28th March 2021

Dear all

There is a lightness of anticipation this weekend as we approach the next stage of 'roadmap' release.  It will be good to be able to meet with another household from Monday, or to be able to meet someone in our private gardens... especially as the weather promises to be warmer and brighter too. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit St George's Lower School this week to lead daily Easter Collective Worship, and I am looking forward to meeting with Toddington Youth Group, with Rebecca and helpers, on Tuesday.  It will be so good to spend time with the youngsters again.  There will be an Easter Family Trail in Toddington Church grounds which is being provided by Becky on behalf of a Dunstable church, and a similar Easter trail is being prepared for Westoning folk by Rebecca Caird.  Easter Messy Church at home and Twig bags are on their way to families at Westoning and Toddington and we have also been able to give the children at Westoning, Toddington and Chalton schools a copy of the Bible Society Easter Resurrection story.

Each of the churches in the Quintet looks forward to being open tomorrow for Palm Sunday services, and on occasions during Holy Week, and we are also keen to celebrate that 'Jesus is Risen' on Easter Sunday in the churches. There is a lot of information for this week's email so I will keep the introduction brief.

This Sunday's services:

9.30am Palm Sunday Morning worship services at Chalgrave Church, Tingrith Church and Harlington Church (with organ music)

11am Palm Sunday Morning worship service at Toddington Church and Westoning Church (with organ music)

6pm Quintet Upper Room online service by Zoom: 

Please ask for Zoom details

This week's Recorded Service for Palm Sunday via church websites or Facebook pages, or by clicking this link:

https://www.harlingtonchurch.org/worship-services-2/this-sundays-service/

The service sheet and this week's reading sheet are attached above.

Other Services during Holy Week

Morning Prayer Monday 9.30am, Toddington Church Chancel

Morning Prayer Tuesday 9.15am by zoom: 

Please ask for Zoom details

Tuesday Lent Course week 5 - Passing on the Story, how the Spirit guides us as we speak:

Please ask for Zoom detailsWednesday 10am Morning Worship at Harlington Church

Maundy Thursday:

6pm Reflective service at Toddington Church

7.30pm Maundy service at Harlington Church

7.30pm Maundy service by zoom for Westoning Church and members of the Quintet. (Please contact Nigel for access link 01525 714442)

Good Friday:

10am Family Service at Westoning Church (Booking required via church website or phone 01525 862357)

10.30am morning service with reflective readings Chalgrave Church

2pm Service Final hour at the Cross with reflective readings, at Toddington Church

2pm Service Final hour at the Cross with reflective readings at Westoning Church (Booking required via church website or phone 01525 862357)

2pm Service Final hour at the Cross at Harlington Church

Evening Compline at 9pm online by zoom

Monday:

Please ask for Zoom details

Tuesday:

Please ask for Zoom details

Wednesday:

Please ask for Zoom details

Easter Sunday

8am BCP Holy Easter Communion at Harlington Church

9.30am Holy Easter Communion at Chalgrave Church, 

9.30am Holy Easter Communion at Harlington Church (Booking advised via Church website)

11am Holy Easter Communion at Toddington Church

11am Holy Easter Communion at Westoning Church (Booking required via Church Website or phone 01525 862357 - if bookings are full, please register your interest in case it is possible to offer an alternative service)

3pm Easter service at Tingrith Church

The Diocese are also offering times during Holy Week for a silent led retreat:

Come Away and Rest A While - Short Holy Week Retreats to support spiritual and missional engagement.

A series of short retreats on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, looking at The Feeding of the Five Thousand, from the gospel of Mark. 

'Come Away' - with so much of work, life and ministry based from home at present, we encourage you to turn off your email notifications, switch your phone to silent and come away from the busyness for a couple of hours.

Open to everybody, the retreat will be a combination of personal and group guided reflections and prayer. We hope they will provide an opportunity to listen to God and to minister to one another.

Format - 2 hours during Holy Week,

• 1st hour - personal Bible reading and reflection on Mark's account of The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Mark 6:30-44)
• 2nd hour - join your selected Zoom group to share in some further discussion and prayer about this passage

These retreats are planned with two distinct parts, about an hour for both.  A ‘Come Away’ Guided Reflection has been produced for your use on these retreats.

1. First hour, by yourself for personal reading and reflection on the passage – Mark 6 : 30-44 (using the Guided Reflection)
2. Second hour, join your selected Zoom Gathering to consider this Bible passage with others and pray.  The Zoom sessions will be led by senior staff, Officers or Readers from across the diocese, they are planned at the following times:  Mon 29 March  –  9am,  12.30pm,  2pm,  6pm, ;  Tues 30 March  –  8am,  12.30pm,  4pm,  8pm, ;  Wed 31 March  –  9am,  12.30pm,  7pm.

OPEN TO ALL – Please book into one of the eleven sessions:  COME AWAY

If you cannot get to church over Holy Week or are still shielding please be aware that there are services which you can access:

Daily Hope – dial 0800 804 8044 for prayer, reflection, music and worship services from the Church of England. A weekly service is available from 9 am every Sunday.

• BBC Sunday worship (TV and iplayer)
• BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wzfs

https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer

Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer audio are available on Soundcloud and via the Church’s free Time To Pray app.

We pray that you will be able to step aside for a while this Holy Week to connect with Jesus on his journey into Jerusalem to the cross, from Palm Sunday to the Crucifixion on Good Friday and to the Celebration Alleluia moment on Easter Sunday when be declare that 'Jesus is Risen'.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we recall the heart of the Christian Story and travel together this Easter, and hopefully, out of lockdown too, to brighter times.

God bless you all

Linda and Nigel