It’s Official – The Benefice of Oadby — Great Glen Is Inaugurated

There was a very packed congregation at St Peters Oadby this morning when Bishop Martyn Snow visited us to inaugurate the new Benefice. Members of the congregations of St Peters Oadby, St Paul’s Oadby, St Cuthbert’s Great Glen, St Andrews Burton Overy and St Mary the Virgin Carlton Curlieu joined to worship. Parts in the service were taken by members of the different churches.

A commitment was made by the clergy, church officers and the whole congregation to work together to build up the kingdom of God in the new Benefice.

 In his sermon Bishop Snow spoke of the slogans used by different organisations – including that of the diocese. He wondered if we would find one for the Benefice and what it would be. He pointed to Jesus’ “Nazareth manifesto” when he committed himself to heal the sick, free the captives and bind up the broken hearted. We too exist to help those around us in our community and to draw them to know the love of Christ.

 After this, there was a celebration of Holy Communion when we remember how Christ died for us and we partook of the bread and the wine, symbols of his body and blood which was given for us.

 After the service we crossed the main road to St Peter’s Parish Centre for biscuits and refreshments.

Meet the Bishop

Bp Martyn Snow

Last night St Pauls hosted the local Deanery Synod – the committee that unites the local Anglican churches – in our case going from the southern city boundary to the Northampton border. But this meeting of synod was special, as it was visited by Bishop Martyn Snow, who has spent a week in the deanery, meeting each of the clergy in turn. As it was a special event, all clergy, lay ministers and churchwardens were invited, and we greeted each other over a cup of tea or coffee. 

We started with a time of worship – with two songs, an illustrated Bible reading and prayer. A video showing the questions that a group of primary school children had asked the Bishop – and he replied to each one. 

The Bishop then talked of his commitment to prayer – and invited us to the lectures on prayer that would be held in different parts of the diocese during Lent. He also encouraged us to support the period of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost. 

He then talked about Jesus sending the twelve disciples out on mission (Luke 9), pointing out that they were to travel light, which he thought, in our circumstance being ready to jettison traditions if they got in the way of more worthwhile new ideas. He compared the mission with just 12, to the mission of the seventy – just one chapter later. He suggested that the increased numbers reflected their increased confidence as they had seen Jesus work as he fed the 5000. As he had done that he had broken the bread – and perhaps that was symbolic of the way that we need to be broken, in order to be available for his service. 

There was then a prolonged period when the Bishop answered questions that had been submitted – about a wide range of local and national issues relating to the Church of England and to his role and hopes. 

Bishop Martyn has not yet been Bishop of Leicester for a year. But by the time we left, we felt that we knew him better. We need to commit ourselves to keep him in our prayers.

 

 

Ben Jackman interviews Bishop Martyn

Recently, Ben Jackman of Radio Leicester had a prolonged interview with Bishop Martyn Snow, who has now been in Leicester for three months. It was an interesting in-depth interview revealing the bishop's opinions on all sorts of things – including his choice of music.

If you would like to hear his opinions on all sorts of different aspects of life, both spiritual and secular, do listen here.

The interview with Bishop Snow starts nearly 4 minutes into Ben Jackman's show and lasts about 50 minutes. It is available until 10 September.

A Party for the New Bishop

Bishop Martyn Smith was installed as the new Bishop of Leicester in a service at the Cathedral this afternoon. As is customary, he had to knock on the Cathedral doors with his Crozier to be allowed to enter! The first part of the service included the legal formalities as well as worship. Then the Bishop was led to his ceremonial chair – all very normal.

But then the doors of the Cathedral were flung open and the Bishop and the whole Cathedral congregation joined the overflow congregation in the Cathedral Gardens. With more worship, the Bishop then addressed the crowd. He spoke of the Christian life as a party and said that his two big themes would be prayer and party. And he asked those who listened to invite others to the party.

The prayers were led by children in a wonderfully down to earth way, in which God was thanked not only for electricity and videogames but Leicester City’s win! They did also include the needs of the church and of the world, as well as praying for Bishop Martyn as he takes up his challenging role.

The party theme continued with wine and food (vegetable curry and onion bhajis) for all afterwards in the cathedral grounds.

 

We, too, will be praying for Bishop Martyn, who has already visited a young people’s prayer time at St Paul’s (blog of 13 May).

 

The following prayer has been suggested as a helpful prayer as we ask for God's support for Bishop Martyn:

God, eternal shepherd,

you tend your Church in many ways

and rule us always with love.

You have chosen your servant Martyn

to be shepherd of your flock in this diocese.

Give him, through your Spirit ,

both courage and humility,

true clarity of thought and understanding,

deep wisdom

and love for all.

As our leader and pastor,

may he build your Church

as a sign of salvation for the world.

Amen.

You can see a video of Bishop Martyn's vision for the future here
Link to the children's prayers for Bishop Martyn here

 

Welcome to Bishop John Holbrook

Bishop Tim, the Bishop of Leicester, has announced the appointment of Bishop John Holbrook, to become the Interim Bishop of Leicester, following his own retirement, and taking effect from September. He is currently the Bishop of Brixworth, a Suffragan Bishop in the diocese of Peterborough.
Bishop John, who is 53, originally came from Bristol and gained an MA from Oxford, before studying theology at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon in 1986. He served in several parishes before becoming Rector of Wimborne Minster in 2002. He was consecrated as Bishop of Brixworth in 2011. He is married with two grown-up children.

We very much welcome Bishop John to Leicester and hope that in due time we may be able to welcome him to Oadby. We pray that his time here may be a very happy one.