Give a Little

You’ve probably noticed these graphics on our weekly service sheets recently, but what are they? It’s a QR code. QR codes are clever bits of technology – a bit like bar codes – that link the real world with the online world … More Give a Little

When is a ‘Performance’ not a ‘Performance’?

Regular readers will know how important music is to me, and much has been said about the importance of music in worship over recent weeks – in a weekly course, in our church services and in magazine articles. It has been all the more poignant for the long absence of music from our worship, and its reintroduction at the end of July … More When is a ‘Performance’ not a ‘Performance’?

Benedictus

“Benedictus” is a Latin word which translates literally to “blessed”. Very often in communion settings – indeed in the one we use at St Margaret’s – the Benedictus is bundled up with the “Sanctus” (see last month’s magazine), which is Latin for “holy”. Originally, they were separate paragraphs in the eucharist, and therefore treated separately by composers … More Benedictus

Being a Priest

I have spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks thinking about what it means to be a priest. For inspiration I turned to the bible and thought about a couple of verses I have heard at 40th and 60th anniversaries of ordination. The first is from Isaiah 6 when the voice of the Lord says ‘who shall I send?’ and there is the immediate response, ‘Here I am, send me!’ … More Being a Priest

Jesus the Good shepherd

Having spent most of my life growing up in Oldham my exposure to sheep has been limited mainly to a nice warm woolly jumper of a tasty piece of lamb with a dollop of mint sauce, beautiful. I do think thought that sheep get rather a bad reputation for being belligerent, stupid, not doing as they are told, getting themselves stuck in things or just behaving in a bit of an odd way however they are also quite cute and loveable, I had a friend who was obsessed with sheep when we were younger which I never quite understood … More Jesus the Good shepherd