Bishop John finished his sermon on Sunday with this wonderful poem from Mary Oliver, a Christian poet who died in 2019
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
From 3rd September to 1st October we are celebrating the Season of Creation along with many other churches across the world. Click here or on the image to watch the video which was shared in our service on Sunday. To see subtitles, click on the CC symbol at the bottom of the video.
St Helen’s Fellowship
MEN AND WOMEN welcome at St Helen’s Fellowship! Programme below. Unless otherwise stated all meetings are held in The Mead Hall between 2.45 and 4.15 pm. The cost is £2 per week and 50p for transport if required. Anyone who would appreciate a lift to meetings, please ring Gill Gwinn who will be able to tell you if we can help with this. Thanks.
Prayers for Peace
Thursday 21st September
12.30pm – 13.00pm followed by lunch
Led by Bishop John, this prayer session will follow a theme of the impact of war upon the environment and human life and community. The prayer session will be followed by a light sandwich lunch with tea and coffee. All welcome.
Reader Licensing Service
St Albans Abbey 2.30pm Sunday, September 24th 2023
On Sunday September 24th Linda Thomas, our Children and Families Minister, will be licensed as a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) by Bishop Jane. Everyone is welcome. It would be useful for the cathedral to know how many will be coming. Please email Linda at 58linda.thomas@gmail.com to give a rough idea of numbers, ideally by Monday 11th.
Events and Activities this week (at St. Helen’s Church unless otherwise indicated).
Please ask if you need further details
Monday 11th September 10.00am – 11.30am Coffee in the Chancel
7.30pm – 9.15pm Bellringing Practice
Tuesday 12th September 10.00am – 11.30am Coffee in the Chancel
Wednesday 13th September
9.30am – 11.00am The Ark Parent and Toddler Group
4.00pm – 5.00pm Year 7 Donuts
Thursday 14th September
2.45pm – 4.15pm St Helen’s Fellowship at Mead Hall
Friday 15tht September 6.30pm – 10.00pm Friends of St Helen’s Church Talk by John Benjamin
Saturday 16th September
9.15am – 10.00am Celtic Morning Prayer
9.30am – 12.00pm Heritage Weekend – Tower Tours
10.00am – 11.30am Coffee in the Chancel
2.00pam – 3.00pm Wedding of Hannah Watters and Jacob Tremlett
