2010:365:207 Got to be quick tonight!

The theme this week is "Hands" - so, when doing my lunch time duty in Saint Nicholas' I went round some of our magnificent windows snapping the different hands!

Top left is the saint himself.  In his left hand he holds a crozier and in this hand he has a burning torch.  

On the same south side there's a modern window representing the story of the Good Samaritan - the hand resting limply on the yellow fabric belongs to the injured man who, with his right hand, clings onto the arm of his rescuer.

In the baptistery there are two of the oldest windows in a very different style.  This is from Christ welcoming children and holding one flaxen haired lassie by the hand.

Holman Hunt's paintings of "The Light of the World" are famous and one of the windows on the north side is a stained glass representation of that image.

The only Old Testament window is a depiction of David playing before the troubled King Saul.  Those hands playing the harp are among the most beautiful, in my opinion, of all the hands.

Finally, in the bottom left of the collage is a writer's hand.  Saint Paul standing tall before a ship and writing one of his many epistles.  

The harp hands reminded me of our own musical instrument - a William Hill organ built in 1906.

I love listening to it!

Of course, as well as the windows the church has also beautiful fresh flowers - this is just a sample of the arrangement done for this week. 

Every evening last week and this our Youth Worker has organised clubs for the children.  It is great fun and keeps us all out of mischief in the evenings.  (and leaves me exhausted!!)

Come, O Spirit of God,

and make within us your dwelling place and home.

May our darkness be dispelled by your light,

and our troubles calmed by your peace;

may all evil be redeemed by your love,

all pain transformed through the suffering of Christ,

and all dying glorified by his risen life.  Amen. 

Celebrating Common Prayer

Night Prayer - Monday