St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Dear Friends,

As I write this letter, we have all just learnt of the death of a very dear and loyal friend, Joan Lane.  I know she will be sadly missed by many of us and will be remembered for her energy, welcoming smile and devotion to God.  She often had some very wise words and advice, which I personally will miss, but I think we all know how hard she felt the death of Father Martin and I know they will now be in God’s arms, free from pain and sorrow.

I’m also certain that had she been fit and well she would have celebrated and enjoyed the Coronation of King Charles III and the celebrations that followed.  It really was a wonderful sight to see all the people gathered together to join in that momentous occasion and to hear the stories of those who had witnessed multiple coronations, Joan possibly being one of those.

Maybe the younger generation will not yet appreciate the pageantry and ceremony of the occasion, but I pray in years to come they will begin to realise the significance of the history and culture behind all the events that happened.  This includes, of course, the very important spiritual role as well as the secular role King Charles will be responsible for.  This was clearly evident in the words King Charles used in his first prayer after reaching the abbey which were, “I come not to be served, but to serve.”  Words we are very familiar with and words we often hear spoken by Jesus and words we sing in the popular hymn, “Bother, Sister let me serve you”.

Serving each other is something that many of us do without thinking.  Take the till operator at any supermarket, the shop owner, the waitress and kitchen staff at the ‘Hidden Gem’ or any cafe/restaurant/pub or the person who asks, “how are you doing?” Someone who shows care and who is serving us pastorally.  Whichever way you look at it I’m sure we all serve someone in one way or another, even if it’s just a phone call to check if they need anything or if they’re alright.

Being on placement recently, was a good opportunity to see worship and service in a different way, but it was also an opportunity to observe the interaction of people I didn’t know at first and to watch how they served each other and welcomed me.  There was always a very warm and hospitable welcome, much like our own churches.  There was also a gentleman offering water to everyone as they entered the church (very much appreciated by me!) and much like ourselves the serving of tea, coffee and biscuits after the service.

To me this is God’s love in action and the Holy Spirit moving in and among us.  We all have so much to offer, whatever our age and it’s always good to see the young people offering their services by joining us in worship as Acolytes and Crucifers, or as in my placement showing what activities they had done in the Sunday School.  We also have the additional bonus of the uplifting voices of Maggie’s Music Makers who enhance our worship, especially on special occasions.

As a Mission Community we celebrated Ascension Day at St. George’s and it was a lovely to be joined by others from the churches around us, as we all wait to celebrate Pentecost and look forwards to events and activities where we can work together.

June 4^th is Trinity Sunday when we celebrate the mystery of faith, unity and the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  A time when we celebrate God’s love for us and continue to offer ourselves to his service in his love which we all share through his son Jesus Christ.

May God bless us and keep us.

Christine