St Giles Church Whittington

11/06/2026

The Feast of St Barnabas the Apostle
The apostle and missionary was among Christ’s earliest followers and was responsible for welcoming St. Paul into the Church. Though not one of the 12 apostles chosen by the Lord, Jesus, he is traditionally regarded as one of the 72 disciples of Christ and most respected man in the first century Church after the Apostles themselves.
At some point, either during Christ’s ministry or after his death and resurrection, Barnabas decided to commit himself in the most radical way to the teachings he had received. He sold the large estate he had inherited, contributed the proceeds entirely to the Church, and joined Christ’s other apostles in holding all their possessions in common.
Acts 4:36-37, Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
It was Barnabas who went in search of Paul, Acts 11:25-26, and later wanted to see the better side of Mark when there was a confrontation with Paul. Acts 15:36-41.
The Collect
Bountiful God, giver of all gifts,
who poured your Spirit upon your servant Barnabas
and gave him grace to encourage others:
help us, by his example,
to be generous in our judgements
and unselfish in our service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

09/06/2026

Today we remember Columba, Abbot of Iona, Missionary, 597 and Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Hymn Writer, Teacher of the Faith, 373.
Columba will be well known to many, but perhaps not so Ephrem.
The Collect for St Columba
Almighty God,
who filled the heart of Columba
with the joy of the Holy Spirit
and with deep love for those in his care:
may your pilgrim people follow him,
strong in faith, sustained by hope,
and one in the love that binds us to you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Of Ephrem, Pope Benedict XVI described him as "Christianity's most important Syriac-speaking representative" — someone who "uniquely succeeded in reconciling the vocations of theologian and poet." Saint Jerome, writing twenty years after Ephrem's death, said his works had become so influential that they were being read publicly in some churches after the Sacred Scriptures themselves. Gregory of Nyssa called him: "The splendour of his doctrine and life illumined all the earth, for he is known in almost every place where the sun shines."
Like the Wesley’s many years later Ephrem recognised the value of good theology wrapped up in song and tune. And what Ephrem did in Edessa was one of the most creative acts of Christian pastoral strategy in the history of the Church.
He noticed that the heretical sects were spreading their theology through songs — through popular melodies that ordinary people, including illiterate Christians, could easily memorize and carry through their daily lives. Bardesanites had produced a particularly extensive body of hymns. The music was beloved. The theology embedded in it was, in Ephrem's view, poison.
His response was to take those same melodies — the ones Edessa was already humming — and compose entirely new lyrics filled with orthodox Nicene doctrine. He wrote teaching hymns (madrāšê in Syriac), setting rich theological content to the tunes people already knew and loved. He then organized and rehearsed all-female choirs to sing these hymns publicly in the forum of Edessa, giving the city both a liturgical experience and a theological education at the same time.
This was not merely clever. It was a form of catechesis that no treatise or sermon could replicate. Doctrine set to music that people loved became doctrine that people carried, remembered, and passed to their children. Sozomen, the church historian, credited Ephrem with composing three million lines. Even if that number is exaggerated, his surviving 400-plus hymns represent only what was preserved — a fraction of an output described by contemporaries as almost incomprehensibly vast.

01/06/2026

In Christianity, the Visitation, also known as the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, refers to the visit of Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, to Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 1:39–56.
Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth when both of them are expecting their babies. Elizabeth's baby “leaped in her womb” when Mary entered the house and called a greeting. This incident shows that even though they are not yet born, John acknowledges the superiority of Jesus and recognises that Jesus is God's son.

31/05/2026

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. It celebrates the core Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity: God as three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—in one substance.
Significance and Meaning
• A Celebration of Doctrine: It is unique among major Christian festivals because it honours a specific theological concept rather than a concrete event in sacred history.
• The Trinity Season: In many liturgical traditions (such as Anglican and Catholic), it marks the beginning of the Trinity Season (or Ordinary Time), shifting the liturgical focus from specific historical feasts (like Christmas and Easter) to Christian growth.
Traditions and Observance
• Liturgy & Worship: Church services often feature sermons focused on the nature of God, with congregations reciting historical statements of faith like the Nicene Creed.
• Symbolism: Sanctuaries are frequently decorated with traditional symbols of the Trinity, such as the triquetra (interlocking arcs) or the trefoil (three-leaf clover shape).
• Festive Foods: Because the celebration centres around the number three, some customary traditions include baking or eating things in three parts, such as cloverleaf rolls, three-flavour Neapolitan ice cream, or Tres Leches (three-milk) cake.

31/05/2026

24/05/2026

Pentecost Sunday is a major Christian holiday celebrated 50 days after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus, an event described in the Acts of the Apostles. Because it marks the birth of the Christian Church, it is often referred to as the Church's "birthday".
According to the Bible, the followers of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival of Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks). Suddenly, a sound like a rushing, mighty wind filled the room, and "tongues of fire" rested above each of their heads. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began speaking in various languages, allowing them to communicate with and be understood by people from many different nations.
The Color Red: In many liturgical traditions, church decorations, clergy vestments, and altar cloths are red on this day to symbolize the "tongues of fire".
Symbols: Common symbols used to represent the day include the Holy Spirit, the dove, wind, and flames.
Whit Sunday (or Whitsun): In the UK and other regions, Pentecost is traditionally known as Whit Sunday, a name originating from the white garments historically worn by newly baptized believers on this day.