St John & St Mark Church Bury

To know, grow and show the love of God

Bible readings for September

Bible readings for September

Here are the Bible readings for September. So if you can’t get to Church and want to follow the same scripture passages then here you go. Or if you just want to read up in advance for the Sunday to come, then please make use of below.

Read more
Are you an icon?

Are you an icon?

This icon, ‘written’ by Andrei Rublev, is a familiar one to many. It’s often used on Trinity Sunday to explain the relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I’m struck by something else though. But you’ll need to read on…

Read more
Get Wisdom

Get Wisdom

Wisdom says, “lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”  That implies getting up and leaving the table, going back to where you were called from and sharing the invitation.  The seats at this table will never be full!  This is a perfect party from which no-one will be turned away once they respond. 

Read more
Emancipate yourself from slavery

Emancipate yourself from slavery

Church is a school for freedom. We are free to do as we will, but we have to do that in community. So we have to learn to be free and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Church is the community where we learn this. This means that sometimes church is boring, tedious, other times it is bursting with excitement.

Read more
Remembrance100

Remembrance100

On 4 August 1918, the fourth anniversary of the declaration of war, King George V and Queen Mary joined members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords for a special service at the Church of Saint Margaret, Westminster. The King had asked that 4 August 1918 should be observed as a National Day of Prayer: 100 days later the war ended.

On 4 August 2018 churches across the country, across the spectrum of denominations, started 100 days of prayer, peace and reconciliation. We are calling this Remembrance 100

Read more
Christian Meditation – an introduction

Christian Meditation – an introduction

Meditation can be incorporated into one’s daily life for its health benefits of reducing stress and producing a sense of well-being.

It is also a spiritual practice found in all religious traditions.

If you’re interested in finding out more then we warmly invite you to this free, six part series.

Read more
I am the (gluten free) bread of life

I am the (gluten free) bread of life

We’ve heard about gluten intolerance but I think some people suffer from ‘church intolerance’. They may be very spiritually aware and seeking – but don’t come anywhere near a church. I believe there are parallels between the two conditions.

Read more
How big is God?

How big is God?

Miracles are hard to believe, hard to understand and impossible to explain rationally.  We can’t explain them because, well because they are miracles and by their very nature defy natural and physical laws and go beyond our understanding: ‘far more than all we can ask or imagine’

Read more
Our new sermon archive

Our new sermon archive

We have a new sermon archive section on the website! We’ll still add the sermons as posts to the home page but after a while they’ll get removed to give space for other new posts. So the archive allows us to keep the sermons accessible for longer.

Read more
Mary Magdalen

Mary Magdalen

The main reason for remembering Mary Magdalen is her presence in the garden where Our Lord was buried; her recognition at last of the risen Jesus and her errand to tell the others of what had happened. Mary Magdalen, the apostle to the apostles and 1st witness to the Resurrection.

Read more
John the Baptist beheaded

John the Baptist beheaded

So if it is true that royalty, sex and religion sell newspapers then if there had been a tabloid newspaper in Galilee in the first century, the events we heard about in our Gospel reading would certainly have made the headlines. Even without a newspaper, stories about that birthday party would have spread rapidly throughout the region. It is a sordid, shabby and shameful tale.

Read more
Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

We set off from St. John’s Church Hall at 9am and headed off through Clarence Park towards Freetown. Our walk took us past St. Thomas’ Church and Pimhole before we picked up the Roch Valley Greenway and along the banks of the River Roch for a short while before reaching Blackford Bridge.

Read more
Do you bear amazing messages?

Do you bear amazing messages?

There’s a novel called ‘Night flight’ and in it there’s this line: “In every crowd are certain persons who seem just like the rest, yet they bear amazing messages.” Amos was minding his own business when God interrupts him, taps him on the shoulder and makes him an offer he couldn’t refuse…

Read more
I will sing to the Lord

I will sing to the Lord

Sunday @ Seven is led by Nigel Silvester and Cath Hilton. It’s an opportunity to sing and pray in a more informal setting than the usual Sunday and weekday church services. Please join us on August 19th for a chance to sing some of your favourite songs.

Read more
July & August Magazine

July & August Magazine

Jesus took to the sea and to the hills when he needed time to rest, to reflect on his life’s journey. We all need to do that and if we are able to spend a little time in different surroundings it really does help our perspective on where we are at. It doesn’t have to be a fortnight sailing around the Mediterranean – a day or two on retreat at Formby can be just as rewarding.

Read more

Welcome to St John & St Mark

Images of church life

If you’d like to support us, please…

Sign-up

Please enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email

VISIT OUR YouTube CHANNEL

CofE Walmersley YouTube

Top Posts & Pages

Pages

Please support us

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this website and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Top Posts & Pages

Follow me on Twitter

Pages