Dear members and friends of St Mary's,

Week 2 of London lockdown begins, and you may feel as I do that it has already been going on for much longer. I hope you are all finding new rhythms of life and ways of staying safe and comfortable. Please email me on vicar@smvph.org.uk if you would like to be put in touch with other congregation members for regular phone chats or help with errands.

Every weekday (Monday to Friday) I am saying Evening Prayer in the vicarage and you are welcome to join me if you wish by Zoom link here
The service may be found by following the Prayer for the Day link on our website. Scroll down to "Join us in a service of daily prayer" and then select "Evening Prayer (Contemporary)" to see the words of the prayers and readings. You can also download the DailyPrayer app. Or you can just listen to the service being said.

Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday, 5th April. There will be a link at 10.30 on the parish website www.stmarysprimrosehill.com to watch the service. Afterwards a box of blessed palms will be left on the doorstep of the vicarage at 44 King Henry's Road, NW3 3RP. If you are passing while doing your shopping or taking exercise, fee free to help yourself to crosses for yourself and neighbours. You are also welcome to send a large A4 SAE to me at the vicarage and I will post a cross to you.

The parish website contains a list of Holy Week activities for children, young people and families thanks to Sarah Tahvanainen in Helsinki. We will also be posting further videos for young people on the website.

Holy Week services will be online at these times:

Maundy Thursday, 9th April, at 8 pm
Good Friday, 10th April, at 12 noon
Easter Sunday, 12th April, at 10.30 am (including some elements of the Easter Vigil)

All services will continue to be available afterwards on the website.

Here is a link to some activity ideas for the family for Holy Week.

Please do also cheat our Lockdown: Ideas, Activities & Support page on our website.

It looks as though our time of physical distancing will be a marathon rather than a sprint. This time will be a welcome break and a gift for some people, but a time of difficulty and anxiety for many others. For all of us there will be moments of boredom, frustration, depression and fear. Let's all treat ourselves (and anyone we live with) gently. 

We need to remember that "normal life" does not mean everything going swimmingly, with guaranteed health, success and happiness. Life has always been full of accidents and surprises, ups and downs, peaks and lows. As Christians we live hopefully and trustfully, ready to face whatever comes because we are sure of God's presence with us. Here is a simple prayer to use when we are having a bad time:
 

O God,
help me to trust you,
help me to know that you are with me,
help me to believe that nothing can separate me
from your love
revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessings,

Marjorie, Mark and Nick