On the 25th October, it was the Last Sunday in Trinity and also it was Bible Sunday during which we were pleased to welcome Reverend Anthony to officiate in the 10am Parish Eucharist and to deliver the sermon. It was Half Term and no doubt many of the congregation were feeling suitably refreshed with an hour extra's rest with the clock having been officially put back to Greenwich Mean Time, marking the end of British Summer Time. The readings for the day were: Leviticus 19. 1-2, 15-18. 1 Thessalonians 2. 1-8. Matthew 22. 34-46. Appropriately, along with the Collect, their emphasis is upon the necessity of following God's word through the scriptures. In his homily, Reverend Anthony further expounded upon the centrality of the Old and New Testaments as the way to draw a closer relationship with our Maker. The Jewish Scriptures tell us to prepare for the Messiah. As Christians, we no longer need ritualistic sacrifices, having Christ as our Redeemer. The Psalms give us a full picture of the human condition and the writings of St Paul inform us about the earliest expansions of the Church and the final book of the New Testament consists of visions as stated by St John. The Pharisees applied trickery in their questioning of Christ but to no avail. He quoted the first and second of God's greatest commandments from the Bible. We need "to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the message of the gospels.
This Saturday, 31st October, between 10am and 12 noon, there is Coffee Shop in the Chapter House whilst between 10:30am and 3:30pm, you can purchase Bibles, cards and gifts at Cafe Mocha in the High Street. For further details, contact Ali on: admin@quench.shops.com ; This Sunday, 1st November, it is All Saints' Day. At 8am, there is traditional Said Communion in the Memorial Chapel. At 10am, there is All Together Eucharist with the Blessing of the Shoeboxes. At 12:45pm, there is lunch in the Chapter House for those who have previously booked. At 6pm, there is All Souls' Sung Evensong when the names of loved ones are remembered prayerfully. A busy day.
The Friends of St Andrew's will be having their AGM in due course. With regard to the ongoing events put on by the Mothers' Union at St Andrew's, the current project is to create a 'cutain of poppies' by your deft uses of knitting or by the crochet approach. Please, for those who wish to contribute to this, meet at this Saturday's 10am Coffee Shop where various patterns are available to those who wish to choose a poppy design. Then, on Wednesday, 4th November, between 2 and 4pm, those involved can meet to put the 'cutain' together. There will be tea and cake provided for your labours. All are welcome. The PCC will shortly be choosing the Charities for this Christmas.
Now for some final dates for your diary: On Sunday, 8th November, our Parish Eucharist with Sunday School will begin at the slightly earlier time of 9:30am and then the Remembrance Service on the Market Square will follow at 10:45am. On 21st November, Bishop Richard's Service of Thanksgiving and Farewell will take place at St Alban's Cathedral. On 29th November, at 10am, St Andrew's will be celebrating our Patronal Festival in the Parish Eucharist. At 6pm, the Advent Service of Light will take place. Please go to the website for more comprehensive details on what is happening at St Andrew's Church in Biggleswade.
Remember, the church is open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm for private prayer within - normally - an oasis of silence and calm.