Dear Friends,St Augustine said “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!” so while we may not be able to sing communally in church this year, I pray that as Easter Day dawns whether as you celebrate the vigil or early in the morning at Countisbury with Revd Jean, in church at Parracombe or Lynton, through the morning or at home, wherever across the world you are this Easter (God bless those of you in the US and Thailand) your heart will sing with alleluias.If you are coming to the Easter services in Lynton or Parracombe, I have a favour to ask. Traditionally we sing the Gloria on Easter Sunday after long weeks of Lent without it and there is also a tradition at Easter of ringing bells, or making a noise with ringing instruments during the Gloria too. As we can’t sing, I wondered if people would be willing to bring any bells/tambourines/ things you can make a noise with…to accompany us as we say the words of this ancient song of praise to God! Maybe if you are using this video at home you could join in with such music/joyful noise making too!My prayers for you all are that this Easter opens you to a deeper awareness of the love in which God holds you, the fullness of life God wills for you and the peace of heart God offers you.God blessAlleluia Christ is Risen, He is risen indeed, AlleluiaSamantha
<div>Dear Friends,This is the second of the emails I promised today. It’s a practical email just setting out a few things to expect if you are joining in with worship in church this week. My aim is that you can feel familiarity and reassurance about coming to church, especially if you haven’t been into church for quite some months. All this is in place to help us show love for our neighbour as we show our love for God in worship.In each church we are required to maintain physical distancing and seating has been organised or marked, or will be stewarded to insure this.We ask everyone attending any of these services to wear face coverings. Hand sanitiser is available but you may wish to bring your own so you can use it at will.There will still be no communal singing.When Communion is offered it will always be in one kind (the bread/host).Please avoid congregating after the service – hard though that is!At St Mary’s cleaning will take place between the services. MAUNDY THURSDAY: 1st April7pm St Mary’s Lynton Holy Communion followed by the Gethsemane watch There will be a sung interlude with a single voice (allowed by current rules) taking the place of the traditional washing of feet which cannot take place.There will be an invitation to private prayer (for up to an hour) in the Lady Chapel after the service. If you plan to stay it would be helpful if you could let me know so we can make sure appropriate seating is planned. GOOD FRIDAY: 2nd April2pm St Mary’s Lynton Liturgy of the Cross There will be a sung call and response by single voices.The adoration of the cross will not include any touching of the cross this year. HOLY SATURDAY: 3rd April8pm St Mary’s Lynton Easter VigilA single voice will sing parts of the Vigil LiturgyWe will light candles together with care to remain physically distanced. EASTER DAY: 4th April6am Countisbury, Dawn Service for Easter (Outdoors)This year this service will be entirely outside so it will be weather dependent.Please take care to retain physical distance between households as you arrive at the churchyard and as you spread out for the service in the churchyard.Candles will be lit together with care to remain physically distanced. 9.00am Parracombe Holy Communion The notes at the top apply here. 11.00 Lynton Holy Communion Again, see the notes at the top. It is good to add to this list the addition of a service at Martinhoe next Sunday:11th April 11.00 am Martinhoe Holy CommunionThe notes at the top apply. God bless you, as you plan your route through this Holy WeekSamantha The Reverend Samantha Stayte The Lyn Valley Mission Community
Dear Friends, Yesterday I received the first of my Covid 19 vaccinations. I found it an unexpectedly moving and profound experience. As I received it I had an awareness of the connective web of endeavour that we are all a part, and found myself praying and giving thanks for the sacrificial determination of the scientists who have developed the vaccine (knowing only too well from friends what long hours and demand lab work calls for), giving thanks for the cheerful volunteers who around me whose warmth and kindness really mattered, praying for the people I will never meet, but for whom access to vaccines is not as easy as this is for us, in countries where life is much harder too, and above all opening myself to the recognition that we are all one in this corporate effort to make our communities safer from disease by developing immunity ourselves. Six hours later it was clear that I was going to be one of those who experience the possible feverish side effects of the vaccine quite fully! Today then, I am still recovering so it seems wise to get the prayers and liturgy for Palm Sunday out to you all without trying to record a video. I am sorry to disappoint those for whom this has become an important part of worship at home, and if, over the weeknd I am able to, I will try to send a recording out later. As Holy Week unfolds I will be sending short reflections out too God bless Samantha The Reverend Samantha Stayte The Lyn Valley Mission Community
Dear Friends,As this weekend we enter into Passiontide when we turn with Jesus towards Jeruasalem and the Cross, it is timely to be able to let you know that St Mary's Lynton will host services for Palm Sunday and Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Day (all details in the attached service list) It is profound to look forward remembering the events at the heart of our faith together in church, in a way that we were not able to last year. As we have become accustomed, we will need to modify our serviecs to keep each other safe, and we keep in love and prayers those who will feel more able to worship freely at home, but it seems fitting that we return to corporate worship in time to enter into the mystery of Easter. Other churches in the Mission Community are planning to open for private prayer on Easter Sunday, Revd Jean will lead the treasured Easter Dawn serviec in the churchyard at Countisbury, there will also be an Easter Day service at Parracombe, and I will give further details of re-opening for worship in our other churches in due course.This week we also mark the anniversary of the first full lockdown, and Tuesday March 23rd will be a national day of reflection. We are being encouraged to keep silence at midday, or to light a candle in the evening. I will open St Mary's Lynton for an hour from 11.30-12.30 for private prayer and I have attached a form of prayer you might want to use, with some intercessions for that day. This is a day to hold in our prayers those who have died, and to make contact with those who have suffered bereavement and loss in the last year; as well as giving thanks for and to all who have made our lives better, kinder and safer this year. Who might you make a gentle call to, or write a letter to, saying you are thinking of them? In such little acts, we share love and compassion.Our journey with Jesus into passiontide is a reminder that we do not offer compassion in our own strength alone, neither do we suffer alone, ever, even when that is what it feel like. Jesus opens his arms on the cross to draw everyone to himself - in our own struggles, and in our reaching out to others, may we feel his loving presence and strengthening embrace.God blessSamantha(Please see Liturgy for Day of Reflection and programme of services for Holy Week and Easter accompanying in News and Notices.)
