Supporting the homeless

The exploration at the First Sunday Thing next Sunday will be based in part of St Michael's support for Doorstep, and St Nicolas' support for the Daily Bread Food Larder in particular. To help those who experience emergency, temporary financial need Churches Together in North East Lincolnshire and Christian Action Resource Enterprise (CARE) work in partnership to provide short term relief of food poverty in the area. Over forty churches have agreed, for one month each, to provide weekly donations into the larder. St Nicolas' month is August so July is the best time for this reminder about the commitment and what we will doing about it soon.

Next month

Plans are now in place for 5th July.

We will be at St Nicolas’, Great Coates.

There will be the usual half hour said Communion service at 9.30 a.m. for those who wish to pray in this way instead of or as well as the First Sunday Thing at 10.30 a.m.

Refreshments will be available as people arrive for 10.30 a.m.

Soon after 10.30 a.m. those who wish will have the opportunity to join in an activity in one part of the church building. An art group will be creating the outlines of some life size people. A creche group will have something simple for toddlers. A music group will be preparing a song and percussion accompaniment. A prayer group will be gathering ideas for the form of confession in our service. A study group will be thinking about the Gospel for the day. A sixth group will be finding out what the two churches do to support the homeless.

The results of all these activities will be brought together in a simple short act of worship at about 11.00 a.m.

Cut out the wrong

This is the version of the Icon of the Baptism of Christ put together by one group at last Sunday's First Sunday Thing. The person who did the research and led the group could follow all the symbolism except for one detail. 'Why is there always an axe at the extreme bottom left of the picture?', she asked. It appears that an axe at the foot of a tree is a symbol for John the Baptist, and it is John next to whom the symbol appears. John preached that an axe was ready to cut down the tree of people's sin.

All as one

The worship on Sunday seemed to have a beauty about it. There was one group weaving together huge pieces of cloth like Maypole dancers. There was one leader taking us through gestures to represent our prayers like sign language. There were handbell ringers chiming in order with one another to produce a tune none of them could have made on their own. We celebrated God as the love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We celebrated Christian people who had come separately but who worshipped as one.

A group will be meeting together on Saturday morning (10.00 at St Michael’s) to plan for 5th July and 2nd August if anyone else wants to join us or send comments, feedback or ideas. With a larger number of toddlers than usual this time, some of us wondered whether we could plan an activity in which those gathering on the creche carpet could take part while the other adults and children choose the different activities in which to participate in the first half hour of the service before we all come together for the worship in the second half.