Join us Online: YouTube (from 6am Sunday)

For those who feel safe and would find it a support to come in person to church, then the church is open at 10:30am on Sunday:

If you plan to come please book to attend

(booking possible for Sundays in March):

Register to attend​

Also, join us for a chat at 11:30am on Sunday: 

Click this link to join the Zoom meeting.

"A new command I give you: Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)

How do you love one another when the world has changed so much? The new command that Jesus gives is in essence to act like Jesus, to love others as Jesus has loved us. When thinking about how to love one another in the present world, we need to ask the question, 'What would Jesus do?' 

At a superficial level that does not help much. After all as far as the gospels tell us, Jesus did not live through a Pandemic and the Romans did not issue 'Stay at Home' orders or lockdowns. Yet, Jesus loved by being willing to lower himself and serve others who did not deserve it, even when that cost him deeply.

This is not easy, but Jesus was able to take on the form of a servant, because he was confident in his identity and vocation as the Son of God (see John 13:3). Even then Jesus struggled, as we see from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:35-36). However, he did so by praying to his Father. If we are going to love others at this difficult time then we need to renew our sense of identity as children of God and struggle with our Father in prayer. 

Sunday is a year since St. Luke's was closed and we produced our first online service. This Tuesday is the anniversary of the announcement of the first lockdown and there is going to be a National Day of Reflection, including a minute of silence at 12noon.

This is a great event for us as Christians to engage in. We can bring all our emotions and struggles that we have gone through in the last year to our loving heavenly Father in the hope of renewing our sense of identity as his children and gaining the strength to show his love and care in the days ahead.

To help with this we are going to open the church for private prayer on Tuesday 23rd from 12noon to 6pm. We are also making available a sheet to help people reflect on and if they would like share how the last year has been for them. Please check out the website to read more...

Join us this Sunday as we return to our series: Encounters with Jesus. This week we are looking at Peter: Are you going to wash my feet?​ The reading is John 13:1-17.

Please read on...

• Prayer: Opener to send in, plans for Easter and the latest prayer requests.
• Care: Volunteer to help open the church on Tuesday, a rise and recline arm chair and a job opportunity as a youth evangelist.
• Share: The latest on 'St. Luke's Stories' web page and a link to a YouTube Easter Event for children.

Contributions to this week's Opener

For this Sunday: We need people responding to:

"Jesus said, 'A new command I give you...'

with: "Love one another"

Please send contributions in as soon as possible (by 10am on Friday). You can send them by Whatsapp (07769 871520) or by WeTransfer.com to: [email protected].

For next Sunday:  We need people responding to: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" with Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Easter Services:

As we are still in the midst of lockdown the Easter Services and talks will be mainly online, although we hope that there will be a number of services in church as well. We will finalise times and plans  for these and ask people to register online from next Thursday.

Easter Reflections

These will be 10 minute talks released daily from Monday 29th to Saturday 3rd on YouTube with questions for reflection. They will also be given as live talks with some music and space for reflection in half-hour slots from 12noon-3pm on Good Friday (2nd April).

The Easter Story

This is a presentation of the Easter Story for children. We will put it on YouTube for Good Friday, but are looking to see whether it might be possible in church as well on Good Friday morning.

Easter Sunday Service

As for normal Sundays, we will be making a service available on YouTube. However, church will be open for a communion service in-person for those who feel comfortable attending. It may be that we have two services so that we have plenty of space. If you are planning to attend on Easter Sunday and are not presently attending in-person services, then please let me know so we can plan for this.

Read more about the Easter Services here...

Prayer Requests:

​​Be assured I will do my best to check that people are happy for the requests to be shared before including them. Please pray for...

• Joy Smithers is in hospital. She is having an operation this Friday to remove the pins from the leg she broke last year, because these are infected. She has also now broken her other leg.

• Pauline (Gloria's friend) having an operation on Monday to remove a tumour from her lung.

• Shirley Crabb had a pre-assessment for a hip operation on Wednesday. Pray that the operation can go ahead soon.

• Annie's mum that they can find the right residential care home for her.

• Flo Baldock having problems with her stomach, having a scan on 23rd.

• Jean Mayton, after a serious bleed on the brain recently.

• Nathan Court for his continuing treatment.

• Barb (Gloria's daughter's friend) starting radiotherapy and chemotherapy in March.

• Jeannette (Claudia's sister). The cancer has not spread and she starts Chemotherapy soon.

Can you help opening the church on Tuesday?

As mentioned above, we are going to open St. Luke's for Private Prayer on Tuesday from 12noon until 6pm. We need a couple of people in the church to welcome people and show them where to sit and block off pews after they have been used. 

If you can offer to help for all or some of the time, please let me know by return of email as soon as possible.

Rise and Recline Armchair

Lesley is clearing her mum's bungalow and wondered if anyone has need of a 'rise and recline armchair.' It is in very good condition and although it is four years old it has only had two years use. If you would be interested or know someone who might need it, then reply to this email and I will put you in touch.

Youth Evangelist

St. Mary Bredin church in Canterbury are advertising for a Youth Evangelist. If you know anyone who might be interested you can read more here...​

Last Week's Talk:

Growing Faith: Children and Young People (Psalm 78:1-8) - Available Online

How does an ancient Psalm, mothering Sunday and the film Terminator connect? This talk looks at a vision for the future as we seek to pass on the great truths of God's saving works and his rules for life from generation to generation.

St. Luke's Stories

This week there are three new items on the St. Luke's Stories page:

• Photo Memories: This is some photos sent in by Vanessa Shingles of some events we held at St. Luke's between 2016-2017.
• Looking to the SONlight: A second poem from Pam Elmes that focuses on the theme of hope in difficult times 
• Daniel's Story: This is a story of someone who was helped a lot through Thanet Winter Shelter and other joint church initiatives locally. None of this was directly linked with St. Luke's but it is a great encouragement of the impact of some of the initiatives being carried out by Christians in Thanet. Thank you to Andrew McMillan who asked Daniel these questions.

​Do keep sending in more 'life stories' so we can add them to our page. You could use the online survey for reflecting on the Pandemic​ to submit some thoughts to share on St. Luke's stories.

Interesting Blogs and Videos

Easter Explored:

James Patterson writes: Pulse Ministries are doing Easter Explored on YouTube from 1st - 3rd April. We have really enjoyed their Christmas Unwrapped and a 'summer camp' styled kids club last year. Wanted to share with the wider church, in case anyone wants to join in the fun! 

Finally, let's pray for one another as we reflect on the anniversary of the first lockdown.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge 

Vicar, St. Luke's Ramsgate

www.stlukesramsgate.org​