Musical greetings from Leah

PLEASE NOTE

The Vigil Mass scheduled for this Saturday, 5 July has been cancelled.

With Mthr Anna off sick at present, I decided I would write short blog post about music and God.

Organ pipes looking beautiful

I am playing the organ this Sunday as Tosin is taking time off and it was easier to get someone to cover my actual organist job at Hornsey Parish Church than to find someone else for St Aldhelm’s! I’ve actually played the piano for over 40 years and I trained professionally as a harpsichordist – the harpsichord is a forerunner to the piano, but instead of hammers hitting strings, inside there are little plectra that pluck the string when you strike a key. For many years though, almost thirty in fact, I’ve been playing the medieval harp more than keyboards. Coming back to the keyboard is like revisiting an old friend and reminds me of how and why I became so passionate about music. Playing the organ and directing the choir at HPC bring back why music for me is integral to my experience of worship and my experience of God.

In the beauty of music, I hear with awe a resonance of God’s creativity and wondrousness. Gratitude for this incredible gift fills me. As I sing with others, the power of connection that I experience helps me feel a part of a huge family of humans and recognise in them all neighbours that I love, just as Jesus asked us to do.

Music can allow you to focus and cut out thoughts of other things. When those other things aren’t crowding into your mind, God can find a space to speak to you. I know that not everyone finds this is the case, and I am so grateful that I am blessed to have this tool through which I can feel closer to God. What are your tools? Gardening maybe, or writing, or cooking, or crafting? I invite you all to take a moment of thankfulness for the things that help you feel closer to God.

Dear God

In this life of troubles and woe, we thank you for the amazing gifts of comfort and solace that you have given us. The beauty of a sunset, a child’s laughter, the sound of the wind in the trees, birdsong. We thank you particularly for those moments of connection in which we can sense your presence whether that is through your gift of music or other forms of creativity, when our minds calm enough that we can hear your still small voice and listen attentively to your merciful love.

We pray that all may feel your comforting presence and come to know you more deeply.

Through Christ our Lord

Amen

Mthr Anna also wanted me to pass on this message to you: "Thanks to everyone for your kind messages, prayers, cards and well wishes. I am definitely now on the mend but will be taking it slow to give my body a bit of time to recover for a few weeks. Your prayers for me and my family continue to be very welcome. God bless you all."

Notices

Mother Anna is off sick.

Please thank Fr Vincent Sheehan for covering our service on 6 July.

Coach trip to Southend The Mothers’ Union is arranging a day out in Southend-on-Sea on Saturday 2 August. The coach will leave St Aldhelm’s at 9am and will be back by 6pm – more information on the church noticeboards.

Volunteering at St Aldhelm’s Our Windmill social action projects contribute enormously to the life of this community, and we rely on volunteers to keep everything going. Can you commit some time regularly to ‘help out’? Are older teenagers in your family looking for community projects to add to their cv or UCAS form? Please visit our website to find out more and send an email to ask for a volunteering application form.

Summer at St Aldhelm’s As usual, we will be cutting back on activities in August. The church will not be open midweek for two weeks, 18-29 August, which means there will be no foodbank on 21 or 28 August. Additionally, there will be no Thursday service of Holy Communion throughout August. This quiet time gives our clergy, staff and volunteers time to plan, pray and prepare for the busy months ahead. Sunday services continue as normal, of course.