We met at St Mary's Church, Stoneham. Most of the group were present. 

The reason we wanted to meet here was that one of our 'hidden treasure' groups had identified it as a special place and wanted to find out more.

Ann Lewin from the church gave us a brief history of the building and local spiritual community. There has been a church building there since Saxon times, and the current sanctuary has many Norman features. They share the parish with St Alban's, off Burgess Rd in Swaythling. 

The present vicar, Peter, was also present with us. He is keen to see the building used more. Regular services are held there, and they still hold weddings and funerals. They cannot leave the building open during the day, as various people take up occupancy and use it for consuming alcohol, etc.. 

The building is on a recognized list of situations for pilgrimage, and they hold prayer retreats. 

They also have a group of student bell-ringers.

We enjoyed a time of prayer at the end of our evening. We used a leaflet produced by the church (and reproduced with permission below) to guide us in that. Peter and Ann seemed genuinely blessed by our time together. One of the group shared a personal word with Peter (the vicar), and we prayed for him. He is keen to be kept informed about the progress of 24/7.

So all in all, a lovely evening!

If you want to know more about the church you can read about them on the small pilgrim space website. 

To inquire about using the church to pray you can call 023 8055 0859.

Prayer at St Mary’s Stoneham

(this is a leaflet produced by St Mary's to help people pray and reproduced with permission)

A place for pilgrims to pray

You can look at churches as history, or you can pray in them. This is a way of doing both at once.

Begin with a moment of quiet.

All: Lord, we welcome you here in this place. We tune in to your voice as you continue to speak to us. We make ourselves available to speak out the prayers you inspire us to pray. Come and be Lord in this place.

The porch

Stand in the porch of the church. It is the crossing place, the threshold.

See the bell rope, calling people in from the world outside to the place of sanctuary.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy upon us and those who meet here regularly.

Jesus said: “I am the door of the sheep… if anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.”

Open prayer for the church in Southampton to be a place of welcome, leading to healing.

The font

Stand by the font. Baptism forms an essential part of our initiation into Christ. 

“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

 “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

The water cleans, washes, quenches thirst and flame, irrigates and floods.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who meet here regularly.

“If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come.”

Open prayer for evangelism and salvation.

The children’s corner

Sit in the children’s corner. Think of the joy of play and childhood, of new adventures in a world of wonder and of fears.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who meet here regularly.

Jesus said, “Let little ones come to me.”

Open prayer for the children and young people of our city.

The royal crest

Stand below the royal crest. 

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

Open prayer for royal family, and local and national government. 

A memorial

There are several memorials in the church. Stand in front of one of them. Read the names and think about the relationships. Of love and hope. Think of those who have died and those who are left behind.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who meet here regularly.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Open prayer, thanking God for his hand on our city and nation in the past, and asking for his mercy, to change the heart of our nation today.

The statue of Mary

Stand around the statue. See that it is small, in a corner. Mary carried life from God, through the Holy Spirit. She made herself available for the purposes of God, even though it cost her reputation and brought sadness.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who meet here regularly.

Open prayer for the church here and in Southampton to be open and surrendered to the will of God. For leaders to hear what God is saying to the church.

The nave

Stand in the nave. The word nave comes from the Latin word for ship. The church is a ship sailing towards God. We cannot control the wind, but we can hoist our sails for the wind of God’s Spirit to take us in the right direction. Here the people worship; this is the place of weddings and funerals; in the past, a lot of business was conducted here, and people shared their lives with God.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy upon us and all who meet here regularly.

Open prayer: let’s pray for the 24/7 community. Let’s also seek a fresh outpouring of the Spirit on the church in Southampton, causing us to depend on him rather than human ideas and resources.

The vestry

Stand in the vestry. Every church has a place that’s “off-stage.” Here we remember the day to day care of a place, the cleaning and preparation. Here also is a different memory of the past: old hymn books, used service sheets. A church is a human and a changing place.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who regularly meet in this place.

Open prayer for church leaders to be surrendered to God, led by the Holy Spirit, raising up others to follow them.

The altar

Stand around the altar. The centre of the church is the table where we share with Jesus his last meal. Here we also glimpse the banquet there will be for everyone when that new world of God arrives.

All: Living God, living and strong, loving and gentle, pour mercy on us and all who regularly meet in this place.

Paul said, “when you feast on this bread and share the cup together you are openly celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Open prayer: thank God for his love towards us, seen supremely in the giving of Jesus for our sins.

All pray: 

Eternal Spirit of the living God, be for us the fountain of living water creating and sustaining us each day.

Be for us the enlivening wind, searching us out, and scouring us clean.

Be for us the refining, warming flame, steadying and transforming our desires, that, lovingly and truthfully, we may pray, and we may live.

Amen.