Timperley Parish is part of the Church of England in the Diocese of Chester,
serving the people of Timperley.
We gather at Christ Church (Thorley Lane, WA15 7AN) and
Holy Cross (Park Road, WA15 6QG).
Lean on us through Lent!
Upcoming Worship ...
A Call To Prayer
Daily
11:00am on WhatsApp
Sunday & Weekday Services
Sunday 3rd March - 3rd Sunday of Lent
9.30am Cafe Worship at Holy Cross
11.00am Parish Eucharist at Christ Church6.00pm Evensong at Christ ChurchMonday 4th March10.30pm Holy Eucharist at Holy CrossWednesday 6th March
10.15am Holy Eucharist (BCP) at Christ Church7.45pm Stations of the Cross at Christ Church
Thursday 7th March11.15am Holy Eucharist at Holy CrossSunday 10th March - Mothering Sunday
9.30am Holy Eucharist and Junior Church at Holy Cross
11.00am Holy Eucharist at Christ Church
6.00pm Healing Service at Holy Cross
Sacraments...
The Sacrament of Reconcilliation (confession) and the Sacrament of the Sick (annointing) are always available on request from Father Steve. Click here for contact details.
Prayer & Meditation...
From Father Steve...
This year Ash Wednesday coincided with St. Valentine’s Day. At first glance they seem to have nothing in common, one is about the solemn start of the Lenten discipline and the other is about hearts, roses, chocolates, and romance.
Valentine according to tradition was a third century priest in Rome, who risked his life for love. He celebrated clandestine marriages for Christian couple and then advised the men not to fight in the Imperial Army once married. This led to his martyrdom, he died for the love of the saviour and the truth of his word.
Lent too if it is to be authentic, must be about a confrontation with love and truth of God. In the first reading, God makes clear that fasting and works of piety devoid of love are fruitless, mere hollow gestures with no efficacy. Isaiah proclaimed God’s Word, “Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.” Lent is about transformation by the grace of God, allowing the love of Christ to burn away the dross within our lives, refining us like gold.
God’s call to repentance and holiness is one that we so often ignore or put on the back burner. St. Paul in our second reading tells us, that we can’t put it off any longer, that today is indeed the day of salvation. We all too often resist Christ’s grace because of a failure to love, which is the root of what sin is all about. Lent is an invitation to examine our souls and to allow Christ to transform our hardened hearts to be more like his own sacred heart. The heart of Christ is not a heart shaped cushion or Valentine’s balloon that will fade and deflate but a heart of mercy and love for the whole world. Lent invites us to enter into the heart of Christ, so that our lives will beat to the rhythm of Christ’s heart.
Christ showed the immense depth of his love when, ‘for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Human love that we rightly celebrate on St. Valentine’s Day points to the love of God but pales into insignificance when contrasted with the riches and depths of Christ’s love, who hung on the cross for our salvation.
It was a response to this love that led Valentine to risk it all, to give up his life, for eternal life. The ashes that we wear today remind us of our own mortality and frailty and also a call to continually embrace within ourselves the death of Jesus, letting go of self and to experience with him an Easter resurrection.
In the Gospel, Our Lord commands us to go into our room, the room of our soul, shutting the door and praying to our Father who is in heaven. The encounter with God in the room of our soul is often painful but one that affords us the sweetest refreshment and communion with God. This is what Isaiah speaks of in our first reading, sharing the amazing fact that the Lord desires to ‘satisfy your need in deep places.’ This enables our souls to be like a ‘watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never shall be rebuilt.”
Lent is a time when God will rebuild and repair our tired spirits and offer us a spiritual heart transplant, giving us a desire to love God more and to bring justice to our neighbours. Christ is our true Valentine, who will love us for ever, this Lent let our lives be a living Valentine card for him. Amen.
Come in and look around...
Safeguarding Statement...
We take the safeguarding of our children and vulnerable adults seriously. We have adopted the national Church of England's robust procedures and guidelines. You can find out more about the national policies and procedures here
If you have any concerns or issues then you can find useful contact information here, or contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer, Aileen Moran on 07948 795 962 or by email
If you have any concerns that a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of immediate harm, then contact the police on 101 or 999