Singing the Faith Plus – January 2023

by admin · Published January 23, 2023 · Updated July 17, 2023

The Methodist Church

January 2023

We have a tradition in our house of keeping our Christmas “welcome lights” lit in the front window until 2 February – Candlemas.

For most of us, Candlemas is all that remains of “old Christmas”, the traditional period of 40 days between Christmas Day and the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple. There’s something still powerful about offering light in the darkness after all the twinkly fairy lights have been taken down from gutters and neatly pruned trees. And just as Mary and Joseph offer their child to Simeon in Jerusalem, our lights are a kind of question to ourselves: what will we ourselves offer into the darkness and into this new year?

P.S. You lovely people have obviously been talking about us… Following our call-out last month, we now have over 4,000 subscribers to this newsletter. Thank you – and welcome to all our newcomers!

Journeying to Easter

Planning for Lent? With Ash Wednesday on 22 February, it’s not far away – just 20 days after Candlemas (above)!

Lectionary suggestions are currently available through to the end of March, and April will follow soon. There are also other places you can look to help you with planning your Lent and Easter worship. Beginning Lent – some thoughts about Ash Wednesday does what it says on the tin, and the full range of other resources can be found under our Lent and Easter theme. A sequence of prayers for Lent and Easter is also available on the Methodist Church website.

If you’re thinking about services during Holy Week itself, you may find Holy Week (Year A) – a Singing the Faith introduction helpful.

In addition, Faith and Order have drafted some guidance for people concerning anti-Semitism and the service for Good Friday.

Local Arrangements – don’t panic!

Those moments can arrive when you unexpectedly need to find some worship materials for a local arrangement Sunday in your church. We’ve built up a range of resources on StF+, including a “don’t panic!” step-by-step guide to starting your planning.

We’ve recently updated these resources. Check them out – you never know when they might come in handy.

Midi solutions

In our December newsletter, we shared a question about playing MIDI files from the StF CD set, perhaps as converted MP3 files. Many of you sent in responses. Thank you so much. Your thoughts and suggestions have been compiled into a post that you can access via our CD information.

This is a draft post. If you have suggestions for clarification or amendment, do let us know.

Faith on the frontline

Worship is just one context in which we celebrate the Christian good news. Many of us hesitate to do this elsewhere. How can we best live, tell and share faith in our vibrant, diverse world? Frontline offers a space to join in that exploration. What does it mean to connect with others in talking about God? What can we say to others about the good news?

If you are aged 18-30, Frontline is a place you can meet with other young adults to ask questions, share learning and bring challenges. The gathering takes place this year on 11-12 March at Cliff College in Derbyshire. Whatever your experience or confidence level, you are welcome. Find out more here.

Finally, the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada has put out a call for new hymns and songs for congregational singing that address one or more aspects of “Land, Language, and Liberation,” the theme for the society’s 2023 Annual Conference in Montréal. “The theme was chosen in response to the complex issues that continue to challenge all those living in Québec, in Canada, and throughout North America.” The search is for a text, whether written for an existing or a new musical setting. The use of multiple languages is encouraged, but not required.

The writer of the winning entry will receive a $500 prize. Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2023.

View the search guidelines on the Society’s website.

Thank you for your continuing interest in, an engagement with, Singing the Faith Plus and this newsletter. The StF Reference Group has some interesting ideas and developments under discussion at present – by subscribing to our newsletter, you will continue to be the first to hear about our news and initiatives.

Laurence

Laurence Wareing @ stfplus@methodistchurch.org.uk