Welcome to St John's Church
an inclusive Church of England church, with a catholic spirituality
at the heart of Fulham since 1828
First Sunday
10.30 am
Choral Mass
with children's activities
The Mass, also known as the Eucharist, with its classic pattern, is celebrated in modern language.
St John's Choir sing one of the great classical settings for the mass,
and a motet - a piece of music with words related to the theme of the day..
The hymns we try to ensure mostly well known, with a mixture of classic and more modern.
The book is a good read even on a busy day, each chapter is broken into 5-10 minute sections that are worthwhile in themselves – I found it helpful to read the book like that whether busy or not, it gives time to savour the thought before moving on. It is a hugely helpful book by a popular author which I find myself going back to again and again as an encouragement and help in faith as much as in prayer.
Quotes...
If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn’t act the way we want God to, and why I don’t act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.
"I write about prayer as a pilgrim, not an expert. I have the same questions that occur to almost everyone at some point. Is God listening? Why should God care about me? If God knows everything, what’s the point of prayer? Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent, even capricious?"
"Prayer includes moments of ecstasy and also dullness, mindless distraction and acute concentration,
flashes of joy and bouts of irritation.
In other words, prayer has features in common with all relationships that matter."
"Why does prayer rank so high on surveys of theoretical importance and so low on surveys of actual satisfaction? What accounts for the disparity between Luther and Simeon on their knees for several hours and the modern pray-er fidgeting in a chair after ten minutes?"
40 Days can be
life changing
It’s a curious thing to find that in another area of faith, the world may be catching up with the church. 40 days is a good time distance for establishing or removing a habit. It is NOT that you are successful every day, it’s that you dust yourself off and go right back to it, and over 40 days establish that change you need.
Notice how the world is subscribing to the principles of Lent—it’s just moved it around a bit and renamed it: dry January, vegan-uary! For centuries, for reasons of care, health, and faith, Christians have kept Lent as a time of growth, self-denial and generosity - establishing habits that last a lifetime and make a difference.
Introduction to the Mass for Ash Wednesday
Brothers and sisters in Christ: since the early days Christians have observed with great devotion the time of our Lord’s passion and resurrection. It became the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of penitence and fasting.
At first this season of Lent was observed by those who were preparing for Baptism at Easter and by those who were to be restored to the Church’s fellowship from which they had been separated through sin.
In course of time the Church came to recognise that, by a careful keeping of these days, all Christians might take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and in devotion to our Lord.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy word.