One of the themes that we have been exploring over the last week has been the nature of big crowds of people. We may well have had different experiences of being in a large crowd from good natured and excitable to possibly a sense we are part of something that is a bit changeable and even unnerving. The Gospel accounts of Jesus final hours suggest that the excited expectancy of Palm Sunday has passed. The mood of the people is volatile. Pilate asks them who should be realised Jesus or the revolutionary Barabbas and when they cry Barabbas he is asks them what they want to do with Jesus. The shout is “crucify him,” the punishment for treason, given predominantly to non-Romans and slaves. It wa

Tickets are now available to buy for the Berkhamsted Deanery Lecture - An Evening with Terry Waite CBE. The event will be held at Egerton-Rothesay School at 19:00 on Thursday 24th May. To book your tickets please click here. Terry Waite has led a life full of remarkable experiences. He has met and negotiated with people such as General Amin, Colonel Ghadaffi, and many radical groups around the world. He has been an advisor to the first African Archbishop of Uganda and also to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was a hostage in Beirut for almost five years. Today he continues to be active in the Hostage world as well as working for the homeless and also for the development of young people throu

Palm Sunday has at its theme a sense of expectation as Jesus enters Jerusalem. It is possible that there were hundreds of thousands of people who would come into the holy city for the Passover Festival and it was a time to remember how in the past when the Hebrew’s were slaves in Egypt, God intervened to bring freedom to his people. The history of Israel had been shaped by a heritage of past glories, particularly when David was King, but for hundreds of years it had been a story of shattered hopes, exile and foreign invasion. On this day Jesus after most of his ministry had been spent in the north, in the rural area of Galilee, finally enters the city and the crowds are excited and expectant

Keep up to date with the latest Parish news in the April edition of the Parish Newsletter. If you have any advertising or editorial queries please direct these to Editor, Jill Hipson.

You are very welcome to join us at any of our upcoming Easter services. For more information please contact Reverend Jonathan.

Join us at 20:00 this Wednesday 21st March in the Parish Rooms for the final installment in the St Mary’s Lent Film Course - Thelma & Louise. Thelma & Louise Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. Two friends embark on a road trip but events soon take an unexpected turn and they find themselves as fugitives being chased by the law enforcement agencies. When you have everything to lose and nothing to gain, any sacrifice for friendship and love is possible.

Join us at 20:00 this Wednesday 14th March in the Parish Rooms for the next installment in the St Mary’s Lent Film Course - Gran Torino. Gran Torino - Directed and Produced by Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood is in fine form playing Walt Kowalski a disgruntled war veteran who is angry about his life and also his neighbourhood. He does not like his next door neighbours, Hmong immigrants from Southeast Asia. This is not helped when a teenager from the house attempts to steal his prize possession, a 1972 Gran Torino Car. Yet, over time he befriends the boy and protects his neighbours from a local gang. As the intimidation increases, Kowalski must decide how far he will go to protect them.

Keep up to date with the latest Parish news in the March edition of the Parish Newsletter. If you have any advertising or editorial queries please direct these to Editor, Jill Hipson.

The St Mary’s Lent Film Course on Sacrifice continues on on Thursday 8th March at 20:00 in the Parish Rooms. Road to Perdition - Directed by Sam Mendes The film is set in the American Prohibition era in 1931 and explores the consequences of a son finding out that his father is an enforcer for an Irish gangster. In part it is a story of revenge and retribution, yet it also explores the complexities of family relationships and the sacrifices that are made to protect those we love, irrespective of whether they deserve it or not.

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Join us for the annual St Mary's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 31st March! The hunt will take place on Northchurch Common - please meet at the Parish Room at 10:00 to walk up and start the search! All ages are welcome! Please contact Rev Jonathan for more details.