Barham Downs Churches

• The Rectory
• The Street, Barham
• Canterbury
• Kent
• CT4 6PA

01227 668190
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Benefice Pew Sheet

                         

         The Barham Downs Group of Church

 Adisham • Barham • Bishopsbourne • Kingston • Wymynswold

Also for Podcasts, Youtube Services and Spiritual Reflection
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 https://www.barhamdownschurches.org.uk/word-19.htm

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8th August to date - PUBLIC WORSHIP

We have now opened our Churches for Morning Prayer (Public Worship) each Sunday Morning at 10 am starting at Barham and then rotating through the other churches of the Benefice. The PCC's believe that the conditions are still not right for Holy Communion to recommence therefore a resolution will be passed to Bishop Rose in order to suspend this service until we believe it is safe to re-establish. It is essential that we protect our more vulnerable parishioners. As of 8th August it is MANDATORY that we wear masks during worship and pastoral services. Social Distancing and Hygiene measures are in place.

PRIVATE PRAYER

Each church opening during the times below will be supervised by our church wardens and other volunteers and as much as we welcome you we have to adhere to sanitising and social distance guidelines. 

 ·      St John the Baptist, Barham:  Weds 10am–12pm & Saturdays 2–4

·      St Giles, Kingston:  Weds  6–8 pm & Sun 9–11am (but by appointment please contact George Ward on 07811831041)

·      St Mary the Virgin: Bishopsbourne: remaining closed UFN

·      Holy Innocents, Adisham: by appointment contact Mary Rance        on 01304 840569 or 07925 462703

·      St Margaret of Antioch, Womenswold: Sundays 10am–12pm & 
                                                                            Weds 2–4pm

      RevT

Notices for Trinity 9 Sunday 9th August 2020

The Collect of the day

Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Romans 10:5-15 – Salvation is for all

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
   on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’

Matthew 14:22-33 – Jesus walks on the water

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

Prayers of intercessions  

For the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry & Sylvia Bradshaw, Colin Richards, 
Mary Ambrose, Jade Lawless, Anne Herring, Sheila Taylor, Maureen Underhill , 
Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell, Ken Rogers, Sienna

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;  
Violet Bardell, Anthony Piersall

And whose anniversary falls at this time
for all those who we hold dear in our memories.

Additional Prayers
For the peace of the world as we commemorate 75 years on from the atomic devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; for the healing and the rebuilding of lives and economy in Beirut; for those in hunger caught up in conflict in Syria, Sudan and Yemen that they me protected, sheltered and fed.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; 
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                              ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 8 Sunday 2nd August 2020

The Collect of the day

Lord God,
your Son left the riches of heaven
and became poor for our sake:
when we prosper save us from pride,
when we are needy save us from despair,
that we may trust in you alone;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Matthew 14:13-21   Feeding the Five Thousand

Prayers of intercessions 

For the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry & Sylvia  Bradshaw, Colin Richards, 
Mary Ambrose, Jade Lawless, Anne Herring, Sheila Taylor, Maureen Underhill , 
Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell, Ken Rogers, Sienna

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;  Geoffrey Potter (We pray for the family and friends of Geoffrey Potter whose funeral service was conducted on the 31st July at St John the Baptist, Barham,

 Anthony Piersall

And whose anniversary falls at this time
David Teakle
and for all those who we hold dear in our memories. 

Additional Prayers

We give thanks and praise for the marriage of Jessica-Robyn Burr and Adam Gauton at Holy Innocents Adisham on the 1st August. We pray that they remain blessed and happy in their new life together.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; 
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                              ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 7 Sunday 26th July 2020

The Collect of the day

Generous God,
you give us gifts and make them grow:
though our faith is small as a mustard seed,
make it grow to your glory
and the flourishing of your kingdom:
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Romans 8:26-39   The Spirit intercedes & God's love in Christ

 

Prayers of intercessions 

For the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry & Sylvia  Bradshaw, Colin Richards, 
Mary Ambrose, Jade Lawless, Anne Herring, Sheila Taylor, Maureen Underhill , 
Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell, 

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;  Geoffrey Potter

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
for those who we hold dear in our memories. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; 
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                              ---ooOoo---

James, the Apostle Saturday 25th July 2020

Collect

Merciful God,
whose holy apostle Saint James,
leaving his father and all that he had,
was obedient to the calling of your Son Jesus Christ
and followed him even unto death,
to be ready at all times to answer your call without delay;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

                               ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 6 Sunday 19th July 2020

The Collect of the day

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Romans 8:12-25 – Looking to a future glory

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Image courtesy of Susannah Lavelle

13:24-30,36-43 – Parable of Weeds (Tares) among the Wheat

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.”
The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Prayers of intercessions 

For the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry & Sylvia  Bradshaw, Colin Richards, 
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Connor, Anne Herring, Jeffrey Potter, Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell, Caroline Candy

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing; June Baker

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Colin Gray, Maurice Atherton, Jean Holt, Philip Mant, Leonard Maxted, John Malin 

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                              ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 5 Sunday 12th July 2020

The Collect
Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us in to harmony with you will, that we may find all things
restored in him, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Romans 8:1-11   Life in the Spirit

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23  The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 
Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’
‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

Prayers of intercessions 
For the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry & Sylvia  Bradshaw, Colin Richards, Bill, Elizabeth, Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Connor, Joseph Hallisham, Anne Herring, Jeffrey Potter, Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell, Caroline Candy

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;  Tom Arter

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Colin Gray, Katy Cobbett, William Plummer, Maurice Atherton 

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                             ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 4 Sunday 5th July 2020

Collect (Prayer of the Day)

Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us in to harmony with you will, that we may find all things restored in him,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Romans 7:15-25a

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Matthew 11:16-19,25-30

‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
   we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’

At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

Prayers of Intercession

for the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

 

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards,
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,
Joseph Hallisham, Connor, Anne Herring, Elizabeth, Jeffrey Potter, Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;  Tom Arter

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Dennis Allford, Bob Horn 

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Taize from The Quiet View

A treat for our Pew Sheet with much thanks to Rev Lizzie & John Hopthrow in leading this month's Taize Service for us to share when we crave a moment of peace and reflection. Enjoy!!

RevT

                             ---ooOoo---

Notices for Eve of St Peter & St Paul

 Sunday 28th  June 2020

Eucharist Part 1

Eucharist Part 2

Collect (Prayer for of the day)

Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example,
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Acts 12:1-11

Reflective words from Scripture (St Paul)  2 Tim. 4:6-8,17-18

From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness,             which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day,

and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Matthew 16:13-19

Prayers of Intercession

for the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

 

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards,
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,
Joseph Hallisham, Connor, Anne Herring, Tim Everest-Brown, Judith Mitchell

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Ray Bovis, Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Lucy, Alan Duke (Priest), Barbara Gill, Malcom Towers, Tom Arter

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Terry Cumming, Michael Hendy 

Post Communion Prayer

Lord God,
the source of truth and love,
keep us faithful to the apostle's teaching and fellowship,
united in prayer and the breaking of bread,
and one in joy and simplicity of heart,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

                                ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 2 Sunday 21st  June 2020

The Collect of the day 

Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails:
deepen our faithfulness to you and to your living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Romans 6:1b-11    Dying & Rising with Christ

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 10:24–39   Jesus teaches

‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

The Homily for Trinity 2 can be listened to on this podcast.
https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-k5snw-e07d3a

Prayers of Intercession

for the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

 

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards,
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,
Joseph Hallisham, Connor, Anne Herring

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Ray Bovis, Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Lucy, Alan Duke (Priest), Barbara Gill, Malcom Towers, Tom Arter

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Terry Cumming 

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

                                ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity 1 Sunday 14th June 2020

The readings are those that follow the Lectionary for this Sunday and for those following Morning Prayer

The Collect of the day 

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

Romans 5:1-8    Christ died for us

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Matthew 9:35-10:8     The Mission

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

Intercessions –

Intercessions are offered

for the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; for the Church and her life

 

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards,
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,
Joseph Hallisham, Jessica, Derek Richards

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Ray Bovis, Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Lucy, Alan Duke (Priest), Barbara Gill

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Stephen Burr, Jean Ovenden Dorothy Gorham,
and for those that we never forget.

                            ---ooOoo---

Notices for Trinity Sunday 7th June 2020

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.     [Ephesians 4:4-6]

Collect (prayer for the day)
Holy God,
faithful and unchanging:
enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,
that we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

 

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Intercessions –

Intercessions are offered

for the day and its tasks; for the world and its needs; 

for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards,
Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,
Joseph Hallisham, Derek Richards, Jessica.

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Ray Bovis, Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Lucy, Alan Duke (Priest), Barbara Gill.

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Stephen Burr, Jean Ovenden 

Post Communion Prayer

Almighty and eternal God,
you have revealed yourself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and live and reign in the perfect unity of love:
hold us firm in this faith,
that we may evermore rejoice in your eternal glory,
who are three Persons yet one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

---ooOoo---

Notices for Pentecost (Whitsun) 31^st May 2020

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...

The Collect of the day

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,

Ignite in us your holy fire:

Strengthen your children with the gift of faith,

revive your Church with the breath of love,

and renew the face of the earth,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Acts 2:1-21  

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
   and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
     and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
   and signs on the earth below,
     blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
   and the moon to blood,
     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 7:37-39    Rivers of Living Water

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out,
 ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ 
Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

                                                OR

John 20:19-23  Jesus Appears to the Disciples

Intercessions –

Intercessions are offered

¶    for the day and its tasks  ¶    for the world and its needs ¶    for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;  
Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Barbara Gill, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram, Bill,

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Ray Bovis, Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Lucy, Alan Duke (Priest)

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Betty Dennis, Jeanette Seldon

                               ---ooOoo---

Notices for Sunday after
Ascension Day 24^th May 2020
____________________________________________________________

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth."

Collect (prayer for the day)
Risen, ascended Lord,
as we rejoice at your triumph,
fill your Church on earth with power and compassion,
that all who are estranged by sin
may find forgiveness and know your peace,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Acts 1:6-14 - The Ascension of Jesus

Ephesians 1:15-23 - Paul's Prayer

GOSPEL: Luke 24:44-53  Jesus' Ascension & Promise

PRAYERS

Intercessions

Intercessions are offered

¶    for the day and its tasks

¶    for the world and its needs

¶    for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;            

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, Alan Duke, Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Barbara Gill, Jade Lawless, Sheila Ingram

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    

Stuart Charlesworth, Dorothy Mann, Gillian Harvey, Ray Bovis, 
Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Becky Judge

And whose anniversary falls at this time:

Christine Marie Bradshaw, John Goulden, Margaret Sajfet, Janice Coade, June Bishop

Post Communion Prayer
Eternal God,
giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

                              ---ooOoo---

Notices for Sunday 17^th May 2020 Easter 6 (Rogationtide)

The Rogation Days (from the Latin rogare, ‘to ask’) are the three weekdays before Ascension Day. However, in practice, many churches have observed Rogation on the preceding Sunday... The Prayer Book Gospel includes the words of Jesus, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask for in my Name, he will give it you’ – words associated with the heavenly intercession of the ascended Christ.
The poet George Herbert interpreted the ritual blessing procession as a means of asking for God’s blessing on the land, of preserving boundaries, of encouraging fellowship between neighbours with the reconciling of differences, and of charitable giving to the poor. The tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ has been preserved in some communities, while others maintain the traditional use of the Litany within worship. In more recent times, the scope of Rogation has been widened to include petition for the world of work and for accountable stewardship, and prayer for local communities, whether rural or urban.

Collect (Prayer for of the day)

Almighty God,
whose will it is that the earth and the sea should bear fruit in due season:
bless the labours of those who work on land and sea,
grant us a good harvest and the grace always to rejoice in your fatherly care;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Readings:

Psalm 23 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
for you are with me;    your rod and your staff—  they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

 

John 7:37-39

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 

Mark 4:26-29

He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

 

Psalm 50:1-2,10-11

A Psalm of Asaph.
The mighty one, God the Lord,  speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,  God shines forth.

For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the air,  and all that moves in the field is mine.

 

John 15:1-9

 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

Prayers

Intercessions are offered

¶    for the day and its tasks

¶    for the world and its needs

¶    for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;            

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, Alan Duke, Mary Ambrose, Pamela Allinson, Stephen, Barbara Gill, Jade Lawless

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    

Stuart Charlesworth, Dorothy Mann, Gillian Harvey, Ray Bovis,
Alan Shearer, June Falcke, Becky Judge

And whose anniversary falls at this time:

Christine Marie Bradshaw, John Goulden, Margaret Sajfet, Janice Coade, June Bishop

 Notices for Sunday 10^th May 2020 Easter 5
____________________________________________________________

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also...
‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life." 

Collect (Prayer for of the day)
Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen

Collect for Peace (for VE Day 75)

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: kindle in the hearts of all people the true love of peace; and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Acts 7:55-60 42-47 Stephen sees the Son of Man  

But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.

John 14:1-14    Jesus the Way to the Father

 ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Homily

That Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life becomes more and more apparent as his life-flourishing and life-giving nature offers us such hope and more so in  the gospel readings for the Easter Season. It is as almost as if we are slowly picking up our chins from the ground after the astonishment of the resurrection, and then in the weeks that follow, we are still pinching ourselves as we find with each reading, a little more of the Divine and yet still Human Jesus Christ gradually being revealed so that we are soon beyond the initial Road to Emmaus encounter.

Last Sunday we begin to visualise Jesus as ‘our’ Shepherd, he who cares for us, we his sheep; and by listening to his voice, we have come to know him; and by knowing him, we trust him. He is also the gatekeeper who ensures that when we enter the ‘narrow gate’ rather than the ‘wide gate’ we will be provided for.

So in today’s gospel we find the Gatekeeper has now become our Host or to use a more modern term , a guest manager to ensure that we are welcomed in to the many dwelling places of God’s mansion. It is not as if we’ve been checked-in and left to our own devices (with awe and wonder I dare say) and pondering what to do next. Jesus did reassure Thomas (yes the same disciple who needed that physical proof of the Resurrected Christ) that all has been prepared and when the time comes, and this will be in God’s time, he will come and take us to this new home. It is not difficult to see why the imagery of this passage offers both comfort and hope at many a funeral service.

If we take the imagery of infinite dwelling places in God’s house, or a mansion with so many rooms to spare and more then it becomes difficult for us to take this in or to imagine it. As a young boy I very much enjoyed hiding behind the sofa on Saturday evenings when watching Dr Who (and Tom Baker was my Dr Who, and of course I would be biased in saying he was the best of them) but I remember one episode in particular where the Doctor was being pursued by an enemy (alas, I can’t remember which one).

The Doctor was forced to retreat further and further into his Tardis which seemed a paradox because on the outside it was just a Police Box for telephone calls, but the acronym for the Tardis gives us a clue: Time And Relative Dimension In Space. In other words each area of his Tardis opened up into another room and rooms that would seem endless!

The other imagery I am fond of is found in the Narnian Chronicles written by CS Lewis, a children’s author and theologian, and in particular the last book of the series The Last Battle. During the final history of Narnia the forces of the free Narnians have been overwhelmed by the seemingly cruel Calormen Empire and the heroes fighting alongside the last King of Narnia find themselves thrown as captives into a barn on top of the hill where it is believed that the Calormen god, Tash, resides.

But unknown to the enemy the heroes of the story come to find that they are no longer inside a dingy barn but a glorious, brighter and more vibrant Narnia beyond and even dear England alongside it. They are welcomed by Aslan, the Christ figure, and urged to go further in and further up as if there is no end to the adventure.
It’s that simple, isn’t it?

When Thomas asks Jesus “How can we know the way?” We all need to take stock of what he is asking. After all ‘the way’ is not a road-map or a Sat-Nav destination because Jesus affirms that in him he becomes our destination and the truth.
Jesus tells us that he is the only truth possible – a statement which Pontius Pilate during the Jesus’ trial could not comprehend for his notion of truth and personal goals was bound to the contingency of this world. Jesus tells us to think beyond the confines of this world.

 Jesus is saying that there are no other truths to share because he is the embodiment of truth. Coming to Christ takes us beyond physical description or understanding and what he offers us is actually much more than brick and mortar or the luxury of more than one dwelling space. Instead, Jesus offers us a relational state rather than a physical place. This relationship is like a household, or a community of God’s people. 

So Heaven must be thought of as relationship with the divine and we are never alone among the Saints who have gone before us. Perhaps it is in the tragic reading of the Acts of the Apostles that Stephen professes a fundamental truth when he has a vision (perhaps what we might term as a beatific vision) not of a palace or grandiose city in a heavenly realm but of the Son of Man at the right hand side of God Almighty. He saw the relationship of the Father and the Son in which we are bound to in the fellowship of The Holy Spirit. We also have become far more relational as a church and community, and take hope for Jesus promises, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these!”
In his name we are already in those many rooms together. Amen.

Post Communion Prayer
Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Amen.

Prayers

Intercessions are offered

¶    for the day and its tasks

¶    for the world and its needs

¶    for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;            

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, 

Especially for those having to make difficult decisions in the relaxing of some social and commercial activities to get the country up and running.
Also for those forgotten during the crisis need medical assistance for debilitating and terminal illnesses.

We remember those who have died and for those who mourn their passing;    
Stuart Charlesworth, Dorothy Mann, Gillian Harvey, Ray Bovis, 

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
Greta Allen, Colin Ball, Robert Heap, Marjory Parry, Rayden Chadwick, 

 Notices for Sunday 3^rd May 2020 Easter 4.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them...
he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him
because they know his voice.

Collect (Prayer for of the day)
Risen Christ,
faithful shepherd of your Father's sheep:
teach us to hear your voice
and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen

Acts 2:42-47 Life among the believers  

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

John 10:1-10             Jesus the Good Shepherd

 ‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Homily extract

...Our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, instructs us that we can no longer be tribal or partisan, so we need to shake-off the paradigms that we live with, or have been brought up with....

I can imagine that is exactly that shepherds called by God have found in their understanding of the Gospel whether it was Martin Luther King or Desmond Tutu, to name a few. In the period that led to the 1950’s Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama where Whites were afforded the front of the bus and the Black community only the rear, a tired and exhausted Rosa Parkes challenged the status quo. Also in the years following it was Martin Luther’s exhortation of his ‘black children one day playing with white children’ that re-envisioned  humanity as one.
We are, after all, homo sapiens, of the same stock or fold!

In the late 1970’s an unassuming Archbishop was thrown into the political injustices of El Salvador when his priest-friend was murdered by the ruling elite. To my mind Oscar Romero personified the gospel reading in his regular radio broadcasts in offering pastoral hope as the voice and shepherd of the poor and dispossessed even visiting those in outer villages, at times by foot, even when being threatened and abused by the militia along the way. Like Christ, he laid down his life for his people when assassinated in a chapel while presiding over the Mass.

When Jesus begins his teaching with “Very truly” it is a statement of great importance, ‘wake-up’, ‘listen,’ ‘take note’ and ‘learn from me.’ The warning about bandits and thieves was an urgent recognition that the Early Church communities were being infiltrated with so called ‘sheep in wolves clothing’ who would espouse wrong teaching and ideology and thereby scatter the flock and reduce the safety of the pen fold. We are still called to listen to the voice of the true Shepherd, the one who offers himself unconditionally to his sheep and once we hear him then we truly follow him. 

On our website I have attached a small video of a young shepherd boy calling his flock when an adult beside him could not, as they did not recognise his voice. Jesus must have spent many a moment in the heart of the Galilean landscape listening, observing and talking to shepherds, where few would do so. He himself would hear and obey the voice more than once throughout his mission.

Christ came to give us life abundantly is what we must not lose sight off and in this Eastertide we just need to remind ourselves that ‘Very truly’ Christ has conquered the evils of this world. He is the gatekeeper that once we have entered we are safe in the communion with God while the Shepherd continues to seek out the lost and the abandoned.
Living in the wonderful Downs and valleys where we take grazing sheep on the hillside as the normal backdrop let us be encouraged that in this time of medical crisis that all of us no matter our status or position are having to listen much more carefully to the voices that help to shepherd us through our everyday.
Is it not amazing that we are getting to know our neighbours in pastures new!
Is it not gospel-like that new gates are being opened?
Is it not amazing that like the disciples of the Early Church in the Acts reading we are coming together to share – let this be Church. Amen.

Post Communion Prayer
Merciful Father,
you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd,
and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again:
keep us always under his protection,
and give us grace to follow in his steps;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A thought from Archbishop John Sentamu
We can pray, at any time, in any place.
Each time we cry out to God,
he is already down to it:
closer to us than our breath.
If you don’t know where to start,
pray the Lord’s Prayer. 

Prayers

Intercessions are offered

¶    for the day and its tasks

¶    for the world and its needs

¶    for the Church and her life

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;            

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, 

Especially for those suffering the effects of COVID-19 both carers and patients and in thankfulness for our NHS and Care Homes. We bring to mind the sacrifices made by those on the medical frontline and for those who mourn.

We remember those who have died and those who mourn their Passing;    
Stuart Charlesworth, Dorothy Mann, Ray Bovis, Peter Holmes (Priest)

And whose anniversary falls at this time:
George Robson, Alan Nelson, Michael Buscall

 Notices for 26^th April 2020 Easter 3.

  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised him...

Collect (Prayer for of the day)
Risen Christ,
you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life
and fill us with your peace,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen. 

Acts 2:14a,36-41 Peter addresses the crowd  

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.
Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

Psalm 116:1-7 Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness

 Notices for 19^th April 2020 Easter 2.

Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

Collect (Prayer for of the day)
Risen Christ, 
for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts, 
that we may seek the good of others 
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, 
to the praise of God the Father.
Amen.

Acts 2:14a,22-32 Peter Addresses the Crowd

Prayers

Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;            

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, Charlie

Especially for those suffering the effects of COVID-19 both carers and patients and in thankfulness for our NHS and Carehomes.

We remember those who have died and those who mourn their Passing;          

Gordon Langdon, Doreen Rumsey (formerly Bradshaw), 
Mrs Mann

And whose anniversary falls at this time:

Tess Tanner

Notice Sheet for 12^th April 2020 Easter Sunday

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Happy Easter everyone!

 

Collect (Prayer of the Day)

God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acts 10:34-43   Hear the Good News

Psalm 118:14-24 The Gate of the Lord & Chief Corner Stone

The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me severely, 
but he did not give me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Matthew 28:1-10 The Resurrection of Jesus

Sermon

For Easter Sunday to fall during the worst viral pandemic that we have seen in a century reminded me of an article a dear friend recently sent me which as a testimony seems so relevant and crucial in understanding faith in a crisis. It was about a pastor in Belfast who unfortunately contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalised. ‘He recalls two nights in particular when he was crying out to God for help’ with people dying around him. This scene is comparable to  Jesus’ dramatic cry from the cross as prophesied in Psalm 22:1 – my God, my God why have you abandoned me, and then the stillness of death for two nights in a stone-sealed tomb seems to be the empty reply. Our own angels – the health professionals in hospitals and care-homes hear the anguished cries as if they too are standing, sometime helpless, at the foot of the cross. For the pastor his witness at his bedside was a hospital cleaner, brave enough to draw near, and who prayed for him as if the busyness of the ward suddenly became still. Good Friday moved cautiously into Holy Saturday and then the unexpected happens the pastor recovered and began to feel better.

Today Easter Sunday becomes the unthinkable where the laws of normal observances are subverted where the human impossible becomes the divine possibility in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth… Jesus the Christ…Jesus God incarnate…and so our humanity is drawn into His divine pattern.
It doesn’t get better than that and where death no longer has the final say. St Peter declares this boldly by declaring ‘that we have witnessed all that has led to this point (although it took a while for the penny to drop until after the resurrection). ‘We ate and drank with the risen Jesus – the Lord of all, and that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”’ (Acts 10:43b). The disciples are witnesses of something new, strange and different, unnatural but certainly the very stuff of Easter joy and praise. St Peter’s own paradigm shift moves him from being the disclaimer of a broken Jesus to the proclaimer of the risen Christ.

The gospels clearly show a counter-cultural process of a God who shows no impartiality who opens eternal life to all through the way of the cross and the open tomb, by empowering the weak, the poor and the dispossessed as echoed in Mary’s song of praise, known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). The Resurrection of Jesus was not witnessed by the ‘Pilates’ or ‘Herods’ of this world but first by the loyal female followers of Jesus. Their testimony of the resurrection would have been inadmissible in a court of law but not so for the male disciples but as later witnesses their patriarchal society is already being  subverted.

Easter Sunday must always be proclaimed as Good News and we are already witnessing something of resurrections, or more accurately resuscitations, when hospital patients recovering from the coronavirus are hailed and cheered by the medical staff as they leave the ward, the tomb-like corridors, with angels of mercy in blue scrubs rather than bright white garments lining the way into the light. As the angel said to both Marys “He has been raised…you will see him…then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’ (Matt, 28, 7,10).

Lord of Light and Life,
Redeemer and Comforter
The Peace in our strife;
our eternal Governor
breathe in us the hope of your Way;
Risen star of Easter Day
abide with the children of men.
Amen.

Post Communion Prayer

God of Life, 
who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son
to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection
have delivered us from the power of our enemy:
grant us so to die daily to sin,
that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his risen life:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers

We continue to pray not just for our community and nation but also for the nations of the world that God has given us. We pray that through the presence of the Holy Spirit that wisdom, courage and healing will be among those treating and being treated by sickness. We pray for all who are finding the changing of life routines troubling and for relationships that prove difficult in confinement. We pray for hope and support for those families and businesses facing an unknown financial future. We pray that being brought into the resurrection of life that we can encourage others to glimpse the Kingdom of heaven around us. 

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;             

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards, Charlie

We remember those who have died and those who mourn their Passing;          

Gordon Langdon, Doreen Rumsey (formerly Bradshaw)

and those who we remember on the anniversary of their death: 

Notice Sheet for 5^th April 2020 Palm Sunday 

Beginning of HOLY WEEK
As we read the Bible, take time over each of the readings so that you can see their links about prophecy and fulfillment and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you.
 

Collect (Prayer of the Day)

True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you 
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.
Amen.

Here is something for but especially for children. 

Liturgy of the Palms

Matthew 21:1-11   Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem     

Liturgy of the Passion

Psalm 31:9-16

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,and my bones waste away.

I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many—terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.

Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name
   that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel Reading Matthew 26:14-27:66 click below for the reading as it is the longest reading in the church year. If reading with a family you may want to assume the different character roles to add to the effect of The Passion.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A14-27%3A66&version=NRSVA

Prayer for the week                                                                                                      

Lord of compassion and mercy,
 as we travel with Jesus into the Jerusalem of our hearts, give us the strength and love to persevere no matter how hard life is changing all around us. Bless our families and neighbours and all those in service to their country at this time of peril and yet also of hope. As we transform our living, transform our hearts and minds always, through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. Amen

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;             

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards.

We remember those who have died and those who mourn their Passing;          

Gordon Langdon, Doreen Rumsey (formerly Bradshaw)

and those who we remember on the anniversary of their death: 

                             Notice Sheet for 29th March 2020 PASSIONTIDE

Collect (Prayer of the Day)

Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”

                                               

This is the Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God. 

The Gospel - John 11:1-45                                        

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.”Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go."                                                

This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, O Christ

Our Prayers this week                                                                                                                                    

Lord,
As  a mother to us all we pray for your continued presence in body, mind and spirit in this time of crisis. We remember the healing touch of your son Jesus Christ and of his promise that you are always with us to the end of time. We pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit that you will imbue wisdom and good discernment to all leaders in politics, economy, medical and pastoral matters. Bless our parishes, now and always.
Amen.

For any who are sick or in particular need at this time;             

Richard Bellamy, Maureen Baker, Terry Bradshaw, Kelly, Colin Richards.

We remember those who have died and those who mourn their Passing;          

Peter Evans, Jean Bailey, Jeremy Ansell, Gordon Langdon, Doreen Rumsey (formerly Bradshaw)

and those who we remember on the anniversary of their death: 

John Spanton, Henry Maude, Margaret Keeler.

Events this week from 29th March to 4th April

Date	Time	Event	Place

Upcoming Events and notices

See COVID-19 (Coronavirus Advice) Tab

See WORD-19 Tab