Dear St Mary’s,
On Sunday 29th June, we’ll share Holy Communion at 9am with Revd Vanessa Conant presiding and Louise Wallis preaching alongside an interview with Daniel Hatton about the upcoming Open Mic night at St Mary’s, while at 10.30am, Revd Jacintha Danaswamy will lead a service of Morning Worship for all ages as we also celebrate a baptism together.
This is the Fifth Sunday of the month which means there will be no supervised children’s groups at this Sunday’s 10.30am service, as all ages will be together, but we will have a Baby Lounge in the South Vestry at both services for parents and carers to come and go as needed. There will also be activities for children at 10.30am and opportunities for them to join in with the service. For those unable to join us in person, we’ll livestream the 9am service to Facebook.
Our lectionary readings this week are Acts 12:1-11 and Matthew 16:13-19; this Sunday also marks the feast day of St Peter and St Paul with our Gospel reading recounting the moment where Jesus asks the disciples directly: ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one, marks a turning point in the Gospel account and a key moment in Peter’s vocational journey as the ‘rock’ and foundation on which Jesus will build his church. That same question is posed to each one of us as we gather for worship.
At 6pm, the St Luke’s community will gather for prayer in the church and all are welcome.
Vestry Sessions Gig to Celebrate Shakespeare This Evening
Our Vestry Sessions music partners will celebrate Shakespeare at their Thursday 26th June gig at St Mary’s with doors at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Music and stories – including music from the Romeo & Juliet-inspired West Side Story – will feature as part of the event. Tickets are available here or at wegottckets.com – just search ‘Vestry Sessions Shakespeare’.
Blood Donation Returns to St Mary’s on Monday 30th June
We’re thankful to be a blood donation centre again on Monday 30th June. For those who would like to give blood, our partners tell us that the best way to do this is to book through the Give Blood app or via www.blood.co.uk. If there is a donation slot at St Mary’s, that will be noted when you book. Please note the booking process is not managed by us but by the NHS. Also, on Monday 30th June, Morning Prayer will be held at 8.30am but will be said in the North Vestry, not in the side chapel. Our Ruttle & Rowe cafe will remain open during the day, with indoor seating in the Exhibition Space and service through the outdoor hatch.
Nicene Creed Course to Begin on Tuesday 1st July
This year is the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, one of the great statements of the Christian faith, and we’ll explore its deep theology and significance over four Tuesdays in July, starting 1st July and meeting in the church from 7.30-9pm. The Nicene Creed is our most widely-accepted creed and is used by many denominations across the world. To join us, sign up here or email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy () or Revd Vanessa Conant (). We’d love to have you join us.
Vespers Returns on Wednesday 2nd July
Join us on Wednesday 2nd July at 7.30pm for our monthly Vespers gathering, 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 over eight 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, do come along to Vespers – it would be wonderful to have you.
Vestry Junior: Free Children’s Music Performances on Saturday 5th July
Our music partners will return with another free children’s music event on Saturday 5th July in St Mary’s, with our Ruttle & Rowe cafe open as normal. Ideal for younger children, there will be two performances of the same 20-minute show: one at 11am and one at 11.30pm. While the event is free, donations for the performers will be gratefully accepted.
10 Years at St Mary’s: Celebration Lunch for Revd Vanessa Conant on 13th July
On Sunday 13th July after the 10.30am service, we’ll have a bring-and-share lunch in the church to celebrate Revd Vanessa Conant’s ten-year anniversary as Rector of St Mary’s Walthamstow and the Parish of Walthamstow. Vanessa is the first female Rector in St Mary’s 900-year history and helped lead our church through a transformational building project which was completed in December 2022. Join us as we celebrate Vanessa, mark her 10-year anniversary and give thanks for her ongoing ministry at St Mary’s and in the Parish!
Open Mic Night on Thursday 17th July: Free Tickets Now Available
On 17th July at 7.30pm, St Mary’s will host its first ever Open Mic Worship Night. This will be an evening of open and reflective worship incorporating spoken word poetry, music and more. We are currently accepting submissions from anyone who would like to take part. Please complete the form here to tell us more about your piece, or email Revd Vanessa Conant at . Click here to reserve your free ticket, or visit stmaryswalthamstow.eventbrite.com which lists our upcoming ticketed events.
St Mary’s at Waltham Forest Pride on Saturday 19th July
Waltham Forest Pride is on Saturday 19th July in Lloyd Park, an event which will be brought to life by the talent and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community and will feature a range of stalls, with activities for children and families. St Mary’s, along with other inclusive churches, will host a space of Christian welcome, conversation, and prayer at Waltham Forest Pride, and if you are available to serve on the stall that day, we would love to hear from you. You may also simply wish to stop by and say hello! We’ll end the weekend with an Inclusive Eucharist at 6pm on Sunday evening in St Mary’s. Please pray that all who visit the stall or join us for worship will experience the love and welcome of Christ. For more details or to get involved, contact Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at .
Tips to Keep Cool This Week
Temperatures are rising again and our very own Tom Greenhill and his Heatwave Toolkit project have plenty of low-cost ideas to keep your house or flat cool. Stopping the sun on the outside of your windows is key. You can do that with towels, sheets or even a yoghurt glaze. Visit heatwavetoolkit.com for more ideas, expert advice and links to keep your home and family cool this week. St Mary’s also tends to stay reasonably cool on hot days, so please do spend time in church as well. Our building is open Monday-Saturday, 8.30am-4pm, and on Sundays for services, though please note that much of the church building will be closed to the general public on Monday 30th June due to the church being used for blood donation.
Sponsor a Bible for St Mary’s Primary School Leavers
Every year, we give a Bible to Year 6 leavers of St Mary’s Primary School. This is a gift from the church that we hope will bless them throughout their lives, and for many children, it will be the only Bible they have ever received. If you would like to sponsor a Bible for £10, you can give via stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate (you can choose in the drop-down menu that your donation is for a St Mary’s School Leavers’ Bible) or via the tap-and-go system at the back of church. You can also put a cheque or cash in a marked envelope and leave it in the white box at the back of church, or if you would prefer, you can make a direct bank transfer (please note the reason for your donation). Our bank details are: Co-operative Bank, St Mary’s Church, Parish of Walthamstow; Account Number: 65579372, Sort Code: 08-92-99.
EcoTip: Register for 9th July ‘Act Now, Change Forever’ Mass Lobby in Westminster On Wednesday 9th July, thousands of people will travel to Westminster to tell our MPs to accelerate government action on climate and nature – and faith groups will be involved. This is a chance for us to meet with our MP and to join Operation Noah and other Christian charities in a dedicated faith space at the ‘Act Now, Change Forever’ mass lobby. Register here or visit www.theclimatecoalition.org and click on the ‘Act Now, Change Forever’ post.
Please pray this week for:
- Those being baptised as well as for their families and godparents
- For a lasting ceasefire in Iran and for all those who are frightened or fleeing Tehran
- Global conflicts around the world, including in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza
- Safety for those who are travelling this summer
- Free or low-cost activities for families who will be in Walthamstow all summer, including plans St Mary’s is making to put on free children’s events over August
- Young people as they finish GCSE and A-levels
- Our churchwardens Natalie Burwell and Nevil Osborne who were admitted earlier this week in a service at Chingford Parish Church
- All working to bring communities together throughout the UK and around the world
- A reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour in our community, and that our church and parish would be part of making Walthamstow a safer and kinder place to live
- All who are unwell in body, mind or spirit: for hope, healing and support
- Revd Vanessa Conant, as she prepares to celebrate 10 years of ministry at St Mary’s
- Those struggling on low incomes, and for policy changes to help those most in need
Next Week in St Mary’s Church and Welcome Centre (30th June – 5th July)
Monday 30th June
Morning Prayer, St Mary’s Church (North Vestry), 8.30am
Blood Donation, St Mary’s Church, 9am-5pm
Ninja School, Welcome Centre, 6pm
Waltham Forest Community Choir, Welcome Centre, 7.30-9.30pm
Tuesday 1st July
Morning Prayer, St Mary’s Church, 8.30am
Nicene Creed Course, St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm
Wednesday 2nd July
Morning Prayer, St Mary’s Church, 8.30am
Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe (free help with confusing paperwork), Welcome Centre, 10am-Noon (stmaryswalthamstow.org/WalthamstowWelcomes)
Ninja School, Welcome Centre, 4-7pm
Vespers, St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm
Thursday 3rd July
Morning Prayer, St Mary’s Church, 8.30am
Baby Massage, Welcome Centre, 10.30am
FoodCycle (free community meal), Welcome Centre, 6.30pm
Singing Room, Welcome Centre, 7.30pm
Friday 4th July
Sing and Sign, Welcome Centre, 10am
Ninja School, Welcome Centre, 6pm
Forest Choir Rehearsal, St Mary’s Church, 7.30pm
Saturday 5th July
Crochet and Knitting Group, St Mary’s Church, 10am-12pm
Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe (free help with confusing paperwork), Welcome Centre, 10am-Noon (stmaryswalthamstow.org/WalthamstowWelcomes)
Vestry Junior Free Children’s Music Event, St Mary’s Church, 11am & 11.30am
Reflection: ‘Patience’
Revd Vanessa Conant writes:
Many years ago in Bristol (where I studied to be a priest), I knew a Roman Catholic sister. She was a wonderful encourager but also delightfully direct. My abiding memory of her is one particular phrase which she would often utter as a gentle rebuke. If, for example, when stuck in rush hour traffic, someone were to honk at the cars in front to go faster or, in another situation, they were to mutter quiet curses at the bus that was late or at the person who was shuffling along the pavement in front of them, the sister would say: ‘Ah, my dear, the Universe is teaching you patience.’
I was reminded of that phrase as a group of us gathered to think about how we could raise awareness of the dangers of extreme heat, and as we discussed some of the mitigations which might help people in the height of a heatwave. In our meeting, Tom Greenhill described the three pillars of the Heatwave Toolkit campaign, ‘Stop, Flow, Slow’. As temperatures soar back into the 30s this weekend and early next week, we are again encouraged to think about how we might stop the sun (blocking direct sun from our windows), keep air flowing around our buildings and change our behaviour to go more slowly.
I have enthusiastically embraced the first two principles. Last week, we boldly painted yoghurt onto the outside of our windows and enjoyed the relative cool that it brought to the house on a scorching day (along with the amusement or derision of passers by!). We set a multitude of fans going so that the house was a veritable wind tunnel in places.
I confess I struggle more with the last point: the behaviour change, the ‘Go Slow’ exhortation. I am not naturally inclined towards slowness. I want things to move quickly, I overfill my days so that there is a breathless haste to most of them and I am mindful of a sense of urgency in the world. I can often hear the sister say, ‘Ah Vanessa, the Universe is teaching you patience.’
There are undoubtedly times where we are called to action and to swift, restorative change. We don’t have time to move slowly on climate breakdown or on the starvation of whole populations in Gaza, for example. However, thinking more broadly, the biblical picture often challenges our restless impatience and calls us to question our addiction to hurry.
In the early days of the Church, the first believers wondered if the return of Christ was imminent, and waited eagerly, sometimes in the face of ruthless skepticism from those who thought they waited in vain. In the face of this longing, Peter wrote to those Christian communities to encourage them:
‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ (1 Peter 3:8-9)
There is a sense in which God’s timing exists outside our limited understanding and perspective and often appears slow. How long the Israelites wandered in the desert before entering the promised land, how many years did the people of Israel stay in exile before returning home, how many centuries passed before the prophecies of a coming Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ?
In 1 Peter, God’s slowness is described not as a test to stretch our patience and frustrate our need for speed. But instead, God’s slowness is loving action; He is waiting to bring about Christ’s return until all people can be saved. The patience of God is infused with mercy – it is wise and trusting, it brings forth healing and salvation.
I pray for us in the coming heat of this week, that we will be able to stay healthy and well within it, and that we might be able to embrace the slowness that it requires of us. And maybe that slowness can be a blessing, not an irritation. Maybe it can hold a gift and a wisodm and teach us something of the gentle, loving slowness of God.
And if, like me, you find yourself, at times tempted to race, or are irritated by a heat that slows your steps or your thinking, may you hear (in a soft Irish brogue) the gentle admonishment, ‘Ah, my dear. The Universe is teaching you patience.’
With love
Vanessa