Welcome to St.Nick’s on Sunday 1st and 8th February
Dear Friends,
This time of year can’t help but stir up feelings of fresh starts, new beginnings and adventures ahead! The darkest time of the year is over, the nights are (very) slowly starting to get lighter and the first signs of spring are popping their brave heads above the parapet! I was walking through Fog Lane Park on my way to St Nicholas’ for the mid-week Holy Communion on Wednesday and saw my first signs of hope that winter may be starting its long retreat. Birds tweeting amongst the catkins in the birch trees, and there on the ground, snowdrops! Arguably the earliest flowers in our British Isles to appear following the grips of mid-winter and a real promise of spring on the horizon.
Before you say ‘Blimey the Diocese have flung a wanna be Alan Titchmarsh over our wall!’ for a curate, my reasoning for mentioning these cheery perennials is that a much older name for Snowdrops are ‘Candlemas Bells’. Due to the fact they normally correspond with our Church Feast of Candlemas on the 2nd of February, traditionally marking the end of the Christmas Period whereby a sacrifice is made by Mary and Joseph as a thanksgiving for the safe delivery of both mother and child through labour – not unlike our traditional service of Churching of Women. The infant Christ is instantly recognised by the holy, wise and devout Simeon and Anna as the Messiah promised since the world began. Here Simeon introduces us to that well known canticle as said or sung every day at evensong or evening prayer ‘Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, to be a light to lighten the gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel’. Christ the light of the world, shining God’s love into the darkest of corners.
Christmas – Christ is born! Epiphany – Christ is a gift for all nations! Candlemas – Christ is the light confirmed by the prophets and by those who encountered him as the one promised by God to save us all and give us life in all its fullness. So this Candlemas, may the light of Christ shine into your lives and to those of your loved ones, for we all experience winters of cold, darkness and despair. And as we sit on the threshold of a new year and fresh start (and Christ certainly specialises in fresh starts) may we rejoice with the Candlemas Bells and echo the words of Lord Tennyson’s Poem ‘Ring out Wild Bells’, to ring out the old and ring in the new. Amen.
Reverend Joshua Gaskell
Wednesday midweek Holy Communion 10.30 am
We will hold our usual Wednesday Holy Communion every Wednesday at 10.30am.This service will continue weekly in the new year with our friends Rev Josh Gaskell or Rev Mark Hewerdine.
#Everyonewelcome #Refreshments
Sunday morning service new start time of 10.45am.
Sunday 1st February
We look forward to welcoming back Rev Josh Gaskell to preach and preside at our Eucharist service to celebrate the Presentation of Christ and Candlemas at our All Age Worship Service. Music will be played by our Organist and Music Director, Christian Fields with readings, prayers and refreshments delivered by St. Nick’s team. #Everyone is welcome #Refreshments 
Sunday 8th February
To celebrate the second Sunday before Lent we’ll welcome Rev Josh Gaskell to preside and preach at our 10.45 Eucharist service. Music will be provided by our organist and MD, Christian Fields with readings, prayers and refreshments delivered by the St. Nick’s team. #Everyone is welcome #Refreshments 
