Holy Week

Holy Week Festival 2009 - Palm Sunday.

We celebrated Palm Sunday in all our regular services, as well as our additional daily offices for Holy Week. We also started to set up the Labyrinth with a wonderful team of helpers.

Many hands made light work and we constructed it in half the time it took us last year.

We are three days into the 24/7, 212 hour chain of prayer and the prayer room walls are filling with artwork and prayers.

The Cafe helpers are doing a marvellous job of giving hospitality to everyone who comes into the Abbey; and a steady stream of people view the brilliant art exhibition by local A Level students 'Station of the Cross'.

After our evenings of comedy and jazz, tonight there was local talent in the form of our organist John Hughes and also a solo from Julie Jowitt.

 Tomorrow, at 10pm on the Angel Stage there will be live music from Sally Archer. 

Holy Week Festival 2009 - Sat. 4th April.

In the morning, whilst others kept everything running smoothly at the Abbey, some of the congregation went to Bristol Cathedral to support Nigel as he was licensed as a Lay Minister.

This evening we were privileged to host a performance of the moving 'Passion Suite'. Written and performed by the brilliant Kairos Ensemble; a group of professional Jazz musicians. 

It was superb and rather took everyone's breath away!  www.kairosensemble.com

Holy Week Festival 2009 - Opening Night.

Mr Tim Gilson, Head Teacher at Malmesbury Secondary School, opened the Festival at 7:30 Friday 3rd April. He spoke of the good links between the school and the church and the talent of the A-level students whose art work is on display in the Abbey.

The Youth Group were first into the 24/7 prayer room, and were soon painting prayers all over the praise wall.

At 9pm, there was live comedy on the Angel Stage from Comedians Andy Kind and Tony Vino. 

The Cafe also outdid itself by offering not only coffee but Turkish delight flavoured cake too. I couldn't decide which to have so in the end I had a bit of both!

 Followed by our first 'Night Prayer' Compline Service of Holy Week.

Setting up - 1st April'09.

The Abbey is going through its Annual transformation for Holy Week. The Angel Stage is complete and the sofas have arrived.

As furniture is moved we take the opportunity to have a spring clean! 

The McRobies and the Vicar get stuck in with the polish till the Choir Stalls are gleaming.

And in the evening the youth group helped set up the prayer room by constructing the prayer wall - which took much longer and was much more complicated than we remembered it being! 

It's amazing how much fun you can have with duck tape.

 

Holy Week Festival 2009 - Programme.

The Abbey's Holy Week Festival begins tomorrow! Time has flown by and things are still being set up, but we are all really looking forward to the coming week. We hope you will join us for a tea in cafe, or to walk the labyrinth, pray in the prayer room or join us in the daily office. And don't forget to come and see the amazing art exhibition of our local A Level student, 'Station of the Cross', which will be opened by Head Teacher Tim Gilson tomorrow at 7:30pm.

Friday 3rd      

7:30pm             Holy Week & Art Exhibition opening – Mr Tim Gilson

8pm                 24/7 Prayer begins

9pm                 The Isaac Project - comedy (£5/£2)

11pm               Night Prayer

 

Saturday 4th    Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

12noon             Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7:30pm            The Kairos Ensemble – Passion Suite (£5/£2)

9pm                 Night Prayer

 

Palm Sunday   Art Exhibition all day

8am                 BCP Communion

10.30am          Holy Communion

4pm                 Informal Worship & Junior Church

9pm                 Night Prayer

10pm               Angel Stage – John Hughes (Organ)

 

Monday 6th     Labyrinth opens & Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

12noon             Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7pm                 Facedown – contemporary worship

9pm                 Night Prayer

10pm               Angel Stage – Sally Archer (Voice)

Tuesday 7th     Labyrinth & Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

12noon             Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening Prayer

5pm                 Djembe Drum Workshop (11-18s)

7pm                 Facedown – contemporary worship

9pm                 Night Prayer

10pm               Angel Stage – Bill Badley (lute/guitar) and Frock Band

Wednesday 8th Labyrinth & Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          Holy Communion in Choir Stalls

12noon             Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening Prayer

7pm                 Facedown – contemporary worship

9pm                 Night Prayer

10pm               Angel Stage – Nelson Recorder Trio

 

Maundy Thursday 9th Art Exhibition & Labyrinth (until 7pm)

8am                 Morning Prayer

12noon             Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening prayer

7pm                 Simple Communion in Choir Stalls

8.30pm            Stripping of the Sanctuary & Labyrinth

9pm                 Night Prayer

10pm               Gethsemane Watch

 

Good Friday 10th  Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

10.30am          All-age Service & March of Witness

12noon            CTiM Service in Birdcage Walk

4pm                 Evening Prayer

6pm                 Funeral Music for Queen Mary & Scripture Readings

9pm                 Night Prayer

 

Easter Eve Saturday 11th  Art Exhibition all day

8am                 Morning Prayer

10-12               Healing in the Streets (Birdcage Walk)

12noon            Midday Prayer

4pm                 Evening prayer

5pm                 Djembe Drum Workshop (Adults)

9pm                 Night Prayer

11pm-5am        The Vigil

 

Easter Day Sunday 12th  Art Exhibition all day

5am                 End of Vigil & Renewal of Baptismal Vows

6am                 Service of Light & Holy Communion

7:30am             Breakfast

8am                 BCP Holy Communion

10.30am          Holy Communion

4pm                All-age Communion (at 5pm 212 hours of prayer ends)

6:30pm           BCP Choral Evensong

March 23rd - EASTER DAY

'On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ''Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!'' ' Luke 24.

In the first light of dawn, about 50 people met in the Abbey to celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead. One by one they renewed their baptismal vows, pouring water on their own head 3 times from the font and having the sign of the cross made in oil on their forehead by the Vicar. Then we all lit a candle and processed up to the altar - newly decorated in gold cloth.

After taking communion and celebrating the victory of Jesus over death, we walked out the Abbey into the cool morning air shouting...

ALLELUIA, CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELUIA!

It has been the most amazing journey!

March 22nd - Easter Eve

A dark day in the story of Holy Week. The disciples, having seen Jesus die, are scared and scattered. But there is also a great sense of anticipation - tomorrow is Easter Day!

This morning was the first 'Healing in the Streets'. It started off as 'healing in the sleets' as the weather was less than ideal, but we set out our chairs and signs, and put the kettle on.

Rt Revd Bishop Mike of Bristol joined us and we gave out leaflets letting people know that for the next two hours we were waiting in Birdcage Walk happy to pray with anyone who wanted prayer.

We had a wonderful 2 hours, praying with over 20 people and enjoying a cup of tea and a chat with many of them.

Not only that but the Easter Bunny turned up!

So we took him inside to meet Bishop Mike.

From now on we will continue to be in Birdcage Walk in Malmesbury on Saturday mornings 10am-12noon to pray with anyone who wants prayer.

After 10pm evening prayer in the Abbey the lights were nearly all extinguished and the all night Vigil began at 11pm. About 16 people stayed all night - watching and waiting for Easter morning and the rising of the sun and the Son of God.

Every half an hour we met in a circle of chairs and light around the font for a Bible reading. Through the nightly readings we worked our way through the whole Bible story from Genesis.

Between half hourly readings we dispersed into the dark Abbey to think, pray, and the occasional snore was heard too! The 212 hour non-stop prayer continued in the prayer room, and many of us had signed up for one of the hours in there during the vigil.

From 3am more people began to arrive and by 5am our numbers had swelled to nearly 50, for the Service of Light which begins in the first light of dawn on Easter Day.

March 21st - Good Friday

Churches Together In Malmesbury joined together to carry the cross in a march of witness through the streets of Malmesbury. We then had an outdoor service in birdcage walk.

In the evening the choir gave a stirring performance of Faure's Requiem with readings from Matthew's gospel.

Tomorrow we meet to pray for healing on the streets of Malmesbury 10am-12noon. If you want prayer for anything - meet us there.

There will be an adult djembe drum workshop at 5pm,
Songs of the Cross at 7pm,
10pm Night Prayer
and then from 11pm till 5am the Vigil - where we will stay up waiting, praying and watching all night.

Till, as we see the sun rise on Easter morning, we celebrate the rising of the Son of God! At 6am we will then all renew our baptismal vows in a service of light and dedicate our lives again to God's love and service. So amazing and exciting!

20th March - Maundy Thursday, Gethsemane.

Today 100 children (years 5 & 6) from Malmesbury primary school walked the labyrinth, used the prayer room and looked at the art exhibition (which we used again for assembly in the secondary school). They had a great time on the labyrinth and covered the praise wall in the prayer room.

There was a great atmosphere again all day; and lots of prayer, cake, coffee and laughter.
After Songs of the Cross there was a simple communion service.

Then, mindful of how many people had walked the labyrinth, and how much they had been moved and helped by walking this sacred space, we prayed a psalm of lament, and gently and sadly dismantled it. Starting at the outer rings and moving inward the labyrinth was stripped at the same time as the altar - ready for Good Friday.



Ring by ring, in a matter of minutes, the labyrinth melted back into the floor.


As the last circles disappeared I shed a few tears! All that was left was an echo of chalk, but the impact this labyrinth made on hundreds of people will linger.


Once it was all gone we said a prayer of thanks and took the big candle, which has burned in the centre of the labyrinth almost continuously for nearly 7 days and nights, and placed it with the tea lights by the big cross - about half an hour later its flame reached its base and gutted.

This photo shows the stripped altar. Today we remember Jesus agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, tomorrow we remember his death - there will be no flowers, no coloured cloth in the church. All is stripped bare, everything is in mourning.

The day ended with the Gethsemane watch where we 'watched an hour with Christ - Matt.26:40' and then with night prayer.

19th March - late night music on the Angel Stage goes out with a bang.

Today we had lots of Brownies walking the labyrinth, some of whom stayed on for Songs of the Cross. We went into the primary and secondary schools in Malmesbury again using the stations of the cross art work in assembly and answering questions. It was also the final concert on the Angel Stage. Malmesbury School music teacher Chris Knibbs played guitar and sang with guest performers from the school. The 5 concerts have all been brilliant and we will miss them. Tomorrow the tone of the festival shifts as we move towards Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday 20th is your last chance to walk the labyrinth - which will be removed at 8pm when we strip the altar. Good Friday is the day we remember the death of Jesus and the church is stripped of all flowers, altar cloths and decoration and the labyrinth.

Join us on Thursday for 8pm Morning Prayer, 12 noon Midday Prayer, 4pm Evening Prayer, 7pm Songs of the Cross, 7:30pm simple communion, 8:30 Stripping of the sanctuary and labyrinth, 9pm Gethsemane watch (an hours vigil) and 10pm Night Prayer.