St Sebastians Inclusive Church Winchester

St Sebastians Inclusive Church Winchester St Sebastian's is an Inclusive Church for people of all faiths and backgrounds to worship and meet together as one

04/04/2026

EASTER EVE
O blessed bodie! Whither art thou thrown?
No lodging for thee, but a cold, hard stone?
So many hearts on earth, and yet not one
Receive thee?
Sure there is room within our hearts good store;
For they can lodge transgressions by the score:
Thousands of toyes dwell there, yet out of doore
They leave thee.

But that which shows them large, shows them unfit.
What ever sinne did this pure rock commit,
Which holds thee now? Who hath indited it
Of murder?
Where our hard hearts have took up stones to brain thee,
And missing this, most falsly did arraigne thee;
Onely these stones in quiet entertain thee,
And order.

And as of old, the Law by heav’nly art
Was writ in stone; so thou, which also art
The letter of the word, find’st no fit heart
To hold thee.

Yet do we still persist as we began,
And so should perish, but that nothing can,
Though it be cold, hard, foul, from loving man
Withhold thee.

George Herbert

03/04/2026

Easter Extravaganza at St Cross!

Join us for a fun-filled afternoon this Easter!

Sunday 12th April 2026
1:30pm – 4:00pm

All welcome

RSVP: [email protected]
Tel: 01962 854865

03/04/2026

GOOD FRIDAY
Am I a stone, and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,
And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter, weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon –
I, only I.

Yet give not o’er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock.

02/04/2026

MAUNDY THURSDAY

The grass never sleeps.
Or the rose.
Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.
Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.
The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,
and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,
and heaven knows if it even sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe
the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn’t move,
maybe
the lake far away, where once he walked as on a
blue pavement,
lay still and waited, wild awake.
Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not

keep that vigil, how they must have wept,
so utterly human, knowing this too
must be a part of the story.

01/04/2026

THOUGHTS FOR HOLY WEEK
That moment, when you knelt before him,
took off his sandals, readied the water,
did you look up? Search his eyes?
Find in them some love, some trace
of all that had passed between you?

As you washed his feet, holding them in your hand,
watching the cool water soak away the dirt,
feeling bones through hard skin,
you knew he would leave the lit room,
and slip out into the dark night.

And yet, with these small daily things –
with washing, with breaking and sharing bread,
you reached out your hand, touched, fed.
Look, the kingdom is like this:

as small as a mustard seed, as yeast,
a box of treasure hidden away beneath the dirt.
See how such things become charged,
mighty, when so full of love. This is the way.

In that moment, when silence ebbed between you,
and you wrapped a towel around your waist;
when you knew, and he knew, what would be,
you knelt before him, even so, and took off
his sandals, and gently washed his feet.

31/03/2026

TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
O Lord, this week we see your love in ways we had not imagined: on its knees, washing our feet, in agony as we sleep, under trial as we deny, and at the cross as we hide in fear.

This week, O Lord, we see your love for us – your love that extends to the heavens, your love that humbles itself on the cross – reaching out to us, and embracing us in ways we had not imagined.

Open our hearts to the wonder of this love, to the pain of this week, and to the cost of our salvation, that we might know the joy of the resurrection and love’s eternal triumph in ways we also have not imagined. Amen

30/03/2026

HOLY WEEK REFLECTION 1

Holy is the week …
Holy, consecrated, belonging to God …
We move from hosannas to horror
with the predictable ease
of those who know not what they do.
Our hosannas sung,
our palms waved,
let us go with passion into this week.
It is a time to curse fig trees that do not yield fruit.
It is a time to cleanse our temples of any blasphemy.
It is a time greet Jesus as the Lord’s Anointed One,
to lavishly break our alabaster
and pour perfume out for him
without counting the cost.
It is a time for preparation …
The time to give thanks and break bread is upon us.
The time to give thanks and drink of the cup is imminent.
Eat, drink, remember:
On this night of nights, each one must ask,
as we dip our bread in the wine,
“Is it I?”
And on that darkest of days, each of us must stand
beneath the tree
and watch the dying
if we are to be there
when the stone is rolled away.
The only road to Easter morning
is through the unrelenting shadows of that Friday.
Only then will the alleluias be sung;
only then will the dancing begin.

As we start Holy Week, if anyone is interested in joining us for Compline online at 9pm each evening this week , let us ...
29/03/2026

As we start Holy Week, if anyone is interested in joining us for Compline online at 9pm each evening this week , let us know for the team link.

Monday: Matthew 21:12-19 (Jesus cleanses the temple)
Tuesday: Matthew 21:23-46 (Jesus rebukes the Pharisees)
Wednesday: Matthew 24:1-36 (Signs of things to come)
Thursday: Matthew 26:20-75 (The Significance of the Last Supper)
Friday: Matthew 27:1-61 (Jesus’ crucifixion)
Saturday: Matthew 27:57-61 (Responding to the Cross)

Easter Day 945am Online Service

All these services are online this year as we seek a permanent location for regular worship

29/03/2026

It was a morning, so bright and clear
The disciples and Jesus were staying quite near
In Jerusalem, it was nearly Passover day
And soon they would all be heading that way.

Jesus said to them, go find a c**t
A donkey that is, one that won’t bolt
Bring the beast back for Jesus to ride.
Who would hold the reins, they couldn’t decide.

They found the animal just as he said
All ready to go, having just been fed.
But never been ridden before you see.
What a special first ride that would turn out to be.

They threw coats on the donkey to create a seat.
Helped Jesus on and knelt at his feet.
As they lead him down the rocky road
A crowd began to gather to see the c**t’s load.

Once they saw who it’s was, their shouts did out ring.
Hosanna, hosanna, it’s Jesus the King!
Waving palm branches and shouting his name.
It seems like Jesus was destined for fame.

It’s funny to think though it was only a week
When the tables had turned and the disciples would seek
To all hideaway as Jesus was dead.
Nailed to a cross, a crown of thorns on his head.

21/03/2026

In a modern society, finding church services the right time is a challenge in itself.

We are currently exploring a 6pm Sunday service rather than a morning service so that more people can participate,

But Why?

Parents take children to sporting events, ballet classes and so many different hobbies that takes up Sunday mornings

Those who work in shops are required to work until 4pm on a Sunday so morning worship is out of the question. Gone are the days when you could ask for time off for religious purposes.

Students, who often go out Saturday night with friends as do many others so 9am/930am Sunday morning is a struggle

So, why are we being an inclusive church when we are not being flexible enough for the modern world.

In a Country that sees the number of people attending church services on a decline, we cannot expect the fast moving church to change, so we must ensure that we change to meet the needs of those who would like to explore their faith and be part of a family where all are welcome

This is why we are different and underestimated

Do you believe that the main service of the week should be a Sunday late afternoon enabling more to attend and participate and to truly pray for the needs of the community and the world in the week ahead.?

14/01/2026

With the latest news from the CoE ..we welcome all people equally here at St Sebastians. We also do blessings of all people as part of our worship and our pastor is happy to conduct blessings in any venue.
Let God's love be inclusive not exclusive

11/01/2026

We are an inclusive church where everyone is welcome,

Let us build a house where love can dwell
And all can safely live
A place where saints and children tell
How hearts learn to forgive

Built of hopes and dreams and visions
Rock of faith and vault of grace
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions
All are welcome, all are welcome
All are welcome in this place

Let us build a house where prophets speak
And words are strong and true
Where all God's children dare to seek
To dream God's reign anew

Here, the cross shall stand as witness
And the symbol of God's grace
Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus
All are welcome, all are welcome
All are welcome in this place

Let us build a house where love is found
In water, wine, and wheat
A banquet hall on holy ground
Where peace and justice meet

Here, the love of God through Jesus
Is revealed in time and space
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us
All are welcome, all are welcome
All are welcome in this place

Let us build a house where hands will reach
Beyond the wood and stone
To heal and strengthen, serve, and teach
And live the Word they've known

Here the outcast and the stranger
Bears the image of God's face
Let us bring an end to fear and danger
All are welcome, all are welcome (all are welcome, all are welcome)
All are welcome in this place

Let us build a house where all are named
Their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured taught and claimed
As words within the Word

Built of tears and cries and laughter
Prayers of faith and songs of grace
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter
All are welcome, all are welcome (all are welcome)
All are welcome in this place

If you would like to worship with us, in person or online then contact [email protected] for more details.

Address

Southampton

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