Easter Day
The link below takes you to our Easter Service.
This pre-recorded service was filmed at St Nicholas' Church, Dereham.
The Service will go 'live' from 8.00 am Sunday morning.
We are able to worship once more in our churches. For details see the calender below.
There will be a service on Zoom at 4.00 pm
Compline will be streamed from St Nicholas' at 6.00 pm directly to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stnicsdereham/
Good Friday
the link below takes you to a Good Friday: The Passion of John with reflective music
Sunday 28th March 2021 - Palm Sunday
Please follow the link to our YouTube channel for our main Sunday service:
Easter - unlocking
I am writing on March 23rd, one year after the first lockdown. Since then we have had three lockdowns in an attempt to prevent the virus spreading. It has been a dreadful year and one like none of us have ever known. There will no doubt be much analysing of this year and how it has impacted on mental health, economics, and community life. It is not known what will be said by the Prime Minister on the 29th March when we should move into the next stage of releasing the lockdown, especially in the light of rising infection rates in Europe.
It is hard to make any meaningful analysis of the year in a few short paragraphs. I have taken about 65 funerals these last twelve months and have seen first-hand the impact of reduced attendances at funerals, isolation of grieving families unable to hug, the shivering at graveside services and sense of incompleteness and lack of closure.
I am aware of people who have lost confidence and have found isolation a new and safe way of living. There will be many community groups and activities who will lose people who will not come back: some friendship bonds made by doing things together will have a different feel about them.
We have much to be thankful for too. Many, including myself, have received the vaccination and many more will be jabbed as the weeks and months roll on. This means the chances we have of catching or spreading the virus is greatly lessened.
One of the themes I have picked up during this past year is fear. Our own mortality as come into focus more than ever before, yet life today, even with coronavirus, is less risky than it was 100 years ago. The funeral service reminds us:
In the midst of life we are in death;
to whom can we turn for help,
but to you, Lord, who are justly angered by our sins?
Yet, Lord God most holy, Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
deliver us from the bitter pain of eternal death.
April brings Easter and Easter the great celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Although our celebrations will be limited by not being able to sing hymns like, ‘Thine be the glory’ and ‘Jesus Christ is risen today’, we can confidently proclaim, ‘He is risen indeed, alleluia!’, in the face of fear and worry. The journey through Holy Week is a good time to remember the darkness Jesus experienced and the violence he endured. The writer of the letter called ‘Hebrews’ puts it this way:
Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. Hebrews 2.17,18.
Perhaps this is the place to end – ‘he is able to help those who are being tested’ – a promise that Jesus is with us in a fearful world.
Happy Easter,
Paul
Many of our Sunday services from Dereham are live-streamed on Facebook 
. View them here...
https://www.facebook.com/stnicsdereham/
Daily Prayer Tuesday - Saturday is also live-streamed on Facebook at 9.00 am
Daily Prayer Monday-Thursday and Saturday on Zoom at 9.00am
We are also uploading our Sunday services from Facebook onto YouTube later in the day.
Our 
channel is called 'St Nicholas' Church Dereham' and can be found using the following link:
https://youtube.com/channel/UCJPHvhuoBXwdMKXex3hoqig
If you click on 'Subscribe' it will be easier to find in future.
The calendar at the bottom of this page shows upcoming services. You'll find a warm and friendly welcome.
Please click on the 'Contact Us' tab to get in touch with our clergy.
