Service Times & Worship
Opening times
Thursday 11 am – 2 pm
Friday 11 am – 2 pm
Services
Thursday Midday Office 12:30 pm approx. length 25 mins
Friday Holy Communion 12:30 pm approx. length 35 mins
Sunday BCP Sung Eucharist 11:00 am approx. length 1 hour
Christmas Services 2019
Christmas Day 10am
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - 3pm on Sunday, 29th December
For more information, please contact our Church Wardens
We also have additional services on key festival dates and during liturgical seasons, for example, Lent and Advent, as according to the Church of England calendar (lectionary) for Book of Common Prayer. We also hold civic and commemorative services.
Life Events
If you would like to discuss having your child baptised, arrange a marriage service at St Mary’s or have a funeral service with us, please speak to our Church Wardens.
Thursday 11 am – 2 pm
Friday 11 am – 2 pm
Services
Thursday Midday Office 12:30 pm approx. length 25 mins
Friday Holy Communion 12:30 pm approx. length 35 mins
Sunday BCP Sung Eucharist 11:00 am approx. length 1 hour
Christmas Services 2019
Christmas Day 10am
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - 3pm on Sunday, 29th December
For more information, please contact our Church Wardens
We also have additional services on key festival dates and during liturgical seasons, for example, Lent and Advent, as according to the Church of England calendar (lectionary) for Book of Common Prayer. We also hold civic and commemorative services.
Life Events
If you would like to discuss having your child baptised, arrange a marriage service at St Mary’s or have a funeral service with us, please speak to our Church Wardens.
Style of Worship: Book of Common Prayer
St. Mary’s is part of the Church of England and our principal worship follows the Book of Common Prayer.
The Book of Common Prayer is essentially the work of Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) – archbishop to King Henry VIII and Edward VI. Originating in mediaeval Catholic prayer books, which were in Latin, and drawing heavily on Protestant Reformed service books, the first national prayer book (King Henry VIII’s Primer) appeared in English in 1545. It was not until 1549 however, that the book first bore the title ‘Book of Common Prayer’. The title itself was of some significance as, from the very beginning, it was to serve as a prayer book for the entire English nation, and gave Anglican spirituality its distinctive character.
A religion for all
Cranmer wanted to recover the original purity of the age of the apostles, and to make worship accessible to all the people of England. He took the old sevenfold monastic rhythm of common prayer and created from it just two daily services – Morning and Evening Prayer, both of which were to be recited not just for the people but by them – and in English rather than Latin. This kind of daily common prayer was recorded in the Acts of the Apostles as the practice of the first Christians and Cranmer was determined to restore it.
Spirituality for everyday life
This was to be a lay spirituality, not a complex monastic or priestly activity watered down for simpler tastes. The prayers and thanksgivings in the prayer book are for a rich variety of secular needs: for rain, a good harvest, peace, for those at sea. In essence, the Book of Common Prayer looked to integrate religion with everyday life and included the clear setting out of moral standards.
A local religion
The Book of Common Prayer is peculiarly English in tone, not only in its approach to the monarchy, but also in its use of the rhythms and richness of the English language in what was to be commonly regarded as its golden age.
Praying in church
The prayer book made an important contribution, not only to the congregation, but also to an evolving spirituality of buildings. Christ is not restricted to the church; but He is present there for as long as His teaching governs and animates the lives of His people. It is this synthesis of scripture and daily life, which the prayer book was designed to uphold.
The Book of Common Prayer is essentially the work of Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) – archbishop to King Henry VIII and Edward VI. Originating in mediaeval Catholic prayer books, which were in Latin, and drawing heavily on Protestant Reformed service books, the first national prayer book (King Henry VIII’s Primer) appeared in English in 1545. It was not until 1549 however, that the book first bore the title ‘Book of Common Prayer’. The title itself was of some significance as, from the very beginning, it was to serve as a prayer book for the entire English nation, and gave Anglican spirituality its distinctive character.
A religion for all
Cranmer wanted to recover the original purity of the age of the apostles, and to make worship accessible to all the people of England. He took the old sevenfold monastic rhythm of common prayer and created from it just two daily services – Morning and Evening Prayer, both of which were to be recited not just for the people but by them – and in English rather than Latin. This kind of daily common prayer was recorded in the Acts of the Apostles as the practice of the first Christians and Cranmer was determined to restore it.
Spirituality for everyday life
This was to be a lay spirituality, not a complex monastic or priestly activity watered down for simpler tastes. The prayers and thanksgivings in the prayer book are for a rich variety of secular needs: for rain, a good harvest, peace, for those at sea. In essence, the Book of Common Prayer looked to integrate religion with everyday life and included the clear setting out of moral standards.
A local religion
The Book of Common Prayer is peculiarly English in tone, not only in its approach to the monarchy, but also in its use of the rhythms and richness of the English language in what was to be commonly regarded as its golden age.
Praying in church
The prayer book made an important contribution, not only to the congregation, but also to an evolving spirituality of buildings. Christ is not restricted to the church; but He is present there for as long as His teaching governs and animates the lives of His people. It is this synthesis of scripture and daily life, which the prayer book was designed to uphold.
