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There was a time whenreligion was considered tobe the answer; nowadaysit’s part of the problem. Ifwe are to reconnect withour contemporary culturethen we will need to payclose attention to thecharacter of the modernspiritualsearch.

So many of theconversations Ihaveonthesubject suggest that theChurch has little to say onthe questions that themajority of people areasking. Disenchantmentwith institutional religion isnot a new phenomenon,although it may takedifferentforms.

The perennial questionsremain: howcanwe live inrelationship with others?How can we knowourselves? How can wediscernourpriorities?Whatdoes it mean to live incommunity? How can welivewithinourlimitations?

Howrefreshingthereforetodiscover a community of

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people whose authoritycomes from theauthenticity of their livesand not through preachingto others – a group sowedded to the experienceof God as absolute anduncompromising, yethumorous,humaneandnotcondemning of thosewhose way of life isdifferenttotheirown.Iam,ofcourse,talkingaboutthedesert fathers andmotherswhose growth in theEgyptian desert in thefourth century was largelyinspired by the life ofAnthony of Egypt, who theChurch remembers onTuesdayofthisweek.

They weren’t successful byworldly standards,but theyhad a quality to their lives

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which touches our heartsand inspires us with thesame spirit of generosityandperseverance.

Here at St Paul’sKnightsbridge we arecommitted to seeking Godin ways which are shapedby the spirit exemplifiedbythe desert fathers andmothers: rooting our livesinGod,meetingtheanxietyof our age with deepeningtrustintheloveofGodandseekingimaginativewaysofresponding to the needs ofthose around us. The livesof the saints shouldn’t justmake us think ‘Howastonishing!’ but rather‘There’s a new possibilityformylifetoo!’

FrLouisDarrant

Keepingfaith

TH IS WEEK ’ S SERV ICES :

The Weekly Sheet Week beg inning Sunday 15 January 2017:

The Second Sunday of Epiphany

PatronalFestival25-29January

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OnWednesday25thJanuaryat7:00pm:SolemnEvensong.MusicbyVictoria,MendelssohnandStanford;thepreacherisFrNickMercer.Theservicewillbefollowedbyareception.

Friday27thatlunchtimefrom1till2pm:afree‘drop-in’concertfor

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friends,localresidentsandworkerswithHowardShelley(piano)andtheLondonMozartPlayers.

OnSaturday28thJanuaryat7:30pm:TamilaSalimdjanova(SPKMusicScholar)andtheThamesChamberOrchestrawillperformtheChopinPianoConcertNo.1.

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OnSundaymorning,January29that11:00therewillbeanorchestralmasswiththefirstperformanceofanewcompositionbyFindlaySpence(SPKMusicScholar).ThepreacherisFrAlanGyle.PleasenotethatthereisonlyoneMassonthisdayat11:00am.

Fullerdetailsat:www.spkb.org

Sunday: 15January2017TheSecondSundayofEpiphanyFamilyMassat09:00SolemnMassat11:00MissaOctava–HasslerTribusmiraculis–MarenzioOsacrumconvivium–TallisPreacher:BishopMichaelColcloughMonday: 16January2017FeriaMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:00Tuesday: 17January2017AnthonyofEgyptMassat08:00Meditationat08:30Wednesday: 18January2017TheWeekofPrayerforChristianUnityMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:45Thursday: 19January2017Wulfstan,BishopMorningPrayerat09:00Massat18:00Friday: 20January2017FeriaMassat18:00Saturday: 21January2017FeriaMorningPrayerat09:00MassatnoonSunday: 22January2017TheThirdSundayofEpiphanyFamilyMassat09:00SolemnMassat11:00MissaVinumBonum-LassusSee,see,thewordisincarnate–GibbonsCibavitEos-ByrdPreacher:FrNickMercer

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VolunteerswantedfortheJanuarypre-PatronalFestivalchurchclean–onSaturday21stJanuaryfrom10amtillnoon.

AfterabusyDecember–anddespitetheamazingdailyeffortsofGladys,our

January Church Cleaning

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cleaner–thechurchisneedofabigspringclean.

Noparticularskillsarenecessary,justawillingnesstogetstuckintooneofmanyjobs,whetherhoovering,dusting,removingwaxorpolishing

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silver.

ThankstoSerenaButt,PhilDaviesandFrLouisDarrantforco-ordinatingefforts.Pleasehaveawordwithoneofthem,orsignthesign-upsheetatthebackofchurch.

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Threeopportunitiesforexpandingyourprayerhorizonsinthecomingyear.

MEDITATION:EveryTuesdaymorningat8:30am,afterthe8:00ammass,FrLouisDarrantleadsatimeofquietmeditationintheChancel.Thisformofsilent,imagelessprayerusingamantraorprayerwordisrootedintheGospel,thelettersofStPaulandoriginatedwiththeearlyDesertFathersofthe4thcentury.Newcomersarewelcometoshareinthis

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spacewhichincludesquietmusic,areadingfromthewritingsofthelateFrJohnMain,followedby20minutesofsilentmeditation.

PRAYERBRANCH:OnthethirdTuesdayeveningofeachmonth(nextmeetingTuesday17thJanuary),theparishPrayerBranchmeetsinElmParkGardens.Bycomingtogetheronaregularbasisbasisweaimtodeepenourprayerlives,knowledgeofthebible,andoverallunderstandingofourFaith.Throughcreatingasenseof peaceandquietnessawayfromournormalpressuresweareabletofeelateasewitheachotheranddiscussandsharethoughtsonbiblical

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passagesandthecomplexitiesoftryinginameaningfulwaytolivetheChristianlife,withtimetooforsilenceandreflection.Andwemeetasacommittednucleusforspecificandgeneralintercessoryprayers.FordetailspleasecontactCecilyWorrallon02073527844

INTERCESSIONWORKSHOP:Aworkshop(postponedfromNovember)willbeheldinchurchonSaturday,4thFebruaryfrom10.00amto11.30amtohelpintercessorsdeveloptheirpractice.FormoreinformationpleasespeaktoFrLouis.

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LentthiscomingyearwillbeginonWednesday1stMarch.TheDiocesanLentAppealwillbefortheworkofALMA.OurparticularfocusintheparishwillbetoraisefundstopromoteouremerginglinkwiththeparishofAllSaintsNamhavilainMozambique–

ALMA Lent Appeal in 2017

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hopefullyeventofindawaytobringFrAlfredoNhabetsetojoinusinLondon.

Pleasewillyouputyourthinkingcapsontoidentifyinnovativewaystoraisefundsforthisimportantwork?Hostadinner?Plananevent?Comeupwithacunningstrategy?Andthen

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willyouspeaktoFrAlanorFrLouisaboutit?

Youare,afterall,oneofthemoreenterprisingcongregationsinLondon…

“expand your prayer horizons in 2017”

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Your life of prayer in 2017

“Booking is now open for three excursions with a spiritual dimension.”

T h e W e e k l y S h e e t Page 3

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Booking will open on 4thJanuary for threeexcursionswithaspiritualdimension.

The Parish Retreat will takeplace in the five starDonnafugataHotelandSpa,Sicily from Monday 15th –Friday19thMay 2017. Thisall inclusive ‘Mind, Body,Spirit’holisticretreatwillbeled by AlanGylewith JackieCameronandLindseyGray.

For those who wish to staycloser to home, join us for

Retreats, Pilgrimages & Trips in 2017

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the Parish Pilgrimage to thehistoric and beautiful LlŷnPeninsula in Snowdonia,NorthWales from Thursday7th to Sunday 10thSeptember 2017 for anexperience of Welshspirituality and to visit theshrinesoftheancientsaints.

Andon24thJune2017therewillbeadaytriptoSalisburyCathedralinWiltshire.

For all these trips, pleasesavethedate–andregister

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your interest through ourwebsiteatwww.spkb.org

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Please pray formembers ofthe PCC and for those inleadershipatStPaul’saswemoveinto2017.

Funding a Renewed Purpose

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Following six months of hardwork in the background bythe staff team, in FebruarythePCCwillhaveanawaydayto consider the recentlycompleted draft StrategicDevelopment Plan for StPaul’sandoutlineforan£8Mappeal for phase 1 of thedevelopment.

The aim of this is to see StPaul’s set-up to be a livelyand missional Christianpresenceforthenextcentury

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– and to add to its alreadyhealthy congregational andworshipping life somestrandsofoutreach.

We are calling this appeal‘Funding a renewedpurpose’ – and we areexcitedaboutthenextsteps.

We will look forward topresenting the plan andproposedprogrammetothecongregation in due courseafterthePCCAwayDay.

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Wepraythisweekfor:TheBishopofLondon;StPaul’s,KStreet,WashingtonDC;FrAlfredoandthepeopleofAllSaints,Nhamavila,Mozambique;Allpeoplesufferingtheeffectsofstormsandnaturaldisasters;thepeoplesofSyria;The“English-speakingcause”inCameroon.

Please pray for…

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Amongthesickandthoseinneed:Patricia Dopheide; NickSamuelson; John Watson;Michael Cooke; John King;Alain Jouret, William Guise;Shands Prevost; Ian Powe;Gregoriy Galitzine; JohnUdal;DanGadow;MaryAnnBrashler; John Roberts;Juliette Gimon; FrancisFaber;JohnWood.

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Andwe pray for the recentlydeparted:StuartMacDowallYear’smind:ArthurStuartDuncan-Jones19/1DonaldBertramHarris20/1StanSherrington20/1RichardThornton21/1

St Paul’s Knightsbridge The Parish Office 32a Wilton Place

London SW1X 8SH

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IN THE PARISH OFFICE The Vic ar’ s PA

Felicity Cranfield felicity@spkb.org 020 7201 9999

The Parish Administrator Kimball Bailey pa@spkb.org 020 7201 9999

Communications & Events Charlotte Wolseley Brinton charlotte@spkb.org 020 7201 9999

VOLUNTEERING St Paul’s has a small paid staff and a large team of volunteers who enable us to do far more than our staffing budget allows. If you would like to get involved, please have a word with us, whether you are willing to ‘lend a hand’ or whether you bring specialist or professional skills. We also recognise that many people simply want to come and go as regular worshippers – and so if you don’t want to get involved, that’s fine too!

LAY OFFICERS & OTHER STAFF Churc hwarden John Tweddle john.tweddle@bidwells.co.uk 020 77363878 Churc hwarden Phil Davies phil@spkb.org 07989 387198 Deputy Churchwardens (Sidesmen) Roland Brunner, Serena Butt, Caroline Docker, Margaret Gadow, Gardenia Griffith, Nicoletta Lindsay, Aidan Linton-Smith, Jeremy Orlebar, Susie Thornton, Tom Tull, Sarah Tytherleigh. Treasurer: Noel Craven Lady Verger & Chur chwardens’ Deputy

Veronica Scott veronicamscott@hotmail.com

020 7603 7680

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THE CLERGY The Vic ar

Fr Alan Gyle alan@spkb.org 020 7201 9999 07939 805970

The Associate Vicar

Fr Louis Darrant louis@spkb.org 020 7201 9992 07779 103826

Honorary Ass istant Clergy (l-r) Fr Nick Mercer; Fr Andrew Norwood; Fr Graham Palmer; Bishop Michael Colclough A priest is available before or after the daily Eucharist for confession and spiritual guidance, and also by appointment. A member of the parish clergy is always available in pastoral emergencies and we will be glad to be contacted at whatever hour, seven days a week; however, as a general rule, Fr Alan is unavailable on Mondays and Fr Louis is unavailable on Fridays.

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Director of Music Stevie Farr

sforganist@gmail.com 07930 542555 Ass istant Di rec tor of Music Michael Papadopoulos michael.pap514@gmail.com Music Scholars (l-r) Adam Mathias (Organ); Findlay Spence (Cello & Composition); Tamila Salimdjanova (piano)

Who’s who at St Paul’s?

Phone 020 7201 9999 E-mail info@spkb.org

Fully Alive Embracing Difference Transformed by God

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INF ORMATION

www.spkb .o rg

AND RE GISTER FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL

Contact us Page 4