Do keep this date in mind. It will be a lovely evening I’m sure.

Judy

Not one, not two, but eighteen nineteen twenty and growing!

Something to dip in and out of or play while ironing or relaxing! Instead of a single video, this week we have a playlist on our YouTube channel containing twenty videos with lyrics. Four have been shared in the emails before, a few of the others at Rekindling, while others you may have heard elsewhere. Hopefully there will be one, two, or more(!) that strike a chord with you, the words, the tune, or a combination of the two. There’s a variety of styles included so perhaps one day something upbeat works, another something quieter, more reflective resonates with you. Any feedback is welcome.

All have great words that I encourage you to be active participants in rather than passive bystanders. Here’s a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOS511gUMPpV2F1Lk-vDW5x9_UE_t_bVG

Pilgrimage to Greece 2025

In the past it was always our custom to go to Launde Abbey one year and a pilgrimage elsewhere the next. Instead of going to Launde Abbey again, we are considering a pilgrimage to Greece for 2025 which includes St Paul’s time in Greece as well as some sightseeing of the ancient wonders of Greece including Athens and Delphi. Because this is likely to be expensive, about £3,000, we have deferred this to 2025 to give time to save, there is a monthly savings scheme now available. I have already had expressions of interest from about 12 people and, if you think you would like to come, please speak to me for more details.

If you have not been on a pilgrimage with us before they are great fun, and serious too, help us all to get to know each other better and make us the family we are. Do give it a thought.

A PDF of the Pilgrimage schedule is available on our website here.

Michael

Ladychapel Memorial book

Every week we remember the anniversaries of death for different people. Their names are taken from two Memorial Books we keep. One for those whose ashes are interred in the Memorial Garden and a second, in the Lady Chapel, for people we wish to be remembered on a certain date (usually their death).

If you would like the name of someone to be remembered in the Ladychapel Memorial Book please speak to Maureen Rew, the cost is £25.

Would you like to donate towards the work of St Mary Magdalene? If so, this QR code will take you to our donations page where you can choose the amount you wish to donate. Or simply click on this link: https://stmarymagdalene.church/product/open-donation/

Dates for your diary

April
Weds10th 11:30am: Coffee and cake followed by a Lunchtime Concert with Keith Beniston on Organ
Sun 14th 6:30pm: Evening Praise!
Sat 20th 7:00pm: Bingo evening with Fish & Chips supper
Sun 28th 6:30pm: Choral Evensong

May
Weds 8th 11:30am: Coffee and Cake followed by a Lunchtime Concert with Marion and Michael Smith
Sat 11th 10:00am: Spring Fair
Sun 12th 11:30am: APCM in the hall following the Service
Sun 12th 6:30pm: Evening Praise!
Sun 26th 6:30pm: Choral Evensong

This magazine appears online only, with only a few copies available for archival purposes