29 May 2022
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
This Sunday, the last of Easter, we also celebrated the Ascension of Our Lord. The Eucharist was celebrated by Father Roger, who also preached. We were joined at communion by the members of the SUnday School in good number even though it is half term.
The Choir sang 'God is Gone up with a merry noice' by Willian Croft (1678 to 1727)
There was coffee after the service.
The Fete is on its way, Car parking help still needed!!
Acts 16:16-34
A reading form the Acts of the Apostles.
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer,
we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination
and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.
While she followed Paul and us,
she would cry out,
‘These men are slaves of the Most High God,
who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’
She kept doing this for many days.
But Paul, very much annoyed, turned
and said to the spirit,
‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’
And it came out that very hour.
But when her owners saw
that their hope of making money was gone,
they seized Paul and Silas
and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities.
When they had brought them before the magistrates,
they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city;
they are Jews and are advocating customs
that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’
The crowd joined in attacking them,
and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After they had given them a severe flogging,
they threw them into prison
and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.
Following these instructions,
he put them in the innermost cell
and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them.
Suddenly there was an earthquake,
so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken;
and immediately all the doors were opened
and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
When the jailer woke up
and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted in a loud voice,
‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’
The jailer called for lights, and rushing in,
he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them outside and said,
‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved, you and your household.’
They spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his house.
At the same hour of the night
he took them and washed their wounds;
then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.
He brought them up into the house
and set food before them;
and he and his entire household rejoiced
that he had become a believer in God.
John 17:20- 26
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed:
"Holy Father,
I ask not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those
who will believe in me through their word,
that they may all be one.
As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,
may they also be in us,
so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me I have given them,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may become completely one,
so that the world may know that you have sent me
and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Father,
I desire that those also, whom you have given me,
may be with me where I am,
to see my glory, which you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
‘Righteous Father,
the world does not know you, but I know you;
and these know that you have sent me.
I made your name known to them,
and I will make it known,
so that the love with which you have loved me
may be in them, and I in them.’
26 May 2022
We had a select group of parishioners present at the 7:30 pm service to mark Ascension day. The eucharist was celebrated by Father Roger and the choir sang 'Lift up Ye Gates' by J.S. Bach accompanied by Joanna using the harpsichord mode on our rehearsal electric piano.
Lovely to leave the Church at 8:30 and it still be light.
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| Our Ascension Day Glass plate |
Acts 1:1-11
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
In the first book, Theophilus,
I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning
until the day when he was taken up to heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
After his suffering he presented himself alive
to them by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over the course of forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem,
but to wait there for the promise of the Father.
‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me;
for John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now.’
So when they had come together, they asked him,
‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods
that the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
When he had said this, as they were watching,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
They said, ‘Men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking up towards heaven?
This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
Luke 24:44-53
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ accordiing to Luke.
Jesus said to his disciples,
‘These are my words that I spoke to you
while I was still with you—
that everything written about me in the law of Moses,
the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,
and he said to them,
‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer
and to rise from the dead on the third day,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed
in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised;
so stay here in the city
until you have been clothed with power from on high.’
Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.
While he was blessing them,
he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.
And they worshipped him,
and returned to Jerusalem with great joy;
and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
22 May 2022
Rogation Sunday, the 6th Sunday of Easter and so we had our Rogation Walk. Father John was with us, and as is our tradition at 10am on a glorious early summer day, we met in the church to sing 'Morning has broken' and for the notices and opening prayers. Then we set off to our first stop, the Barn at the end of the Lane where we gathered for our first reading, prayer and to sing the first verse of 'All things Bright and Beautiful'. Then it was back into the Church Yard and up to the gate from the extension of the Churchyard into Mr Spyby's field, where we found assembled, a lovely group of young cows all keen to hear the prayers and singing! So here we blessed the products of the earth, and sang our second verse.
Off then to one of the gardens of in Church Lane, where lives a very large number of fish! In an impressive arrangements of tanks we found an blessed these creatures and gave thanks for all the creatures of the deep. We moved on to the next door garden to give thanks for the trees and plants, each time singing a verse.
Then into the Glebe field, where in years before we have found horses, but not this year, but we were accompanied by some very well behaved dogs, whom we blessed as representatives of domesticated animals, and sang our last verse.
Passing through the snicket into the Vicarage Garden and back to Church, we had our final prayers, sang 'For the Beauty of the Earth' and father John gave us all a blessing as we then departed to enjoy the lovely weather.
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| Off we go! |
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| At the Barn |
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| Well behaved dogs came too! |
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| every one loves the cows |
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| The Priest and the Farmer swap notes |
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| Rightfully proud of the young stock |
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| Creatures of the deep |
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| Taking a longer view of the fish |
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| Singing in the Garden |
Blessing the dogs in the field
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| Back to Church |
Acts 16:9-15
A reading form the Acts of the Apostles.
During the night Paul had a vision:
there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying,
‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’
When he had seen the vision,
we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia,
being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
We set sail from Troas
and took a straight course to Samothrace,
the following day to Neapolis,
and from there to Philippi,
which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We remained in this city for some days.
On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river,
where we supposed there was a place of prayer;
and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.
A certain woman named Lydia,
a worshipper of God,
was listening to us;
she was from the city of Thyatira
and a dealer in purple cloth.
The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly
to what was said by Paul.
When she and her household were baptized,
she urged us, saying,
‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord,
come and stay at my home.’
And she prevailed upon us.
John 14:23-39
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Those who love me will keep my word,
and my Father will love them,
and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
and the word that you hear is not mine,
but is from the Father who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
and do not let them be afraid.
You heard me say to you,
“I am going away, and I am coming to you.”
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father,
because the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it occurs,
so that when it does occur, you may believe.
15 May 2022
This morning our 10 am service was Mattins, taken by Father Roger. We came to Church through some welcome rain, which we have not seen for weeks, so many gardeners gave thanks!
We said the Canticles and psalm as we did not have Joanna with us this week but Sylvia kindly played the Hymns again.
The Banns were read for three couples who will marry at St Marys this summer, and our prayers and good wishes go to them as they prepare.
Still looking for some Car Park attendants for the Fete!
There was coffee after the service.
Next week at 10 am we will be doing our Rogation walk, hopefully in dry weather. Father John will lead us around the surrounding area of the church and we will bless all Gods lands and creatures. This is an enjoyable walk, starting and finishing in the Church, with a visit to some local inhabitants, It is not a great distance but some of it is over uneven ground so stout footwear is recommended!
8 am Holy Communion
Acts 11:1-18
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Te apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles
had also accepted the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem,
the circumcised believers criticized him, saying,
‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’
Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying,
‘I was in the city of Joppa praying,
and in a trance I saw a vision.
There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven,
being lowered by its four corners;
and it came close to me.
As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals,
beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air.
I also heard a voice saying to me,
“Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
But I replied,
“By no means, Lord;
for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”
But a second time the voice answered from heaven,
“What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”
This happened three times;
then everything was pulled up again to heaven.
At that very moment three men,
sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were.
The Spirit told me to go with them
and not to make a distinction between them and us.
These six brothers also accompanied me,
and we entered the man’s house.
He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying,
“Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter;
he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.”
And as I began to speak,
the Holy Spirit fell upon them
just as it had upon us at the beginning.
And I remembered the word of the Lord,
how he had said, “John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
If then God gave them the same gift
that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I that I could hinder God?’
When they heard this, they were silenced.
And they praised God, saying,
‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’
John 13:31-35
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
During the supper, when Judas had gone out,Jesus said,
‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified,
and God has been glorified in him.
If God has been glorified in him,
God will also glorify him in himself
and will glorify him at once.
Little children, I am with you only a little longer.
You will look for me;
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you,
“Where I am going, you cannot come.”
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you,
you also should love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.’
10am Matins
A reading from the second book of Samuel.
4And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
5Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
8Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
9And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
12And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
Acts 2:14, 22-32
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
14But 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.
22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
08 May 2022
This morning we met at 10 am on a glorious spring morning for our parish Eucharist celebrated by Father Roger. At last spring is looking as though it is here!
We were without Joanna today, so we were accompanied on the piano by Sylvia, and the choir sat in the south transept to be near to the piano. We continue to sing Easter hymns, and this Sunday the theme of Jesus as a shepard of his sheep continues.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (see below) tells the story of the miraculous raising of Dorcas from the dead, and Father Roger told us more about this story and the whole issue of miracles in his address, which was very thought provoking and interesting.
We heard the Banns for 3 couples who are planning to marry at St Mary's this summer and our prayers and good wishes go to each couple as they prepare.
There was coffee after the service in the rooms.
Once again we are still looking for help with the Fete! Car park attendants are in short supply, Chris and Janet would be very please to hear from you if you could do this important job!!
Acts 9:36-43
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
In Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha,
which in Greek is Dorcas.
She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.
At that time she became ill and died.
When they had washed her,
they laid her in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, who heard that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
‘Please come to us without delay.’
So Peter got up and went with them;
and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs.
All the widows stood beside him, weeping
and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made
while she was with them.
Peter put all of them outside,
and then he knelt down and prayed.
He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’
Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
He gave her his hand and helped her up.
Then calling the saints and widows,
he showed her to be alive.
This became known throughout Joppa,
and many believed in the Lord.
Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time
with a certain Simon, a tanner.
John 10:22-30
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem.
It was winter,
and Jesus was walking in the temple,
in the portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him
and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense?
If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’
Jesus answered,
‘I have told you, and you do not believe.
The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me;
but you do not believe,
because you do not belong to my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice.
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one will snatch them out of my hand.
What my Father has given me is greater than all else,
and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.’
01 May 2022
Today we had our Family Eucharist, and Father Luke was with us as the celebrant. This Sunday the Gospel story was of the Disciples meeting the risen Jesus on the beach after they had been fishing and eating breakfast together. Father Luke told us something about this story, for example we are told they caught 153 fish, which seems oddly precise but that was the total number of fish known at that time, so it signifies a gathering in of all living creatures. Similarly he told us that in the gospels Jesus says 'do not be afraid' 365 times, once for each day of the year. Father Luke also talked about the roots of the word Alleluia using as an example the great sound made when Wales scores a try in Rugby at the Millennium stadium, Father Luke being Welsh himself was perhaps more in tune with this analogy than the majority of the congregation who are England supporters!!
There was coffee after the service.
All hands on deck, the Fete is back!! If you can give a hand, before or on the day please contact the Church Wardens!!
Acts 9:1-6
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Saul,
still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,
went to the high priest
and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,
so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women,
he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground
and heard a voice saying to him,
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
But get up and enter the city,
and you will be told what you are to do."
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless
because they heard the voice but saw no one.
Saul got up from the ground,
and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;
so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
For three days he was without sight,
and neither ate nor drank.
John 21:1-19
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples
by the Sea of Tiberias;
and he showed himself in this way.
Gathered there together were Simon Peter,
Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We will go with you."
They went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach;
but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them,
"Children, you have no fish, have you?"
They answered him, "No."
He said to them,
"Cast the net to the right side of the boat,
and you will find some."
So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in
because there were so many fish.
That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter,
"It is the Lord!"
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he put on some clothes, for he was naked,
and jumped into the sea.
But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land,
only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there,
with fish on it, and bread.
Jesus said to them,
"Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore,
full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them;
and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
Now none of the disciples dared to ask him,
"Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them,
and did the same with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples
after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast,
Jesus said to Simon Peter,
"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"
He said to him,
"Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."
#Jesus said to him,
"Feed my lambs."
A second time he said to him,
"Simon son of John, do you love me?"
He said to him,
"Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."
#Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."
He said to him the third time,
"Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time,
"Do you love me?"
And he said to him,
"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him,
"Feed my sheep.
Very truly, I tell you,
when you were younger,
you used to fasten your own belt
and to go wherever you wished.
But when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will fasten a belt around you
and take you where you do not wish to go."
(He said this to indicate the kind of death
by which he would glorify God.)
After this he said to him,
"Follow me."
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