15 June 2025
10:30 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
A reading from the book of Proverbs.
Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
‘To you, O people, I call
and my cry is to all that live.
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.
Romans 5:1-5
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
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.
John 16:12-15
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth;
for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears,
and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine.
For this reason I said
that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
08 June 2025
Acts 2:1-21
A reading from the Acts of the Apostle.
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.”
Romans 8:14-17
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
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.
John 14:8-17
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Philip said to Jesus,
‘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.
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate,
to be with you for ever.
This is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him.
You know him, because he abides with you,
and he will be in you.
01 June 2025
A fun community day with something for everyone
. This year’s event will be jam-packed with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. Make sure to save the date!
The fete includes a variety of entertainment, stalls, games, musical entertainment, food, classic cars and the annual dog show and tug of war competition, along with much more! Activities take place on the church field and the St Mary's, the 12 century church will be open for all to enjoy during the event.
Entry is free and everyone’s welcome to attend. Well-behaved dogs on leads are also welcome and we hope to see many of them enter the annual dog show. We look forward to seeing you.
Ten Reasons Why You Should Sing
Singing is good for you, don't take my word for it, I got the following from Opera North!
1. Singing makes you feel better – it releases endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. All of these are “happy chemicals” which boost your mood.
2. Singing enhances lung function. It encourages you to breathe properly, using the muscles around your ribcage and your diaphragm effectively, especially useful for people with chronic lung problems.
3. Singing helps you to beat stress and relax. Breathing properly and with awareness is good for releasing anxiety and puts you into a state of rest and relaxation.
4. Singing helps to improve memory, mental alertness and concentration as it involves focusing on multiple things at once. Which is why it is featuring more and more in dementia care.
5. Singing builds a sense of community. Singing together is a great way of connecting with people and fostering a sense of togetherness.
6. Singing lets you express yourself. You can let go and tap into different emotions depending on what you are singing.
7. Singing helps with pain relief. All those happy chemicals and the fun of singing helps to relieve chronic pain.
8. Singing boosts confidence. Many folk are nervous about performing in public, but being part of a group can boost your confidence. To sing effectively needs good posture – so already you are naturally standing taller.
9. Singing features in wellness studies. The University of Leeds offers an MA in Music and Wellbeing.
10. Singing is for everyone. It really doesn't matter whether you think you can sing or not, the health benefits are the same and most people who think they can't sing, can.
So why not think about joining the St Mary's Choir? We meet every Friday in the Parish Rooms at 6pm for an hour when we rehearse the hymns for Sunday and prepare our anthems and psalms for services to come. We occasionally have extra rehearsals on Saturday mornings for special services, which are fun and often feature tea, coffee and cake! You are not expected to be there every week, after all we all have holidays and other family commitments.
Not sure what voice part you are? Doesn't matter, come along and see where your voice fits comfortably, we can sort you out. No music training is necessary, there are no auditions, you can pick up what you need as you go along. Some of our members couldn't read music when they first started. If we didn't enjoy singing in the choir, we wouldn't be there. Come and be a part of our merry music making.
If you want to know anything else, catch me after 10am service, I love my coffee and biscuit so you will find me in the Parish rooms.
Hilary (alto)
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.’
Ephesians 1:15-23
A reading fromthe letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason
I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
as you come to know him,
so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ
when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And he has put all things under his feet
and has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Luke 24:44-53
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Chris according to Luke.
Jesus said to the 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.
25 May 2025
Acts 16:9-15
A reading from 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 worshiper 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.
Revelation 21:10,22-22:5
A reading from the book of Revelation.
In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
I saw no temple in the city,
for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God is its light,
and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk by its light,
and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never be shut by day—
and there will be no night there.
People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations.
But nothing unclean will enter it,
nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood,
but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Through the middle of the street of the city.
On either side of the river is the tree of life
with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month;
and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found there any more.
But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him;
they will see his face,
and his name will be on their foreheads.
And there will be no more night;
they need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light,
and they will reign forever and ever.
John 14:23-29
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."
18 May 2025
Acts 11:1-18
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
The 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. T
here 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.”
Revelation 21:1-6
A reading from the book of Revelation.
I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them as their God;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
“See, I am making all things new.”
Also he said, “Write this,
for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Then he said to me,
“It is done!
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
To the thirsty I will give water as a gift
from the spring of the water of life.
John 13:31-35
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
During te 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.”
11 May 2025
Acts 9:36-43
A reading form 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. 3
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.
Revelation 7:9-17
A reading from the book of Revelation.
After this I looked,
and there was a great multitude that no one could count,
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
And all the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures,
and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying,
“Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?”
I said to him,
“Sir, you are the one that knows.”
Then he said to me,
“These are they who have come out of the great ordeal;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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? I
f 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.”
04 May 2025
Acts 9:1-6(7-20)
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.
Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias.
The Lord said to him in a vision,
“Ananias.”
He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord said to him,
“Get up and go to the street called Straight,
and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.
At this moment he is praying,
and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him
so that he might regain his sight.”
But Ananias answered,
“Lord, I have heard from many about this man,
how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”
But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen
to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;
I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
So Ananias went and entered the house.
He laid his hands on Saul
and said, “Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here,
has sent me so that you may regain your sight
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes,
and his sight was restored.
Then he got up and was baptized,
and after taking some food,
he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues,
saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Revelation 5:11-14
A reading from the book of Revelation.
I, John, looked,
and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne
and the living creatures and the elders;
they numbered myriads of myriads
and thousands of thousands,
singing with full voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
and all that is in them, singing,
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!”
And the elders fell down and worshiped.
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, a
nd 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.”
27 April 2025
The sun greeted us today for "Low Sunday" the eighth day of Easter, or as Fr Chris quipped, low, because of the low attendance! Not too low though. The choir officially has a day off, but many of them were still there for the service. Not low in numbers however were the children of the Sunday school.
A reminder that at 11.15 next week is our annual church meeting. There are vacancies for PCC members and a church warden as Chris Field is hanging up her official staff and retiring. Please think and pray to see if you can fill a role in the running of the church.
After Rogation Sunday on 25th May there will be a "Bring and share lunch". There is a sign up sheet at the back of the church so we don't end up with 250 sausage rolls and nothing else. The more the merrier.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
When the temple police had brought the apostles,
they had them stand before the council.
The high priest questioned them, saying,
‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,
yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’
But Peter and the apostles answered,
‘We must obey God rather than any human authority.
The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,
whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand
as Leader and Saviour,
so that he might give repentance to Israel
and forgiveness of sins.
And we are witnesses to these things,
and so is the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those who obey him.’
Revelation 1:4-8
A reading from the book of Revelation.
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him
who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us
from our sins by his blood,
and made us to be a kingdom,
priests serving his God and Father,
to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God,
who is and who was and who is to come,
the Almighty.
John 20:19-31
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
It was evening on the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met
were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again,
‘Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;
if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him,
‘We have seen the Lord.’
But he said to them,
‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails
and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house,
and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were shut,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
Then he said to Thomas,
‘Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe.’
Thomas answered him,
‘My Lord and my God!’
Jesus said to him,
‘Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe.’
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book.
But these are written so that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and that through believing you may have life in his name.
20 April 2025
Acts 10:34-43
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Peter began to speak to those assembled in the house of Cornelius:
‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality,
but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right
is acceptable to him.
You know the message he sent to the people of Israel,
preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.
That message spread throughout Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power;
how he went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses to all that he did
both in Judea and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,
not to all the people but to us
who were chosen by God as witnesses,
and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that he is the one ordained by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
All the prophets testify about him
that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
Isaiah 65:17-25
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
I am about to create new heavens and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labour in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—
its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have died.
For since death came through a human being,
the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being;
for as all die in Adam,
so all will be made alive in Christ.
But each in his own order:
Christ the first fruits,
then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
Then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father,
after he has destroyed every ruler
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Luke 24:1-12
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
On the first day of the week, at early dawn,
the women who had accompanied Jesus came to the tomb,
taking the spices that they had prepared.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they went in, they did not find the body.
While they were perplexed about this,
suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.
The women were terrified
and bowed their faces to the ground,
but the men said to them,
‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners,
and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’
Then they remembered his words,
and returning from the tomb,
they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.
Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James,
and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
But these words seemed to them an idle tale,
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb;
stooping and looking in,
he saw the linen cloths by themselves;
then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
13 April 2025
Today the service started in the Church Hall for those who wished to process with their palms. We heard the gospel according to Luke both in the hall and in church, then the procession from the hall to church, everyone singing "All Glory Laud and Honour".
A big "THANK YOU" to the people who helped with the church spring clean yesterday. As Fr Chris commented, we were not distracted by the cobwebs during his sermon.
Don't forget the upcoming services this week, Stations of the Cross on Wednesday, Maundy Thursday both in the evening at 7pm and Good Friday at 2.30pm. The Easter Vigil will be in the cathedral, 7.30pm, not in St Mary's this year. Then the all age Eucharist on Sunday 10am as we celebrate Easter.
Luke 19:28-40 (10am only)
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany,
at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of the disciples, saying,
‘Go into the village ahead of you,
and as you enter it you will find tied there
a colt that has never been ridden.
Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?”
just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’
So those who were sent departed
and found it as he had told them.
As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them,
‘Why are you untying the colt?’
They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’
Then they brought it to Jesus;
and after throwing their cloaks on the colt,
they set Jesus on it.
As he rode along,
people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully
with a loud voice
for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’
He answered, ‘I tell you,
if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’
Isaiah 50:4-9a
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The servant of the Lord said:
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Philippians 2:5-11
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians.
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.
Luke 23:1-49
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.
They began to accuse him, saying,
‘We found this man perverting our nation,
forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor,
and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’
Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
He answered, ‘You say so.’
Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,
‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’
But they were insistent and said,
‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began even to this place.’
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him off to Herod,
who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad,
for he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
because he had heard about him
and was hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at some length,
but Jesus gave him no answer.
The chief priests and the scribes stood by,
vehemently accusing him.
Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him;
then he put an elegant robe on him,
and sent him back to Pilate.
That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other;
before this they had been enemies.
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,
and said to them,
‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people;
and here I have examined him in your presence
and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him.
Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us.
Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death.
I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’
Now he was obliged to release someone for them at the festival.
Then they all shouted out together,
‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’
(This was a man who had been put in prison
for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again;
but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’
A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?
I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death;
I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’
But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts
that he should be crucified;
and their voices prevailed.
So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.
He released the man they asked for,
the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder,
and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene,
who was coming from the country,
and they laid the cross on him,
and made him carry it behind Jesus.
A great number of the people followed him,
and among them were women
who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
But Jesus turned to them and said,
‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me,
but weep for yourselves and for your children.
For the days are surely coming when they will say,
“Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore,
and the breasts that never nursed.”
Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”;
and to the hills, “Cover us.”
For if they do this when the wood is green,
what will happen when it is dry?’
Two others also, who were criminals,
were led away to be put to death with him.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull,
they crucified Jesus there with the criminals,
one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them;
they do not know what they are doing.’
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
And the people stood by, watching;
but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,
‘He saved others;
let him save himself
if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’
The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,
and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’
There was also an inscription over him,
‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who were hanged there
kept deriding him and saying,
‘Are you not the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!’
But the other rebuked him, saying,
‘Do you not fear God,
since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
And we indeed have been condemned justly,
for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but this man has done nothing wrong.’
Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
Jesus replied,
‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
It was now about noon,
and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,
while the sun’s light failed;
and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,
‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’
Having said this, he breathed his last.
When the centurion saw what had taken place,
he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’
And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle
saw what had taken place,
they returned home, beating their breasts.
But all his acquaintances,
including the women who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things.
A beautiful day. Although we are not allowed flowers in church because it is Lent, the church yard is full of the glory of our Lord, with a lot of help from the church yard working group who were hard at it yesterday.
Fr Chris preached around the gospel speaking of the many ways in which we can pray. There is no fixed way to do it. Be happy with God and speak to him however feels best to you.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honour me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
Philippians 3:4b-14
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians.
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:
circumcised on the eighth day,
a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had,
these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
More than that,
I regard everything as loss
because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things,
and I regard them as rubbish,
in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
but one that comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God based on faith.
I want to know Christ
and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this
or have already reached the goal;
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;
but this one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on towards the goal
for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
John 12:1-8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
the home of Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
There they gave a dinner for him.
Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,
anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.
The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples
(the one who was about to betray him), said,
‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii
and the money given to the poor?’
(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief;
he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone.
She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you,
but you do not always have me.’
30 March 2025
Joshua 5:9-12
A reading from the book of Joshua.
After the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan river,
The Lord said to Joshua,
‘Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.’
And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the Israelites were encamped in Gilgal
they kept the passover
in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month
in the plains of Jericho.
On the day after the passover, on that very day,
they ate the produce of the land,
unleavened cakes and parched grain.
The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land,
and the Israelites no longer had manna;
they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;
even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,
we know him no longer in that way.
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!
All this is from God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ,
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
since God is making his appeal through us;
we entreat you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-33
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus.
And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying,
‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
So he told them this parable:
‘There was a man who had two sons.
The younger of them said to his father,
“Father, give me the share of the property
that will belong to me.”
So he divided his property between them.
A few days later the younger son gathered all he had
and travelled to a distant country,
and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.
When he had spent everything,
a severe famine took place throughout that country,
and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out
to one of the citizens of that country,
who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.
He would gladly have filled himself
with the pods that the pigs were eating;
and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself he said,
“How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare,
but here I am dying of hunger!
I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ”
So he set off and went to his father.
But while he was still far off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion;
he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Then the son said to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But the father said to his slaves,
“Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
And get the fatted calf and kill it,
and let us eat and celebrate;
for this son of mine was dead and is alive again;
he was lost and is found!”
And they began to celebrate.
‘Now his elder son was in the field;
and when he came and approached the house,
he heard music and dancing.
He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.
He replied, “Your brother has come,
and your father has killed the fatted calf,
because he has got him back safe and sound.”
Then he became angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and began to plead with him.
But he answered his father,
“Listen! For all these years
I have been working like a slave for you,
and I have never disobeyed your command;
yet you have never given me even a young goat
so that I might celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours came back,
who has devoured your property with prostitutes,
you killed the fatted calf for him!”
Then the father said to him,
“Son, you are always with me,
and all that is mine is yours.
But we had to celebrate and rejoice,
because this brother of yours was dead
and has come to life;
he was lost and has been found.” ’
23 March 2025
Isaiah 55:1-9
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Lord says this:
Everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
I do not want you to be unaware,
brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all under the cloud,
and all passed through the sea,
and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
and all ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink.
For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was Christ.
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them,
and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil as they did.
Do not become idolaters as some of them did;
as it is written,
‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’
We must not indulge in sexual immorality
as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.
We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did,
and were destroyed by serpents.
And do not complain as some of them did,
and were destroyed by the destroyer.
These things happened to them to serve as an example,
and they were written down to instruct us,
on whom the ends of the ages have come.
So if you think you are standing,
watch out that you do not fall.
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.
God is faithful,
and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength,
but with the testing he will also provide the way out
so that you may be able to endure it.
Luke 13:1-9
Hear the ospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
There were some present who told him about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?
No, I tell you;
but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.
Or those eighteen who were killed
when the tower of Siloam fell on them—
do you think that they were worse offenders
than all the others living in Jerusalem?
No, I tell you;
but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’
Then he told this parable:
‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
So he said to the gardener, “See here!
For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree,
and still I find none.
Cut it down!
Why should it be wasting the soil?”
He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year,
until I dig round it and put manure on it.
If it bears fruit next year, well and good;
but if not, you can cut it down.” ’
16 March 2025
The third Sunday of March so our service in Church was Mattins, while the Crafty Communion was held in the Church Hall.
The choir sang 'Lead me Lord' by Charles Wesley as the anthem. As it was lent the csnticles were the Venite, the Benedicite and the Jubilate
There was coffee after the service.
We are re doing the Electoral Roll. Every 5 years we have to re enter everyone on the roll. There are forms at the back of the church .and an envelope to return them to. If you live in SIdlesham and are baptised you can be on the roll. If you live outside Sidlesham but worship regularly you can also be on the roll. This gives you the right to vote at the Annual eeting, and serve on the PCC.
A reading from the book of Genesis.
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision,
‘Do not be afraid, Abram,
I am your shield;
your reward shall be very great.’
But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me,
for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’
And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring,
and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’
But the word of the Lord came to him,
‘This man shall not be your heir;
no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’
He brought him outside and said,
‘Look towards heaven and count the stars,
if you are able to count them.’
Then he said to him,
‘So shall your descendants be.’
And he believed the Lord;
and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Then he said to him,
‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, t
o give you this land to possess.’
But he said,
‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’
He said to him,
‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old,
a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’
He brought him all these and cut them in two,
laying each half over against the other;
but he did not cut the birds in two.
And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses,
Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram,
and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark,
a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,
‘To your descendants I give this land,
from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
Philippians 3:17-4:1
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philiippians.
Brothers and sisters,
join in imitating me,
and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.
For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ;
I have often told you of them,
and now I tell you even with tears.
Their end is destruction; their god is the belly;
and their glory is in their shame;
their minds are set on earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will transform the body of our humiliation
so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,
by the power that also enables him
to make all things subject to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for,
my joy and crown,
stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Luke 13:31-35
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him,
‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’
He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me,
“Listen,
I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I finish my work.
Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way,
because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!
How often have I desired to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
and you were not willing!
See, your house is left to you.
And I tell you,
you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’
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