From the Vicar

Not perhaps an everyday question on your lips! but one I would like to answer, simply to clear any `mystique', and to encourage you to think of worshipping in the early evening, particularly if mornings are not easy for you.

Some churches simply advertise Sunday worship as `Morning Service' and (if they have one) `Evening Service', but here in this benefice of three churches, with a variety of worship on offer, it has always seemed more helpful to indicate exactly what the particular service is.

In an ordinary month, the 6.00 pm service on the first 3 Sundays is at Swaffham Prior; on the 4th Sunday at Reach, and it is virtually always Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), unless clearly a special service (eg Songs of Praise). The format is that there are always 4 well-known hymns, and the psalm and the 2 canticles ( called the Magnificat { Song of Mary} & Nunc Dimittis {Song of Simeon)) are also sung, as are some of the prayers - hence the service is called Evensong:

Following the 1662 Book of Common Prayer order indicates that after the 3 collects f special prayers for the day), "in quires and places where they sing here followeth the Anthem " which happens when we are fortunate enough to have (eg) `Cambridge Voices' or `Cantilena' with us. On such occasions the service becomes Choral Evensong (BCP), and because we always like our services to finish in under an hour, there are often just prayers after the anthem and no sermon!

This is the reason why on ordinary Sundays the service is entitled Evensong (BCP) & Sermon, because the sermon is not prescribed in the Prayer Book; simply after the "set" prayers:- For the Queens's Majesty, For the Royal family, For Clergy & People, A Prayer of St Chrysostom and The Grace (2 Corinthians 13), the instruction simply reads "Here endeth the Order of Evening Prayer throughout the Year ". (Bizarrely, I remember when I was a choirboy at home, that the head chorister solemnly went and extinguished the candles at that point even though the other prayers and sermon, final hymn and blessing were still to come!).

So, why not come join others from across our villages for what is a reflective and uplifting end to a Sunday afternoon? whether in St Etheldreda & The Holy Trinity here, St Mary's Swaffham Prior, or in St Cyriac's Swaffham Prior for the "summer specials"- just keep an eye on the diary in `Out of Reach'.

Finally, this month we welcome Jan Petersen, a North Elbe Church pastor who is going to work with me for at least 6 months, as part of the twinning between the Diocese of Ely and their Church. He comes with his wife Gabriele and 8 month old son and they will be living at 58 High St Swaffham Prior (tel. 743022); please make them welcome as they share in the worshipping, pastoral, and social life of our parishes and deanery.

Next Page