Dear St Mary’s,

On 1st February, the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, we will mark Candlemas – or the Feast of the Presentation – at 9am (Holy Communion) and again at 10.30am (Holy Communion). Revd Vanessa Conant will preside and Revd Tim Scott will preach, with the blessing of candles at both services and supervised children’s groups at 10.30am.

Our lectionary readings for this Sunday are Luke 2:22-40 and Hebrews 2:14-end.  

The Feast of the Presentation ends the season of Epiphany and is a moment in the Church calendar when we remember how Jesus was brought to the Temple by his parents, according to the law of Israel. There, Jesus was recognised by Anna as well as by Simeon and declared by Simeon to be ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel.’ Traditionally at Candlemas, we bless candles as a physical reminder of Jesus being the light of the world. For those who are unable to join us in person this Sunday, we will livestream our 9am service to Facebook. We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s! 

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Vespers Returns on 4th February 
Join us on Wednesday 4th February at 7.30pm for our monthly Vespers gathering – 40 minutes of stillness with Holy Communion celebrated afterwards in the side chapel. Vespers is held on the first Wednesday of every month – a beautiful candlelit space in our ancient building where many have gathered for nearly 10 years to practise contemplative prayer, explore faith or simply sit in silence. Whether you’re looking to deepen your prayer life or just need a quiet place to sit, please come along to Vespers – it would be wonderful to have you. 

Inclusive Church Service exploring Disability on Sunday 8th February
As a member of Inclusive Church, we are committed to being a church which celebrates and affirms every personand does not discriminate. Throughout the year, we devote time in worship to thinking about how we listen and learn from the experiences of different people in our church, and we are honoured to be joined next week at 9am and 10.30am by Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs, co-author of ‘At the Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches’. Naomi will help us think about ‘imperfect prophets’, and how, particularly when thinking about disability, we proclaim a God of holy diversity and divine imperfection. With interviews, video and a powerful sermon, these will be inspiring and encouraging services. We hope you can join us. 

Open Mic Worship Evening 12th February: Book Your Free Ticket 
After the success of our last Open Mic Worship evening, we are excited to announce our next event on Thursday 12th February at 7.30pm. Join us for a beautiful evening of poetry, music, storytelling and reflection. Come and support those who are participating by booking your free ticket here.

Ash Wednesday at St Mary’s on 18th February 
The season of Lent – forty days of preparation and reflection leading up to Holy Week and Easter – begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on 18th February. Our Ash Wednesday services will be at 7.30am (for morning commuters and early risers), and later in the day at 7.30pm, with Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes at both services. These services are always moving and are beautiful ways to begin the season. Throughout Lent, we will also be offering opportunities to explore and deepen your faith through book groups and one-to-one meetings with clergy. We will soon share more information about our Lent programme and hope you will join us as we journey through this meaningful season. 

Embers Returns on Sunday 22nd February, 6pm 
Embers is our semi-regular evening service – an hour of sung worship led by our brilliant team of musicians and singers. The service, which will begin at 6pm, offers a beautiful space for prayer and worship and you are warmly invited to join us. 

2026 Lent Book Group ‘Dancing at the Still Point’ Begins on 26th February  
Our Lent Book this year is ‘Dancing at the Still Point: Retreat Practices for a Busy Life’ by the Jesuit sister, theologian and writer Gemma Simmonds. Accessible and engaging, the book explores how we can find spaces of retreat in the busyness of life. Each week, we’ll be discussing the book and offering time to practise and to ‘retreat’ at the end of the session. Our first meeting will be on Thursday 26th February at 7.30pm with subsequent meetings the following three Thursdays. Sign up here or email . 

Sign up for a Spiritual MOT during Lent 
Lent is a time of self-examination and reflection and this year we are offering another opportunity to speak to a member of our clergy team about your life of faith and areas of struggle, hope or joy. Prior to meeting, we will give you questions to reflect on, but the idea is that the time is to be used as you need or would find helpful. We have 8 remaining spaces to offer, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Timings are flexible and appointments can be booked by completing this form. 

Taize Service of Lamentation and Hope on Sunday 1st March at 6pm 
Join us for a special service, ‘A Lament for Our Habitat’, led by the Eco Church Team and members of our congregation on Sunday 1st March at 6pm. Taizé worship is a contemplative prayer style developed by the Taizé community in France. Using simple chants, periods of silence, readings, poetry and candlelight, the service invites you to join us as we lament the ecological crisis we face and as we seek hope, forgiveness and healing for the future. If you play a musical instrument and would like to join our small ensemble, please email our Music Director, Jonathan Rathbone, at . 

Building connections at St Mary’s: Join us for ‘Weaving Trust’ on Sunday 8th March 
St Mary’s is a large congregation and it can be challenging to get to know people through Sunday mornings alone. ‘Weaving Trust’ is an opportunity to have guided conversations with different people in the church, allowing you to meet and make meaningful connections with more people in our community. Our hope is that all who attend will make new friends and feel a greater sense of belonging. The event will take place after the 10.30am service on 8th March with a sandwich lunch provided for those who would like to attend. Please register your interest here, or email for more information. 

Small Groups at St Mary’s
Part of our commitment to discipleship and learning in St Mary’s is regular small groups which meet in someone’s house or flat either weekly or fortnightly for discussion, food and prayer. Small groups are great opportunities to get to know others in church and to deepen your faith. We have a number of groups meeting across the parish and are always keen to discuss new groups starting. If you would be interested in finding out more about small groups, or if you would like to host or lead a group yourself, please email: or . 

Serving on Sundays at St Mary’s 
Over the course of a month, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 350-400 people join us for worship on Sundays. It is a real gift to have such a vibrant, growing community. However, to make church happen each week, we rely on teams of committed volunteers to serve in many different areas of our church life to enable us to worship, welcome and minister. Beginning on 1st February, we will begin talking each week about the different ways you can serve as well as inviting you to think about how you might like to join in. After each service, there will be a chance to meet members of the spotlighted team, ask questions and learn more. 

Giving Monthly to St Mary’s 
Your financial support is crucial as we work to keep St Mary’s ancient building open to the whole community throughout the week, to support Walthamstow and to share the love of Christ with all. Your donations make this possible as we receive no direct, ongoing support for the day-to-day running of St Mary’s from the Church of England or from the government. Monthly giving is particularly transformative as it allows us to plan, budget, and even expand our work in the community. If you would like to become a monthly giver, we would encourage you to sign up via the Parish Giving Scheme which you can find here or by going to stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate and clicking on the Parish Giving Scheme link. 

Safeguarding 
St Mary’s takes safeguarding seriously and works hard to ensure that our church is a safe place for everyone. If you see anything that concerns you at St Mary’s, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Safeguarding Officer Emma Clements at . You can also contact the Diocese of Chelmsford at or Waltham Forest Council at 020 8496 2310. 

EcoTip: Email General Synod Members to Protect Church Land for Nature 
Members of the Church of England’s General Synod have an historic opportunity to support a motion calling for the Church Commissioners to honour their responsibility as stewards of nature and protect 30% of their land for nature. The motion needs at least 100 signatures from Synod members in order to be considered for debate, so it’s important that General Synod members know this is an important issue to others in their diocese. The Church of England is one of the largest landowners in England – a portfolio which includes a significant amount of farmland alongside other types of land. Take two minutes to send an email to the General Synod members representing our diocese (Chelmsford), and ask them to add their name in support of the motion by clicking this link. You can also visit www.wildcard.land to learn more and to send an email to our General Synod members. 

Please pray this week for:

• Our next PCC (church and parish trustees) meeting on Monday 2nd February 
• Places of global conflict and tension – including Iran, Sudan, Greenland, the United States, Ukraine and Gaza – and for all who are suffering and living in fear 
• Movements to counter racism and division in the UK and elsewhere 
• All who are unwell in body, mind or spirit – for God’s peace and healing 
• All who are lonely or suffering with poor mental health – that our church would be a refuge for all and a place of connection and belonging 
• Children in care and for all foster parents and social workers 
• Leaders of Christian communities, including our bishops Lynne and Guli, our Archbishops Sarah and Stephen, and for Pope Leo – for wisdom and courage 
• Efforts to decarbonise the UK and that the changes might benefit those most in need 
• Campaigns to restore nature in the UK, which is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, including the campaign to increase biodiversity on Church land 
• Other organisations in our community working to help those in need, including the Salvation Army, Worth Unlimited, Christian Kitchen and the Night Shelter
• Bravery from our politicians in putting forward policies that address critical issues such as income inequality, the environment, expensive housing and online safety 
• Refugees, asylum seekers and those without a home: for Christ to be near to them 

Reflection: ‘The Light and Hope of the World’ 
Revd Jacintha Danaswamy, curate at St Mary’s, writes: 

As we sit at the end of January – with the days still quite dark and wet – there is a tiredness which seems to hang in the air, and a heaviness many of us are carrying. Some of it comes from the time of year, as we look forward to the warmth and longer days of spring, but so much of it seems to come from the news: stories of violence and conflict from around the world. At times it can feel relentless – a continuous cycle of human cruelty and aggression. And it’s at times like these that I find peace and encouragement in quiet and gentle moments: stillness with God, gentle creativity with our crochet group, or being in nature.

This week was particularly difficult for many; I’m especially thinking of the events in the American state of Minnesota, which were extremely alarming as the aggressive and intimidating tactics of the American immigration enforcement agency, ICE, resulted in the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti. The video circulating of the moments just before his death show a young man trying to help a woman being badly treated by ICE agents. What happens next is harrowing and deeply disturbing for all, especially for those in Minnesota. 

When we witness such violence and oppression, it can lead to despair. I have found the responses of peaceful protest from the people of Minneapolis and St Paul, and the calls for justice and acts of solidarity from other Americans, inspiring. So many people and groups have gathered to demonstrate solidarity with the most vulnerable – migrants and minorities – and to bravely speak truth to power; this has included numerous faith leaders and communities, all sharing light in the darkness through peaceful action and visible presence. 

As I explored ideas for crafting with wool for St Mary’s Crochet Group, I came across an encouraging article on a Minnesota wool (yarn) shop that is offering knitters and crocheters an opportunity to take part in a project inspired by Norwegian resistance to Nazi Germany in the 1940s: the making of red woollen pointy hats with a tassel. 

This is a creative act of visual protest and gentle resistance, with all proceeds of the knitting and crochet patterns going to support those impacted by the actions of ICE. This creative action is a great reminder of who Jesus called us to be: people who love God and love our neighbours with all our hearts. In loving our neighbours, which includes the most vulnerable among us, we are invited and challenged to be people who seek mercy and justice.

This Sunday, we celebrate Candlemas at St Mary’s – the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple – and our gospel reading from Luke sees Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus at the temple forty days after his birth. They meet Simeon, who was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before his death; lifting Jesus, he powerfully declares: 

‘For my eyes have seen your salvation,

Which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

A light for revelation to the Gentiles 

And for glory to your people Israel.’

Simeon’s words ring out for over 2,000 years: Jesus came to be the light and hope of the world and for all people! As we light and bless our candles at our Candlemas Service on Sunday, I pray we will be encouraged and strengthened, and that in the darkness we will see the glimmer of Christ in the love we share and in the visible hope we are invited to bring. 

Much love, 

Jacintha