Andover Road
Wash Common
Newbury.
RG14 6NU
Vicar of Benefice
Revd Becky Bevan
01635 41249
(Benefice Office)
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St John’s Road,
Newbury
RG14 7PY
Associate Vicar
Revd Gary Collins
01635 41249
(Benefice Office)
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St John’s Facebook
St John’s Instagram
Church Lane
Enborne
RG20 0HD
Vicar of Benefice
Revd Becky Bevan
01635 41249
(Benefice Office)
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Worship Details here
Copyright © 2024 · All Rights Reserved · St George and St John, Newbury
Listening on the Way
A Journey with Jonah and the Spirituality of Bewilderment…
10 October 2020
We are living in strange and difficult times. All around us, (and in our own lives too), there is a feeling of anxiety, disorientation and bewilderment.
The Benefice Pilgrimage Day offered a chance to stop, to reflect, and to listen to what is going on within ourselves.
The opportunities to listen – through prayer, art, creativity, walking, thinking, and silence – enabled us all to discover something of ourselves, our neighbours and God.
Everyone was invited to participate as much as they could … for the whole day, or simply a five minute moment to reflect.
There were many activities taking place through the day.
Artistic Pilgrimage.
Click here to see how you can share in our artistic pilgrimage.
Videos from the Day
Click here to catch up on videos of services and reflections.
Scallop Shells!
We’re encouraging people to put decorated scallop shells (a sign of St James, and of pilgrimage) into their windows, or at the front of their house for people to spot. If you spot a shell, why not share a photo!
YouTube Links are on our YouTube Channel, here
The Full Day Programme
8.30am
Full-Day Walking Pilgrimage
A socially distanced service of commissioning and sending out for those undertaking a full-day’s walking pilgrimage. Each pilgrim departs with a small scallop shell as a reminder of pilgrimage, baptism, and as a focus for prayer.
St George’s Church, and live-streamed on Facebook
Candles are lit at home by other home-based pilgrims, and pictures of scallop shells displayed in windows.
9.30am
Praying Together. As a Seed Falls.
Where do we begin? A socially distanced contemplative service, (and broadcast via zoom), with music from violinists, John and Jane Kane.
Liturgy Here
St John’s Church – and Zoom
During the Morning
Quietness and Reflection –
Noticing Autumn.
To notice in the natural world the movement into autumn as leaves fall, seed heads replace flowers and fruit, acorns crunch under foot, birds prepare to migrate, the sun sits lower in the sky…
Reflect on what has been lost over the past 6 months and pray for those who have been affected the most. Acknowledge our own feelings and bring them before God.
Ideas for creative prayer and meditation are available separately.
At home, or out and about.
10am-4pm
Prayer focus. Starting the Journey.
Come and explore the labyrinth, the journey to the centre.
Create your own ‘mandala’.
Scallop shells will be available for those who wish to take one.
Prayer prompts for the shorter pilgrimage from St John’s to St George’s along the Andover Road are available separately.
St John’s Church
Journeying with Jonah
(Any time)
1 Anywhere but Nineveh.
Short reflection (1of3)
YouTube
12 noon
Praying Together. Growth begins in the dark soil.
A socially distanced service, and broadcast via Zoom.
You can download the liturgy here.
St George’s Church
– and Zoom
Afternoon Reflection
Reflecting on signs of hope
To be attentive to signs of life, of beauty, of hope… What is life-giving for us? What, if anything, have we learnt over the past 6 months as individuals, as a society, as a church? Where is God in this?
You could ‘prayer-walk’ your road, or nearby neighbourhood, focussing on God’s love for every household, or shop, school…
Find something from the natural world or from around your home or as you walk along that has been discarded. Use it as a prayer focus for what must be left behind. Find a seed (conker, acorn, seed-head) and use it as a focus for new growth, renewal, reflecting on what good could come from all of this.
Ideas for creative prayer and meditation are available separately.
At home, or out and about.
Journeying with Jonah
(Any time)
2 Down deep in the belly of paradox.
Short reflection (2of3)
YouTube
11am-5pm
Prayer focus. Pausing on the journey.
Praying for the world – captured in a collage of images from the last 6 months… Come and place a seed that you’ve found – conker, acorn etc – as a silent prayer of hope.
Collect a scallop shell as a sign of journeying on and to keep in your pocket through the year.
St George’s Church
3pm
3pm Service of Returning and Blessing
A short service, socially distanced, for those returning from the day’s pilgrimage.
St George’s Church
– and Zoom
Journeying with Jonah
(Any time)
3 Bewildered by Love.
Short reflection (3of3)
YouTube
6pm
Praying Together. Signs of life are forever growing.
A service via zoom to close the day. Liturgy here
Zoom
Links to other Pages and Content for pilgrimage
Jonah. The text and background reading.
Conversations Along the Way. Group Material for before the Pilgrimage Day.
Shells and Pilgrimages – An Introduction by Revd Julie.
Reflecting on Pilgrimage. Revd Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church
Full Day Programme (download)
Walking the Labyrinth. ‘A pilgrimage inwards’
Scallop Shells, Colouring in.