Beating the Bounds of the Parish

Please join us at 2pm on Sunday 23 November outside St James’ Church to Beat the Bounds of St James Parish. Though most of us live outside the Parish, our church is placed in the centre of the great city of Sydney, amidst the parliament, law courts, libraries, galleries, music venues, workplaces and shops. The streets we walk are shared with workers, shoppers, tourists, as well as those who sleep rough.  We will stop at various places along the way to pray for our city and its people, remembering that God’s redemptive purposes encompass not just our church but the whole of creation.  And that God is just as present and active in our city during the week as on Sunday.

The beating of Parish bounds has a long history in the Church of England, being important for determining rights of burial and taxation, but it also involved prayer for divine blessing upon the harvest.  The harvest within our Parish is no longer corn, but we can still pray for the fruitfulness of all that goes on in our city.  It is traditional to bring your small child to learn about what goes on within the parish bounds, and a stick to beat the pavement of the bounds. In times past there were concerns about parishioners reveling too much in ale houses along the route and we will try to avoid that until after our walking and praying is completed.

Free Event