What is your highlight of the week?

A question was recently asked of an online congregation “What was the highlight of your week” I wonder what was the highlight of your week? Please do let me know.

One of the highlights of my week was without a doubt seeing my grandson Archie on Tuesday. I hadn’t seen him for two weeks as he had been in isolation due to a child in his nursery testing positive for coronavirus. Archie is fit and well and didn’t contract the virus. Thank you, God.

Another highlight of my week was going for a family walk on Saturday morning. We went to Greenbooth reservoir, a local beauty spot close to where my daughter lives. The scenery is breath-taking with good views of Manchester. I couldn't help but stop and take in the view of God’s wonderful creation that was spread out before me. My daughter Louise remarked how fortunate we were to have this on our doorstep.

As you can see by the pictures the path was uneven in places with potholes full of water. The path brought to mind the ordinations that have taken place or are taking place in the Church of England. At the best of times, the path to ordination is not always smooth with potholes along the way and as with most other things Coronavirus has reaped havoc with ordination preparations. What a path has been trodden by all who have recently been ordained or soon will be ordained in the in the Church of England.

May God bless and guide them in their future ministries.

Revd Christine Steel

csteel58@hotmail.com

 

 

Sunday Worship

 

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Blue Coat School Open Days

 Unfortunately, our annual Open Days have been cancelled this year, due to the present restrictions.

However, we have Virtual Open Day Presentations available for you to watch if you are considering applying for any younger children you may have, or alternatively, please spread the word amongst your family and friends that the virtual event is now available for viewing. Please follow this link to our website:

https://www.blue-coat.org/open-day-2020/

We hope you enjoy watching them!!

Admin Support
The Blue Coat School 

Ordination of Amy Elizabeth

 

You can watch a recording of the service here. Scroll down to find the video

Ordination of Deacons

Rev'd Amy Elizabeth is being Ordained tomorrow in a private service at Oldham Parish Church.  You can watch the service on a live stream on Facebook from 11am; link here.  You do not need to be on Facebook to watch the stream.

Exciting

 

Excitement.

At the back of my house is a school playground which for obvious reasons until recently has been ominously quiet. Not everyone will agree with this but it was a great joy earlier this week when I opened my back door and I could hear the children in the playground. The sounds of excited children laughing, playing, kicking a ball, calling out to one another really brightened my day.

My two granddaughters returned to school this week. Kierey couldn’t wait to get back to school. She could hardly contain her excitement as she danced around telling me she was going to see her best friend the next day. She was even more delighted when she learnt she was going to be sat next to her in class.

My grandson Archie told me he was excited because he was going to the farm to see the animals and he was going to look for “bigger, bigger” puddles to splash in.

Recently I was excited to learn that singing although limited to a small group is now permissible in church.

There is great excitement in the Manchester Diocese as Bishop David took his seat in the House of the Lords on Monday and will represent the city and Manchester Diocese.

There is also great excitement as record numbers of clergy begin and finish training in Manchester

Excitement is growing as ordinands and deacons prepare to be ordained in Manchester Diocese over the coming weeks. We pray especially for Amy Elizabeth Sheridan to ordained deacon to St John the Baptist Hey on Wednesday 23^rd September 2020.

I hope and pray that the ministry of all these ordinands, deacons and priests will be very fruitful.

What about you? During these difficult times, with further lockdown restrictions looming, what do you look forward to and what excites you?

 

 

 

 

Intercessions for 13th September

Intercessions here

 Spiders, Bats and the Pulpit.

How many of you reading this are frightened of those little 8-legged creatures that we find creeping around our homes, garden sheds and even churches?

All my daughters were afraid of spiders. I came home one day to find them standing on the bed, my mum hitting the floor with her slipper and the girls shouting, it’s there, granny, no not there, there. It was quite hilarious because my mum had very poor eyesight and didn’t stand much of a chance of getting it. One of my daughters has attempted to get over her fear of spiders by holding a tarantula!!!

Having a bat in the bedroom provoked the same fearful response from my daughters. One evening a bat decided to explore my daughter’s bedroom. It was dark outside the window and curtains were open and the light was on. In came Pat the Bat (as we named it). My delightful daughters locked me in the bedroom and demanded that I got rid of it, and wouldn’t let me out until I had done this. This I dutifully did and I might add Pat the bat wasn’t harmed in any way.

Whilst I am not fearful of bats or spiders, once upon a time I was fearful of speaking in public and the thought of standing in the pulpit sent shivers down my spine and filled me with dread. I still remember the fear of walking up those pulpit steps for the very first time, I thought it was a lonely place to be. But you know I quickly realised I wasn’t alone. A wonderful sense of calm came over me and I just knew that God hand me in the palm of his hand and the Holy Spirit was with me.

“For I am the Lord our God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.    (Isaiah 41:13) 

God has certainly helped me through some very difficult and fearful times. Whatever your fears,  anxieties, take them to the Lord in prayer and he will indeed help you through. 

    

 

Intercessions for 6th Sept

 Intercessions here