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A Lent spent leant on Jesus - Week 6

28/3/2021

 
Hello and welcome to ‘A lent spent leant on Jesus' - a 15-20 minute space set aside for meeting with Jesus, the Saviour and King we can depend on. We will be using some simple songs, a bit of Matthew’s gospel and a prayer activity.

Before we go any further, you will need to have a Bible to hand. We’ll be opening Matthew 21 vs 1-11 together. This week you will also need a piece of paper, a pen and some scissors.

A Lent spent leant on Jesus - Week 5

21/3/2021

 
Hello and welcome to ‘A lent spent leant on Jesus’. This is our fourth session. And we’re setting aside about 15-20 minutes to lean on Jesus, who's arms are open wide.

Before Catherine and Amanda lead us on, you will need to have a Bible to hand. We will be reading Matthew 19 vs 13-15 together. This week you will also need a piece of paper, scissors and a pen.

A reflection on Pilgrimage

17/3/2021

 
In this reflection we consider four aspects of pilgrimage which, as well as being relevant for a physical journey of pilgrimage, also apply to our life's pilgrimage: what, how, who and where.
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A Lent spent leant on Jesus - Week 4

14/3/2021

 
Hello and welcome to ‘A lent spent leant on Jesus’. This is our fourth session. And we’re setting aside about 15-20 minutes to lean on Jesus, who heals and forgives.

​Before Amanda leads us on, you will need to have a Bible to hand. We will be reading Matthew 14 vs 22-36 together. This week you will also need some water and a floating object, like an apple.

Praying Without Words - Nicola

10/3/2021

 
During Lent the SPACE (Silence Prayer and Contemplative Encounter) team have shared reflections and resources to help us to make space to be with God.  This week Nicola is sharing some ideas for praying without words.

Sometimes we find it is a challenge to sit still and stay focused on prayer.  In the silence we find our mind wondering and our body complaining.  We want to pray but the right words seem to escape us.  Sybil Macbeth, the author of Praying in Colour, suggests that it can be helpful to use visual and concrete ways of praying.  Through doodling or drawing prayer becomes a visual and kinesthetic discipline engaging our bodies and our minds.
 
This lent I have used Sybil Macbeth’s Lenten Calendar alongside my daily bible readings.  Her helpful guidance is to read the meditation for the day and select a word that jumps out at you. Write the word in the space. Meditate on it as you draw and colour around it. Let it enter your heart and mind. Ask God what you need to hear from the word. Think of each mark of the pen or stroke of a coloured marker/pencil as a small non-verbal prayer. The goal of the doodling and drawing is not to make a beautiful work of art (though it often does), but to create a visual prayer. Drawing/doodling invites the body into the prayer, gives the eyes and hand something to do, and helps to focus attention on the word.
 
I have also used this approach with some simple slow-stitching.  Using the rhythm of hand stitching to enable the quiet rhythm of prayer as I reflected on this terms theme of TRUST.
 
The accumulation of words on the paper or stitches on the fabric creates an emerging tapestry of your spiritual journey. This is not art that will be judged as good or bad by others, it is a creative connection with God, and whatever you create it is always good enough for him. ​
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A lent spent leant on Jesus - Week 3

7/3/2021

 
Hello and welcome to ‘A lent spent leant on Jesus’. This is our third session. And we’re setting aside about 15-20 minutes to lean on Jesus, who heals and forgives.

Before Catherine leads us on, you will need to have a Bible to hand. We will be reading Matthew 14 vs 13-21 together. This week you will also need some bread.

Take time to ponder - Janet

3/3/2021

 
During the season of Lent the SPACE (Silence, Prayer And Contemplative Encounter) team are sharing a weekly reflection. This week Janet shares some thoughts and invites you to join her in setting aside time to ponder and consider what God may be saying to you at this time.

Every year I try and make an effort to mark Lent in some way but to be honest, good intentions don't always result in any meaningful end. This year I have set myself the challenge of reading Brian Drapers daily Lent thought. Rather than regurgitating his words, I invite you to take a few moments and ask God to speak to you through this image. Or even better, choose a clear night and take a walk into the back garden or outside space and look up through the bare branches of a nearby tree. What do you see? What might God be saying to you as you stand and ponder?
If you WOULD like to see what thoughts Brian offered and why I was inspired to go out and look at the night sky through the branches of a leafless tree (although I didn't check the weather forecast and the night I chose was overcast and cloudy, but God spoke to me through that too!) then why not take a look at his website

https://www.briandraper.org/lent-2021
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Lent Reading Group

2/3/2021

 
Gather to read and enjoy a conversation together about Graham Tomlin's book 'Why being yourself is a bad idea'.
​

To join us on Tuesdays at 2pm via zoom please email tim@stswithinswalcot.org.uk .
Email Tim

About the Book
Why Being Yourself is a Bad Idea is a book for those seeking to make sense of life - and not afraid to go against the grain.​
Book Review
​
I kept saying YES! as I turned the pages of this book. Again and again Graham Tomlin puts his finger on things I ve struggled with both personally and professionally. He has a rare ability to make confusing things clear and complex things simple. Being Yourself pulls no punches. It gets right to the root of the Western psychosis, offering an ancient, time-tested, more hopeful alternative that rings deeply true. --Pete Greig, 24-7 Prayer International & author of 'How To Pray'
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A Lent spent leant on Jesus - Week 2

28/2/2021

 
Hello and welcome to ‘A lent spent leant on Jesus’. This is our second session. And we’re setting aside about 15-20 minutes to lean on Jesus, who heals and forgives.

​
Before Amanda leads us on, you will need to have a Bible to hand. We will be reading Matthew 9 vs 1-8 together. This week you will also need a plaster and a pen.
Transcript

Dip Your Toes In - Nicola

24/2/2021

 
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Lent is often a time to explore different ways of worshipping and praying. This week we encourage you to dip your toe into the delights of ...

​Silent Prayer
Be still, and know that I am God!

Pete Greig in his recent Prayer Course describes three steps in contemplative prayer:

l. Meditation - the me and God stage, time to focus. Finding something that helps me step into God's presence, gentle breathing, using a simple prayer phrase, "Thank you Jesus, I am here and you are here, My God and my all ...."

2. Contemplation- the God and me stage, less aware of myself more aware of God

3. Communion - fully aware of God, lost in wonder awe and praise, no longer consciously worshipping, or praying, time seems to stop.

We might not pass all three, we may stay in one. This is not escapism, getting out of here because it is too difficult to face. It is refuelling us with God's love so that we can believe that "all will be well". It is equipping us for the mission God has called us to fulfil. It is filling us with the experience of God's presence so that we are "infected with his presence" when we return to our place in this world.

Silent Prayer
We are going to spend 10 minutes in silent prayer together.
Please find yourself a space where you can be comfortable.
Make sure you relax your body, breath gently, don't worry about the distractions, in your mind or around you.
If you find your mind wandering you might like to use a simple spiritual word to draw you back to God's presence.

'I am here and you are here' Thank You Jesus' 'My Cod and my all .... '
Remember this is not about doing anything or trying to empty your mind. It is simply about resting in t he love and presence of our Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As C S Lewis said " ... w e are made t hat God may love us, t hat we may become objects in
which his divine love may rest well pleased."

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Safeguarding  |  Vacancies  |  ​Contact Us  |  Privacy Notice
St Swithin’s Church, The Paragon, ​Bath, BA1 5LY
office@stswithinswalcot.org.uk
​
Phone: 01225 789168
St Swithin's Walcot is part of
​the Church of England.
​Registered Charity No. 1142099
  • Gather
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