Announcements and Updates

Worship at

Holy Trinity, Horfield

During this time of Corona virus, Covid-19

Holy Mass:

From Sunday, 5th July, we are permitted to hold services in church, but controlled by strict regulations to ensure the safety and health of everyone. (See the rector’s letter for details.)

SUNDAY: 10 am Mass in church

TUESDAY - 12 noon; THURSDAY – 10 am; FRIDAY – 6 pm

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUgZ0SikJNpAotAdxRpZcJg?fbclid=IwAR2kEQ9BLXizRqNeP-

Your Planned Giving

Please remember that we still need your weekly offering to keep the bills paid. If you give your pledge via a Standing Order, or Direct Debit, all will be as normal. If you use the envelope method, or simply place cash on the collection plate, then please send a cheque payable to Horfield Parish PCC and post it to the parish office, or save it up to donate when we return to normal.

Thank you for your continued and generous support; it is very much appreciated by all.

Fr David

Scripture Readings and Prayers about Inclusivity – Fr David

Here are five Bible verses that teach us to have a heart for variety. Read each slowly; what words, phrases and images connect with your thoughts and feelings?

Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 – "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."

Colossians 1:16-17 – "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

James 2:1-4 – "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

And Jesus’ teaching about inclusive love:

St. Matthew, 22:34-40; and St Luke, 10: 25-27

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it; you shall love your neighbour as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two great commandments."

A few questions for reflection and prayer:

How can we reach out beyond our level of comfort to meet and learn about others, hear their stories and be open to their full humanity?
What kind of projects can we identify that bring together different individuals, schools, parishes, small groups and / or communities to work together on an issue?
What questions can we begin to ask and how can we examine the policies of our local, national and international community to make sure they do not discriminate against minorities and others that have not enjoyed full citizenship in some way?
How can we bring diversity and respect for others into our prayers, our worship celebrations and our holy days and holidays?

Together, let us pray:

O God of many names,
Lover of all peoples;
We pray for peace
In our hearts and homes,
In our nations and our world;
The peace of your will,
The peace of our need.
O God of peace and justice,
Of holiness and love;
Knit us together in mind and flesh,
In feeling and spirit,
And make us one,
In your great womb of love,
And make us ready for that great day;
The fulfilment of all our hopes,
And the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen. (Adapted from the New Zealand BCP)

Saturday Café at Holy Trinity Church Horfield

Praying Together in a time of crisis: June 2020

For our Saturday Prayer Café this month I invite you to use the images below as part of your reflection on what is happening now to our world and to us as communities and as individuals during the pandemic. The occasion below took place at Birmingham Cathedral in 2015 as part of their 300-year celebration. The artist Jake Lever was commissioned to oversee an opportunity for people of different faiths across the Diocese to come together in prayer in a visible and artistic way which could reflect each individual’s concerns and memories along with the concerns of the communities. 2000 participants, young and old, took part, each making a gold boat ( template given ) containing private prayer and illustrations around concerns, be it loss of employment which was prevalent, prayers for loved ones who had died, prayers expressing the fears and joys of that community. It was a reflection of the many journeys through life. When the boats were completed, they were suspended from the roof space of the cathedral pointing towards the Ascension Window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.

For more details you can Google this but for now I invite you to reflect on the journey we are all on at present, to let your imagination be free to take part in this and to bring your hopes and fears in your own gold boat alongside each of us to the Ascended Jesus. Let us bring before God the horror of this pandemic, prayers for those who have lost loved ones, prayers for all medical workers, for the research scientists working on a vaccine, for all who are anxious.

And so we begin. ( we normally play some gentle music )

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Daily Hope Phone Line

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a free national phone line to bring music, prayers, reflections and worship services into the homes of those who are not online. In the first three days they received over 100,000 calls. Please let your neighbours (parishioners or otherwise) know who might find it useful. You might wish to try it yourself - if you do, let me know what you think.

The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

WhatsApp Group

These are difficult times we are living in, and due to the current situation has led to people becoming more isolated and cut off from the world. We at Holy Trinity Horfield are trying to limit the isolation and have come up with additional ways to keep in contact during this time.

A WhatsApp group has been set up so that people can keep in contact and up to date with what is happening in the church. If you would like to be part of this, we would require you to send your telephone number together with your permission to store that data for the interim period (to comply with the current MiFid law) to hpc.sec@horfieldparishchurch.org.uk

Telephone Contact

Hilary, Helen and Fr David are telephoning certain members of our parish, who are elderly, live alone. We appreciate that some in our congregation do not have access to a device to enable them to communicate over the internet. I am grateful to a number of volunteers who have offered their help with maintaining ’phone contact and doing urgent errands for those in need. Hilary has offered to co-ordinate this project. We will be phoning people to get their consent to pass their telephone numbers to the volunteer team as soon as we are able. If you, somehow get to read this message, or know of anyone who would appreciate such contact would like to be on our telephone contact list, please either call the Parish Office, or Mthr Hilary with your number and permission for it to be shared amongst the small contact group.

Green Gym

Green Gym members will be re-starting work on the churchyard shortly, with appropriate social distancing in place. As you can appreciate, there is quite a task ahead to get the space back in shape. If you are able to help, either in this first phase, or long term, please contact Phil Hall: gaffer@phillhall.plus.com All equipment, including gloves, will be provided. Thank you.

Update on ‘Friends for Parents’ during the lock down

Many members of Horfield Parish Church have, since 1987 when it was started by the Mothers’ Union, been involved in the work of Friends for Parents volunteers at the Bristol Children’s Hospital by working for the team to support the parents, by donating provisions for coffee tea etc. for Parents’ Rooms and by your support and prayers.

At lockdown, all UHBT volunteers had to stop work immediately Our team was concerned about how we were to continue to make sure that the coffee and tea we had in store would get to the parents. However a member of staff at the hospital, who lives not too far from me, offered to pick up supplies from me , take them into the hospital and distribute them as needed to hospital staff so parents can still make themselves a comforting drink when needed. What a wonderful offer that was for us and the families

As a team we keep in touch with each other and the Chaplaincy team, Voluntary Services and Liaise team at BRCH but we feel sad that we cannot be there as usual for the parents, supporting them at such a difficult time. We did send cards to all the wards to say how we are thinking of them and also there was a post about our work on their Facebook page to pass on our messages of support but to actually be with the parents on the wards sharing in their anxieties and their joys is what we feel is at the heart of our work.

At the moment only one parent at a time is allowed to be with their children in hospital, no other members of the family, and everyone has to wear facemasks but as we know the situation can change.

We are finding it hard to imagine what it must be like now and how we will work in the hospital in the future when eventually we can return but then who knows what advantages there can be in sitting back and looking with new eyes at how we can best support the hospital families and carry on our work. If any of you have any ideas please let me know.

Gill Wilding, Friends for Parents Coordinator