http://www.greatmalvernpriory.org.uk/

The Priory Church at Great Malvern, Church Street, Malvern (2026)

07/06/2026

Sunday 7th June, 1st Sunday after Trinity

In our Gospel reading today Jesus does his usual trick of flipping the logic of a question upside-down. He is spending time with "tax collectors and sinners", people whose behaviour puts them beyond the boundaries of polite, upstanding religious society. But when asked why he does so, he argues that it is not these peoples' actions that make them sinners, but an underlying condition that drives their behaviour. It's their state, rather than their actions, that need to be dealt with, and he can't do that without getting up close and personal with them. Matthew underlines his point by surrounding this saying with stories about people whose suffering is in no way their own fault, but whose need of healing is absolute.

I am (I'm told by my nearest and dearest) a bad patient. When I'm ill I am crotchety, bad-tempered, self-obsessed, lacking awareness of others' needs, sometimes downright selfish. Being ill brings out the worst in me. My bad behaviour doesn't make me ill, but being ill brings out my bad behaviour.

In the same way, says Jesus, sinful behaviour is a symptom of an underlying disease. People live in all kinds of need: loneliness, lasting trauma, chronic pain, poverty, exploitation. Sometimes that drives them to behave in ways other people don't like. Asking them to change their behaviour is pointless if their underlying need isn't met. What they need is a healing dose of acceptance and love, expressed by someone who can see them as God does. Don't we all?
Every blessing

Roger

06/06/2026

Here are our forthcoming services an events:

Sunday 7th June, 1st Sunday after Trinity

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President & Preacher Revd Ted Crofton

10.30am Parish Communion

President & Preacher Revd Roger Latham

First Reading Hosea 5:15-6:6; Gospel Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Choir Anthem Litany to the Holy Spirit (Hurford)

6.30pm Service of Healing and Wholeness

President Revd Tony Whalley, Preacher Revd Roger Latham

COMING UP.

Monday to Saturday 9am Morning Prayer, St Giles' Chapel

Tuesday No Praise Group today

7pm The Friends' AGM

Wednesday 11.30am Holy Communion (BCP), St Giles' Chapel

Thursday 6pm Table Tennis, Lyttelton Rooms

7.20pm Fellowship, Worship & Prayer, Lyttelton Rooms

7.30pm Bell Ringers' practice

Friday 6pm/7pm Junior/Adult choir

7.30pm Priory Singers

Saturday 10am Just a Cuppa

11am Guided Tour

Next Sunday 14th June, Environment Sunday, (2nd Sunday after Trinity)

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President & Preacher Revd Roger Latham

10.30am Altogether Worship for Environment Sunday

Minister Mary Weatherill, Speaker Helen Stephens (A Rocha)

6.30pm Parish Communion

President Revd Roger Latham, Preacher Richard Weatherill PRIORY INFORMATION, NEWS AND EVENTS.

Children's groups: Climbers (pre-school-7) and Explorers (7-11) run on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month. Under 5s with an adult please. Our new youth group will run once a month, usually on the 3rd Sunday. All welcome!

Choral Evensong with the Choristers of Chester Cathedral 4pm Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th, and Wednesday 27th May. Please join us to hear the choristers sing Choral Evensong at Great Malvern Priory; including music by Edward Elgar, Christopher Totney, Alan Bullard, Percy Buck and Peter Aston.

Priory Youth Club: A reminder to all secondary age young people that Youth Club will meet on Friday 29th May from 7.30 to 9.30pm. We have also been invited to St Joseph's for an inter-church quiz and pizza from 6 to 7.30pm on Friday 5th June. Please put the date in your calendar!
concerts/monteverdi-vespers/e-rbmojy

Environment Sunday is on 14th June and it would be great if you could wear something green to the 10.30am service, when we have a guest speaker from A Rocha. After the service there will be a Plant & Produce stall in church, so please consider whether you could provide plants, preserves, cakes, etc for sale at that.

WIDER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY.

Bible Study Series 'A Day in Galatians' with Darryl Greig Saturday 30th May, 10am-4pm, The Wellspring Ledbury. For further information or to book, visit www.thewellspring.uk/events

Messy Vintage Summertime Praise, 2pm Tuesday 2nd June Holy Trinity Church, Malvern. Please note change of day and date owing to the Bishops Visit. A fun informal service to celebrate Springtime, especially for older people. All are welcome. People living with dementia or additional needs, and their carers, are especially welcome.

Holy Trinity Community Lunch Thursday 4th June, 12pm - 1.15pm, Holy Trinity Upper Parish Hall - Everyone is welcome to join us for our community lunch on the first Thursday of each month. June's menu is quiche (including a vegetarian option) served with salad. Followed by strawberries, meringue and cream, and tea/coffee. £7 payable on the day. Please contact [email protected] if you have specific dietary requirements. No need to book in advance.

31/05/2026

Sunday 31st May, Trinity Sunday

Green. It's all around us. The lush late spring growth is slowly turning from the almost artificial lime green of the first flush of opening buds, to the deeper green of mature leaves. And so it is with the church year. Maybe you've always wondered if there's a reason for the changing colours of the altar frontals and the stoles (scarves) that the clergy wear, or perhaps you've never even noticed? Fashion? Personal taste, maybe? No, there is a reason. White, red, purple and green are known as 'liturgical colours' – white is for major festivals, symbolising purity and joy (including Christmas, Easter, Epiphany, Trinity Sunday); purple is for penitence (Advent and Lent); red represents passion, martyrdom and the Holy Spirit (Pentecost, Saints' days) and green is the rest; the 'other' time, known as Ordinary Time.
Today, Trinity Sunday, sees a change in liturgical colour on the altar frontals and the stoles of the clergy from the red of Pentecost to festive white. But that's for just one day, the Festival of Trinity Sunday, as we celebrate God, in three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. After today it'll be green. Green all the way… (with a very few saints' days and festivals, which mostly don't fall on Sundays) to Advent. A looong stretch of time - all the way through this unexpected spring heatwave and the long days of summer, to the shortening days and brisk autumn mornings - where green reminds us of our growth. Our growth both as individual followers of Jesus and our growth as a church. Maturing, changing, as the leaves do. It's a time to pray, reflect, and look to the future, firm in the knowledge of God's love for each one of us.

In God's love

Philippa

30/05/2026

Here are our forthcoming services and events:

Sunday 31st May, Trinity Sunday

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President & Preacher Revd David Gifford

10.30am Morning Worship

Minister Chris Boulton, Preacher Revd Tony Whalley

6.30pm Evensong

Minister Claire Darnborough, Preacher Revd Philippa Lowe

COMING UP.

Monday to Saturday 9am Morning Prayer, St Giles' Chapel

Monday 10am Mothers' Union Prayers

Tuesday 1pm Funeral of Jean Trevor-Morgan

6pm Praise Group, Lyttelton Rooms

Wednesday 11.30am Holy Communion (BCP), St Giles' Chapel

Thursday 6pm Table Tennis, Lyttelton Rooms

7.30pm Bell Ringers' practice

Friday 6pm/7pm Junior/Adult choir

7.30pm Priory Singers

Saturday Priory Super Saturday

10am-4pm Refreshments; Children's art and craft activities

11am Guided Tour

11am-3pm (hourly) Tower Tours

Next Sunday 7th June, 1st Sunday after Trinity

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President & Preacher Revd Ted Crofton

10.30am Parish Communion

President & Preacher Revd Roger Latham

6.30pm Service of Healing and Wholeness

President Revd Tony Whalley, Preacher Revd Roger Latham

PRIORY INFORMATION, NEWS AND EVENTS.

Children's groups: Climbers (pre-school-7) and Explorers (7-11) run on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month. Under 5s with an adult please. Our new youth group will run once a month, usually on the 3rd Sunday. All welcome!

Priory Super Saturday, 6th June 10am - 4pm. Everyone welcome for refreshments, children's craft activities and music. Guided Tour at 11am.

Plant Survey. On Saturday 6th June the Environment Group will be doing the annual plant survey of the Churchyard (weather permitting) from 10.30am. Would you like to join us? Any queries to Sally

Tower Tours, Saturday 6th June. Visits to the ringing chamber and top of the Priory tower (weather permitting) hourly from 11am to 3pm. £5 for adults, £2.50 for 8 – 16s (sorry, not suitable for children under 8). See how the bells are rung (and try them yourself) and get the best view of Great Malvern.

Service of Healing and Wholeness. The second of the three Services of Healing & Wholeness this year will be next Sunday 7th June at 6.30pm. As always there will be a time for extended personal prayer & meditation, and prayer stations will also be available. Come and seek with confidence God's healing peace for yourself or for others whose needs have been placed on your heart. This will be a communion service.

Fellowship, Worship and Prayer Thursday 11th June, 7.20pm, in the Lyttelton Rooms as usual. We will be remembering Lifepath and our church family, wider prayer needs and enjoy worship and fellowship together.

Environment Sunday is on 14th June and it would be great if you could wear something green to the 10.30am service, when we have a guest speaker from A Rocha. After the service there will be a Plant & Produce stall in church, so please consider whether you could provide plants, preserves, cakes, etc for sale at that.

Men's Pie & Pint evening at Great Malvern Hotel, Wednesday 17th June 7 for 7.30pm. Please book your place by contacting Chris Little or James Wall.

WIDER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY.

Messy Vintage Summertime Praise, 2pm Tuesday 2nd June Holy Trinity Church, Malvern. Please note change of day and date owing to the Bishop's visit. A fun informal service to celebrate Springtime, especially for older people. All are welcome. People living with dementia or additional needs, and their carers, are especially welcome.

Holy Trinity Community Lunch Thursday 4th June, 12pm - 1.15pm, Holy Trinity Upper Parish Hall - Everyone is welcome to join us for our community lunch on the first Thursday of each month. June's menu is quiche (including a vegetarian option) served with salad, followed by strawberries, meringue and cream, and tea/coffee. £7 payable on the day. Please contact [email protected] if you have specific dietary requirements. No need to book in advance.

CTM Coffee and Chat Morning in The Well café, Tuesday 9th June, 10-11.30am. Come and have a coffee and enjoy the opportunity to catch up with others from the Malvern Churches. Followed by Knit and Natter from 2pm. All welcome.

The Well Counselling Service Fundraising Quiz Night Saturday 13th June in the Lyttelton Rooms Main Hall at 7.30pm. Doors open from 7pm. £3 per head plus a contribution for tea, coffee, squash, biscuits etc. Proceeds for The Well counselling.

To read more about the photograph go to:
https://www.greatmalvernpriory.org.uk/blog/wheres-the-vicar

28/05/2026

See Great Malvern Priory, one of Britain's treasures on Kevin McCloud's Listed Britain.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevin-mcclouds-listed-britain/on-demand/78752-003

24/05/2026

Sunday 24th May, Day of Pentecost (Whit Sunday)

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President Revd Roger Latham & Preacher Revd Ali Gray

10.30am Parish Communion

President & Preacher Revd Roger Latham

Praise Group's final song: Hymn 249 – do join in!

Epistle Acts 2:1-21; Gospel John 20:19-23

Choir Anthem Come Holy Ghost, the maker, come (Gibbons)

6.30pm Choral Evensong

Minister Richard Weatherill, Preacher Revd Ali Gray

COMING UP.

Monday to Saturday 9am Morning Prayer, St Giles' Chapel

Monday 4pm Choral Evensong

Tuesday 4pm Choral Evensong

6pm Praise Group, Lyttelton Rooms

Wednesday 11.30am Holy Communion (BCP), St Giles' Chapel

4pm Choral Evensong

Thursday 6pm Table Tennis, Lyttelton Rooms

6.15pm Elgar Festival String Orchestra Concert

Friday 6pm/7pm Junior/Adult choir

7.30pm Priory Singers

7.30pm Priory Youth Club

Saturday 10am Just a Cuppa

11am Guided Tour

7.30pm Monteverdi Vespers by Cambridge Renaissance Voices

Next Sunday 31st May, Trinity Sunday

8am Holy Communion (BCP)

President & Preacher Revd David Gifford

10.30am Morning Worship

Minister Chris Boulton, Preacher Revd Tony Whalley

6.30pm Evensong

Minister Claire Darnborough, Preacher Revd Philippa Lowe

PRIORY INFORMATION, NEWS AND EVENTS.

Children's groups: Climbers (pre-school-7) and Explorers (7-11) run on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month. Under 5s with an adult please. Our new youth group will run once a month, usually on the 3rd Sunday. All welcome!

Annual Church Meeting: Notes from the Annual Church Meeting are available at the back of church or can be read in this attachment. Notes for congregation from 2026 APCM.pdf

Choral Evensong with the Choristers of Chester Cathedral 4pm Monday 25th, Tuesday 26th, and Wednesday 27th May. Please join us to hear the choristers sing Choral Evensong at Great Malvern Priory; including music by Edward Elgar, Christopher Totney, Alan Bullard, Percy Buck and Peter Aston.

Elgar Festival String Orchestra concert 7pm, Thursday 28th May; Pre-concert talk with Kenneth Woods and Nicholas Daniel at 6.15pm. Join the internationally renowned English Symphony Orchestra for their annual festival strings concert. Featuring Elgar's Serenade for Strings, In Moonlight and Chanson de Nuit alongside Schoenberg's 1899 lush and lyrical masterpiece Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Sibelius's Rakastava and Thea Musgrave's Night Windows with star oboe soloist Nicholas Daniel. Tickets £22, unreserved seating: elgarfestival.org

Priory Youth Club: A reminder to all secondary age young people that Youth Club will meet on Friday 29th May from 7.30 to 9.30pm. We have also been invited to St Joseph's for an inter-church quiz and pizza from 6 to 7.30pm on Friday 5th June. Please put the date in your calendar!

Monteverdi Vespers 7.30pm, Saturday 30th May. Cambridge Renaissance Voices join forces with The Musical and Amicable Society on period instruments to bring to life the golden age of Venetian music, when St Mark's Basilica echoed to the sound of Monteverdi's Vespers and music by his forerunner Giovanni Gabrieli. Ticket £25 booked in advance online / £30 on the door; £10 for under 18s and fulltime students; available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/wessex-concerts/monteverdi-vespers/e-rbmojy

Environment Sunday is on 14th June and it would be great if you could wear something green to the 10.30am service, when we have a guest speaker from A Rocha. After the service there will be a Plant & Produce stall in church, so please consider whether you could provide plants, preserves, cakes, etc for sale at that.

WIDER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY.

Bible Study Series 'A Day in Galatians' with Darryl Greig Saturday 30th May, 10am-4pm, The Wellspring Ledbury. For further information or to book, visit www.thewellspring.uk/events

Messy Vintage Summertime Praise, 2pm Tuesday 2nd June Holy Trinity Church, Malvern. Please note change of day and date owing to the Bishops Visit. A fun informal service to celebrate Springtime, especially for older people. All are welcome. People living with dementia or additional needs, and their carers, are especially welcome.

Holy Trinity Community Lunch Thursday 4th June, 12pm - 1.15pm, Holy Trinity Upper Parish Hall - Everyone is welcome to join us for our community lunch on the first Thursday of each month. June's menu is quiche (including a vegetarian option) served with salad. Followed by strawberries, meringue and cream, and tea/coffee. £7 payable on the day. Please contact [email protected] if you have specific dietary requirements. No need to book in advance.

24/05/2026

Sunday 24th May, Day of Pentecost (Whit Sunday)

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, which some have called the "birthday of the Church". Our two readings, from Acts and John, give different accounts but make similar points. In both, the Holy Spirit is crucial to the Church's commission to continue the ministry of Jesus. "As the Father sent me", Jesus says in John, "so I send you" (Jn 20:21). In Acts, the scope of this mission is represented by the languages that the crowd hear the disciples speaking – languages from throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The Gospel is for everyone, everywhere.

We might think that this was enough, but John adds more. In telling us that Jesus "breathes" the Spirit into the disciples (Jn 20:22), John echoes the creation of Adam in Genesis and Ezekiel's vision of dry bones brought back to life. The Spirit does not just empower us, it enlivens us. In receiving the Holy Spirit we are made anew, and the life of God himself flows through us and from us out into the world.

What is the sign of this new life? For John, put simply, it is love. "Those who live in love live in God," he says, "and God lives in them" (1 Jn 4:16). Jesus' command to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34-35) is an impossible challenge for us as human beings, but as part of the new creation, a community in which the Holy Spirit abides, it becomes core to our identity and our calling. Ultimately, we all want most of all to be loved.

Every blessing
Roger

Picture from Seattle Pacfic University

20/05/2026

Operations Manager Great Malvern Priory.
Join our vibrant, busy, growing, Major, living church.
Find out more on the Priory website greatmalvernpriory.org.uk/join-the-team-1

17/05/2026

Sunday 17th May, 7th Sunday of Easter (Sunday after Ascension)

What's the point of the ascension? Good question! It doesn't help that we generally give the ascension less attention than the crucifixion and the resurrection in the liturgical calendar, but it is nevertheless a crucial event.

The ascension marks a significant turning point in the Church's story. Up to now, Jesus has been physically present, teaching, leading and modelling the way, but the ascension completes his earthly work. Suddenly, he is gone. Instead, the disciples are told to await the Holy Spirit, who will help them in new ways to grow into God's image and empowering their mission to spread the good news. Bodily, Jesus can only be in one place at once. The Spirit, however, can be with the disciples wherever they go from Jerusalem to Judaea, Samaria and the ends of the Earth.

Second, Jesus goes away to (eventually) come back. God's plan proceeds in stages, and it's important that we know where we are. The Kingdom has come, but not fully; the new world has begun, but is not yet complete. When Jesus returns, all will be fulfilled.

For now, though, like the disciples, we live in the 'now but not yet'. Accompanied and empowered by the Spirit, we do our best to proclaim Jesus as Lord, and to prepare ourselves for his return. And day by day, we look for the firstfruits of the coming Kingdom.

Every blessing
Roger

To read more aboout the photograph go to:
https://www.greatmalvernpriory.org.uk/blog/god-is-gone-up

The Priory Church at Great Malvern

07/06/2026

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