Held in St Margaret’s Church

On the second Monday of the month at 2.30 pm

Julian meetings are held all over the world to foster the practice and teaching of meditation and contemplative prayer within the Christian tradition.

It is a chance to still oneself from the busyness of life, to enter into deep silence, stillness. Many people repeat a word quietly to centre their prayer and as the mind may wander, come back to the word.

We start with music to steady our thoughts. This leads us into our 40 minutes of silence and then music once again to lead us out from the depths of stillness. We then finish with tea and cake and chat.

If you would like to come along and give it a go, you can be sure of a very warm welcome as we enter silence together. We look forward to meeting you.

If this has stirred your curiosity about contemplative prayer, Mother Julian of Norwich, or you would like to find out more then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Elizabeth Reed
email: [email protected]
Website: thejulianmeetings.net

One Body and One Spirit
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January is an annual opportunity for the churches in Topsham to come together for a time of both celebration and prayer, using worship and study tools that are being shared across the Christian world. The theme this year is based on Ephesians 4:4, 'There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling', using material prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church along with the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. These resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
Paul’s epistles stress the importance of unity within the Church, urging us to live lives worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience and love (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians 4:4 summarises the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasising here, too, that the followers of Christ represent ‘one body and one Spirit’, united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition. Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.
In Topsham, the Week's activities will comprise opportunities for shared daily prayer and reflection and an ecumenical service, all using the material produced by the ecumenical team in Armenia. The short prayer meetings will take place over the five weekdays at 11 am, 19 to 23 January in the lounge at Holy Cross Catholic Church*, with each session led by a member of St Margaret's, St Nicholas Methodist or Holy Cross churches. The Week will culminate in an ecumenical service, to be led by the Revd Wayne Grewcock at St Nicholas on Sunday 25 January at 3 pm (followed by refreshments). Everyone is most welcome to attend some or all of these occasions.
(*Please note this location, a change from that advertised in the January edition of Estuary magazine.)

Every fourth Sunday in the month, we celebrate a family friendly Holy Communion, with a simplified order of service, and a more accessible style of music. There is an informal band for the songs, and video projection of liturgy and lyrics. There is a play area for the youngest members of the family. After the service, drinks and biscuits are available and everyone is encouraged to stay and socialise.