This morning our Eucharist at 10:00am was celebrated by Father Stephen. Although it is the first Sunday of the month, with all the children on holiday we did not have a contribution from the Sunday School, but a sermon from Father Stephen. In celebrating the Transfiguration, he discussed with us the idea of a mystery. He asked for a definition of Mystery and was rewarded with the answer 'something that cannot be rationally explained.' As part of this service we are remembering the Christians in Iraq, especially those in Mosul, and Father Stephen made the point that they are more in tune with the idea of mysteries in belief, and of course are the original Christians with traditions dating back to the Apostles.
There was coffee after the service, and some photographs from the destruction of the Churches of Mosul were on display prompting further discussion, and prayer cards were available for those who wished to use them during the week.

This sign, the Arabic letter N with a cross in the position of the dot, has been used by Christians in the Middle East as a sign of solidarity during persecution. It stands for Nazarine, an arabic word for Christian

Some Iraqi Christians demonstrating outside the Houses of Parliament