Our faith rests on Scripture and some 2,000 years of Christian tradition, but we must also use our own sense of reason and remain open to the promptings of the Spirit of God in Christ to maintain a living faith for today.
Christians have always gathered to worship, finding support and friendship in being with others. One of the essential parts of the Christian experience is to share the Eucharist together in church. By worshipping God in this way, he shares his love with us.
But being a Christian isn’t just about worshipping God. It is also about sharing in the life of the Christian community. We can often experience God through the lives of others, which is why we hold a mixture of religious and social activities at St Mary’s throughout the year.
Please feel free to join us at any of our service or activities. If you’ve got any questions, please just ask!
The Eucharist
The Eucharist (a Greek word meaning ‘thanksgiving’) is also known as the Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper or Mass. In this service we have the great privilege of receiving the ‘body and blood’ of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In a final meal with his friends, Jesus took bread, broke it and shared it saying, ‘This is my body’. Jesus then passed a cup of wine among the disciples and said, ‘This is my blood’. This was to show that the next day his body would be broken and his blood spilt. So as we share bread and wine, we remember Jesus’ death on the cross.
Yet the Eucharist is much more than a commemoration of Jesus’ death. For 2000 years Christians have believed that the bread and wine are a special focus for the presence of Christ, so in receiving them we meet with our risen Lord. Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist to feed us and fill us with his new life.
Prayer
We believe that prayer is a force for good that God has placed in our hands. Prayer is therefore an important Christian responsibility.
Praying is about:
- being with God,
- talking to God and
- listening to God
You can pray:
- any time,
- any place,
- anywhere
It’s good to set aside time to be with God. Find a quiet place, sit or kneel and ask God to help you still your thoughts and mind. Remember, God is always with you. He loves you. He wants to help you.
The church is open during the day for prayer. There is a Prayer Board by the Lady Chapel where you can light a candle and request prayers for those in need.
There is no greater blessing than a friend who’s there when good times aren’t.