Rev Sue preached this sermon on Sunday 25 May 2025. Here it is for you again: I read this quotation from CS Lewis many decades ago, but it has stuck firmly in my mind. He was asked the question: “Which of the religions of the world gives to its followers the greatest happiness?” He replied: … More The gift of peace – but not as the world gives.
On Palm Sunday 2025, Franki began a training placement with us. She introduces herself here: The Journey of “Being” The word being can feel abstract to Chinese speakers. In English, it’s more than just “existence”. The “-ing” form shows that it’s something ongoing—something that’s happening. When God said to Moses, “I am who I am”, … More What “Being” Means to Me
This article was written for the April 2025 issues of our parish magazine: I have written before about Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” (September 2024), but this version has new lyrics, written by Kelly Mooney: A crown of thorns placed on His head, He knew that He would soon be dead, He said did you forget … More Hallelujah! (Cohen, arr. Rickley)
Alleluia Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed. Alleluia!! That first announcement of the Resurrection of Jesus at the Easter vigil. Jesus is dead, he’s descended into hell. Everything he promised and all the hope he brought has died with him. His followers are despondent and broken hearted, his mother and some other women are … More May Letter to the Parish
Rev Sue preached this sermon on Sunday 27 April. Here it is for you again: It’s the evening of the first Easter Sunday. That morning, Mary Magdalene and then Peter and John — had seen the empty tomb for themselves. Mary had also encountered the Risen Christ in the garden. Though she had shared this … More Encountering the Risen Christ
Somehow we missed giving you this beautiful anthem by Ralph Vaughan Williams on Passion Sunday! we’re truly in the Easter season now, but the revelatory words of Revelation 22 are still appropriate: St Margaret’s Church Prestwich holds CCLI licences CCL 79250, MRL 775231 and 466111 for music streaming and One Licence M-40120 for music streaming. … More Lenten Anthems
Hallelujah! He is risen! Our parish choir sings for you the words of James F Rickley, setting the Easter story to Leonard Cohen’s timeless classic, “Hallelujah” St Margaret’s Church Prestwich holds CCLI licences CCL 79250, MRL 775231 and 466111 for music streaming and One Licence M-40120 for music streaming. • Hallelujah (Easter lyrics) © 1985 … More Music for Easter Monday
Rev Helen gave this sermon on Wednesday 16 April 2025: It’s Holy Week, this is a week of high drama, there is a lot happening but it’s a good story to tell, it’s an epic tale. The story from Palm Sunday to Jesus being in the tomb the twists and turns, high rejoicing, epic lows … More The Epic of Holy Week
Back in the autumn of 2024 I was trawling the music filing cabinet drawers looking for inspiration for anthems to take us through Advent. That’s when I rediscovered “Dance, Little Lady”, written by our very own Rev Debby Plummer, and perfect for the third Sunday, on which we remember Mary. Jeremy had introduced this song … More Dance, Little Lady (D Plummer)
This month’s letter comes from Rev Sue: Harold Wilson famously said, “A week is a long time in politics,” meaning that someone might be popular in the polls today, but things could be very different a week later. That was certainly true for Jesus. Only four days after he rode into Jerusalem to shouts of … More April Letter from the Clergy
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 