Each week, Children can join in with our services listening to bible stories and using fun resources on our Children’s corner pages.
We are posting a variety of materials to help our younger parishioners and friends enjoy and understand our Bible stories.
https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/blog/children/
This icon is based on the Pantocrator icon in St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt. The first bible is creation, so here i have removed the usual ‘icon’ of the Bible, and put in its place the first ‘bible’ – Creation in all its glory. The saints more or less seem to find spiritual experiences outside, rarely in our buildings. I have also removed the traditional red surround of the Byzantine icons because creation is borderless, instead the red ribbon that links all beings together.
As I begin to understand that the Cosmic Christ is in everything it changes my perspective that everything has value, a soul and a voice. This changes my interaction with them, everything is an equal rather than an object. Therefore, I start to treat everything with subjectivity rather than objectivity. The planet as the body of Christ.
(more…)To mark the end of the Second World War, the bells rang out at Christ Church.Here’s an extract of the goose-bump ringing that took place on 15th August at 11am after 2 minutes of silence. A big thank you to ringers Gordon, Shirley, Alan, Peter and Ruth. Socially distanced ringing meant they rang call changes and some plain hunting.
‘Time’ to look up again! Our clock mechanism is back and keeping perfect time.
The clock was originally installed in Holy Rood Church, on the Lawn, in 1843 and has been in the Christ Church clock tower since 1851. Its repair was made possible by legacies left to the charity Friends of Christ Church. We thank the Friends for all that they do. To find out more about the Friends of Christ Church, go to: https://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/friends.php
(more…)A personal perspective
The events that have unfolded since George Floyd’s very public killing has caused me to catch my breath, pause — pause, and exhale.
As a writer I often find myself penning a poem to process my thoughts and feelings in response to confronting issues. The rawness of my poetry at this time reflects the place of pause I find myself in as I catch my breath.
But in writing these poems, I realise that not a thousand words nor a single word can fully articulate my strength of emotion. Like a wound that is constantly scabbed in my day-to-day lived experiences, the reality of life as a black woman is magnified again and again when public events like the George Floyd case occur.
As a person of colour, I’ve experienced a range of emotions in the last few weeks: tired, crushed, angry, frustrated, bewildered. My parents lived with racial injustice. I live with racial injustice. And, if things don’t change, my daughter’s generation will live with racial injustice.
It’s incredible that, in 2020, we still witness persecution and aggression against people of colour. Black and brown skinned people have endured decades of injustices. In recent history we note: the deaths of Stephen Lawrence and Mark Duggan (among countless others), the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Windrush scandal, an increase in knife crimes among black youths, and the higher impact of Covid-19 deaths on key workers from BAME backgrounds. How many more black and brown lives have to be lost before we work together – black, brown, and white – to see a real change in society?
(more…)
Martin explored the theological, environmental and community challenges which the pandemic is raising in our own country and across the world. He stresses the importance of joining together as faiths to practically respond to the social and economic challenges, within an anxious and ever-changing environment.
Watch the recording
Listen to this new song by John Bell from the Iona Community which sums up all our hopes for the future.
Click to play: We will meet
By: Revd Dr Catherine Okoronkwo
The event will be hosted using zoom. Contact Simon or one of the staff team for details if you would like to join in
The plan for the evening is as follows:
1. Welcome by Tom Price – 8 pm
2. Focus on the government and our frontline care workers – introduction (3 minutes) by John Edmonds – Freshbrook Church, followed by 12 minutes of prayer in our zoom groups
3. Focus on renewal, revival, and outreach– introduction (3 minutes) by Colin Thornton – Gateway Church, followed by 12 minutes of prayer in our zoom groups.
4. Focus on Young people – introduction (3 minutes) by Dave Clarke SYFC – followed by 12 minutes of worship in our zoom groups.
5. Focus on our families/church – introduction (3 minutes) by Tom Price – Discovery Church, followed by 12 minutes of prayer in our zoom groups.
6. Finish at 9.05 pm with a closing prayer
The way it will work is that you’ll be added to the entire group as you sign in and see lots of people. Once the introduction has been covered for each area, you’ll be assigned to a group of up to 4 others, and we want to encourage you to say a quick hello to one another and then spend the 12 minutes we’ve allocated praying together for the needs highlighted. You’ll then be brought back to the main screen for another 3-minute intro etc.
Please feel free to invite any Christians you know in Swindon and the surrounding area to join us that evening. We want to make it a time of real earnest prayer for our town and our nation as well as our own lives. If you would like to participate, please contact Simon or one of the staff team (staffteam@christchurchswindon.co.uk)
This virtual gathering is a meaningful way for us to join in these difficult times and encourage one another in prayer. We can accommodate up to 500 users, so feel free to join as a couple, an individual or as a family.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has launched a FREE national ‘phone line as a simple new way to bring worship and prayer into peoples’ homes whilst church buildings are closed.
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of the telephone line. The 24 hour a day line is particularly helpful for those unable to join online church services;
The free ‘phone number is: 0800 804 8044