Parish Church of St Luke Holmes Chapel
Serving Christ in our local community
Coming week at St Luke’s
Sunday 29th January – Epiphany 4
Readings: 2 Samuel 7:11b-16 Matthew 1: 5-6
9.00 am – Holy Communion in church – a traditional service in contemporary language with hymns
10.00am – Genesis meets in the Church Hall – focus on King David
10.30 am – Holy Communion in church – a less formal, “no books” service, with songs and hymns, followed by coffee and tea in the Church Hall
Monday 30th Jan to Wednesday 1st February
9.00 am – Morning Prayer on Zoom* (Rob’s account) – a shortened version with shared Bible readings
*Note: if you are local to Holmes Chapel and would like to join one of our short Zoom Morning Prayer services, please email comms@stlukesholmeschapel.uk and we will send you the access details.
Wednesday 1st February
10.30 am – Midweek Communion – a short peaceful service of Holy Communion
7.30pm – 9pm – St Luke’s Community Choir meets in the Church Hall
February 2023 letter
We are people living in a culture which is hampered by the over-influence of feelings…….
Making decisions based on feelings usually ends up with us choosing the easy way out. In these ways, following our present feelings is often not good for our long term welfare……
The Apostle Paul said: ‘For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do…’ (Romans 7:18,19). He framed this in the middle of a clear analysis that we humans are too influenced by our sinful nature. And even when we know the right thing we ought to do, we end up being influenced away from that, and towards the bad thing we know we ought to avoid. We have a bias: our sinful nature tends to compromise our good intentions, and indulge our worse side.
That is one of the reasons we need Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday 22nd February. We use the 7 weeks of Lent to train ourselves in this important thing: not letting our feelings win the day!
Genesis update – Jan 2023
Thank you for all your support and encouragement with the Christmas services which were so well received.
Genesis meets on Sundays normally at 10am in the Church Hall continuing until 10.45am. We then join the congregation in the church service to share our learning with them, for prayers, a short sermon and for singing. The service finishes around 11.15am so we can all leave together to enjoy fellowship over a drink and biscuit back in the Church Hall.
The Spring term programme up to Easter is shown below.
MU Epiphany service 2023
It was lovely to see about 28 members, including several from Sandbach Heath and Brereton, turn up on a very cold, snowy day for our Epiphany service and party on Wed 18th Jan.
Canon Rob conducted a Communion Service for us, and reminded us of the importance of Epiphany. After the service he enrolled his mother, Margaret McLaren, as a member of
the Mothers’ Union.
Nativity Service 2022
A big thank you to our 18 children from Genesis for bringing the Nativity to life for us and for helping us focus on the true meaning of Christmas in our service in St Luke’s church last December.
Christingle and Crib services 2022
Thank you to everyone who helped make the two Christingle and Crib services on Christmas Eve such a success as St Luke’s shone in candlelight.
Each service was supported by over 200 people and over £450 was raised for the work of the Children’s Society.
Bible Reading Fellowship notes 2023
Time to renew or start your 2023 subscription to New Daylight notes from the Bible Reading Fellowship to help with your daily Bible reading. and prayer.
Church Flowers 2023
Many thanks to everyone who helped decorate St Luke's church with flowers again this Christmas. The new 2023 rota for the altar flowers is now in the church porch for people to sign up when they are able to help. If you are interested in helping and would like to know...
Praying together – Epiphany
Praying Together @St Luke’s, Holmes Chapel during Epiphany
O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
From the rising of the sun to its setting your glory is proclaimed in all the world.
Epiphany Collect:
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
Mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen
Praying Together
When sickness is near:
you can view or download this prayersheet here
God of compassion, be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.
In their loneliness, be their consolation;
in their anxiety, be their hope;
in their darkness, be their light;
through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Merciful God, we entrust to your tender care those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them, and restore them to health and strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For hospital staff and medical researchers
Gracious God,
give skill, sympathy and resilience to all who are caring for the sick,
and your wisdom to those searching for a cure. Strengthen them with your Spirit,
that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
From one who is ill or isolated
O God, help me to trust you,
help me to know that you are with me, help me to believe that nothing can separate me from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Recital on our new organ – October 2021
Our new organ was commissioned at a recital on 2nd October 2021 by the acclaimed organist Ian Tracey, Organist Titulaire at Liverpool Cathedral.
Thanks to the generosity of many we have now been able to welcome our new organ into the church—and it is clear that it will be of great benefit to our worship.
Ian treated the audience to a superb programme of music chosen by him to demonstrate our organ’s capabilities. His wonderful musicianship and his interesting and engaging comments about the music and the organ itself made it an evening to remember.
Daily Hope Line 0800 804 8044
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. A Church of England initiative in partnership with CONNECTIONS at Holy Trinity Claygate, and Faith in Later Life The line –...
New history of St Luke’s
Take up of the newly published History of St Luke’s has been excellent. More copies have now been printed.
Please contact Peter Cotton by email: papscotton@sky.com or phone 01477 537491 to make sure of your copy!
