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Take time to pray

May's Breathe

by Rev. Wendy Sellers


(please see the link towards the bottom of the page for a pdf document of all these prayers)

 

Let us pray...

Here we are at the beginning of May, and I’m guessing this is a favourite month for many. If you are a working person it has two bank holidays in it. If you are at school, or work in one, it has half term. For churchy types it has both Ascension Day and Pentecost – two joyous festivals. For all of us, Spring has well and truly sprung. The heating can be turned off and the winter clothes packed away. And Creation is just going mad. The new greens are fresh, late blossom blooms and the danger of frost hopefully past. There is a reason that, for centuries, Morris Men and Maypole dancers have ‘danced in the May’.
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All of the joys of May are things to celebrate. So, let’s start by thanking God for His goodness.
 


Looking Up

Good Father,
We thank you for the many blessings of our lives. For the season of spring and the hope it brings. For the wonder of the created world. For the new things we have learned and done in the past weeks. We thank you for our churches of St Mary’s and St Andrew’s. Thank you for the blessing of being able to share more widely our joy in the Gospel. May we all truly feel that no-one is more welcome than every one of us.
Let’s take some time now to thank God for some of the blessings in our own lives and the life of our churches currently.
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Thank you, God, for…
Amen

 


Looking Back

There will be things in the past few weeks you want to celebrate, but there may be things which feel uncomfortable, too.

So, let’s look back at some of the successes of April and praise God for those, and let’s surrender to God those things we feel we need forgiveness for.
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Dear God,
We praise you for the good things which have happened in the past few weeks. For new skills learnt, for challenges overcome, for relationships grown or re-built. Especially I give praise for...
And we say sorry now for the things we regret and for the things which would have been better left undone…
And God says,
I love you. I forgive you. Continue in peace.
Amen


 


Looking In

God knows us intimately – our thoughts and desires, our hopes and despairs. Jesus promised to be with us always and, during this time of isolation, we are never isolated from God. Some of us may feel even nearer to him than usual – more aware of his presence.
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Dear God,
How can we thank you? For your love and comfort. For your quiet, kindly presence. For never imposing yourself on your children, but instead waiting for us to turn to you. Help us to grow in our listening and our watching. Help us to look for Christ’s face in friend and stranger. Help us to bridge the gap between us and our fellows, a bridge made of love.
Help me to grow, Lord...
Amen


 


Looking Around

Let’s look around our homes first and think of those we share them with; our neighbours, our pets and, perhaps, visitors. Let’s think of those we have talked with, those who have provided help or support. Our situations are reflected across the globe. So, let’s hold in prayer all affected by the pandemic. Let’s hold in prayer those whose lives hold other fears and dangers.
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Dear God,
We pray for our homes. For our families and friends. For those we have contact with. We pray for our church communities and for the area we live in. We ask you to bless those who are fighting this pandemic – whether in an ICU ward, or a virtual classroom, or a shop, or at home. And we pray for those still affected by the disasters of this planet – whether natural or made by humans.
Especially I pray for …………………………….
Amen

 


Looking Forward

We have, perhaps, become, to a large extent, locked into the present. It is hard to plan when we have no clear idea of what the future holds. It is hard to accept that things already planned may not happen, or may happen differently.

At the January Breathe prayer meeting, we looked forward to the New Year and I used these words:
“We make plans, but we should hold them lightly.”
I was rather more accurate than I intended!

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t dream – of seeing loved ones, of travel, of celebrations, of being back together physically. Some of us may dream of returning to school or work, some simply of being allowed to do our own shopping again. God loves our dreams, so let’s share them with Him. It is absolutely fine if those dreams are personal to you. That is not selfish. Our loving Father wants to know the real us, with all our hopes and fears. 
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Dear God,
We pray for our lives going forward.
For the life of the church, and our hopes and dreams for the coming months and years. For the future of our world.
Especially I pray for…
Amen


 


A final prayer and blessing

Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed by thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And led us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen

A Final Blessing
May Christ,
who out of defeat brings new hope and a new future,
Fill us with his new life.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you today, tomorrow and always.
Amen

Rev Wendy Sellers, 2 May 2020

Saturday 2 May - Breathe (pdf document)


On the first Saturday of the month
Take time to pray with Breathe, our monthly prayer gathering on the first Saturday of the month
Dates for 2020: 4 Jan, 1 Feb, 7 March, 4 April, 2 May, 6 June, 4 July, 5 Sept, 3 Oct, 7 Nov, 5 Dec

Glenys
Hello and welcome to St Andrew's. If you are new, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

No one belongs here more than you.

We look forward to meeting you! Here's some information so that if you're planning a visit you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.  We have other pages telling you more About Us, our approach to Faith and our Online services.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our main Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you find a parking space and can settle in before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Plan your journey:
While, unfortunately, St Andrew's does not have its own carpark, there is a council-run pay and display carpark a short distance along St Andrew Street, to the east of the church; there is a £1.50 flat-rate charge for parking in this carpark on Sundays (though half an hour or less is free).

This is a useful East Herts Council website page for full details of parking in Hertford.

There are single yellow lines outside the church with parking restrictions, but some 30-minute parking bays are situated on the opposite side of the road for short stays (longer on Sundays).

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet towards the back of the church, behind the kitchen.

Our Service

The service will usually begin promptly at 10.30am and will last between 60 and 75 minutes. We enjoy the presence of an excellent choir who help us sing hymns (modern and traditional) as well as provide anthems and special songs through the period of communion. We have a traditional organ but also benefit from music played on the piano and by our band (eg on the Second Sunday of each month when we have an All-Age Service in which our children and young people are fully involved).

Each 10.30am service includes a sermon, prayers and eucharist.

After the service, everyone is invited for coffee and conversation - some like to stay for a quick chat while others remain in the church for a longer time.

Communion

Children and Young People

Children are never too young to come to church. You and your children are very welcome at St Andrew’s. 

We really value worshipping God together as a family, so children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service before being invited to leave for the young people's activities after the first hymn. Junior Church meets in the St Andrew's Centre (our adjoining hall), accessed through the church on Sunday mornings. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy.

The children and young people then return to the main service in time to join the eucharist and, if confirmed, take Holy Communion or, if not, receive a blessing. We offer a grape or a little box of raisins to children being blessed at the altar.

There is a Children's Corner in church where you can go at any time. You will find books, toys and drawing materials there.

Toilet and baby-change facilities are located at the back of church, behind the kitchen.

There's lots more information here: Children and Young People at St Andrew's

Junior Church celebration

Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week. Check out Home Groups on our website and see if there’s one that you could join. Alternatively, speak to a member of the Welcome Team who will give you the information that you need.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. Please contact Phil in the Church Office.

Get in touch with us
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. You'll find our contact details here.

We hope that you will feel at home at our church.