NOTICES CHURCH CHRISTMAS CARDS are on sale with all profits going to church funds. The picture is a detail from the window above the font in St Lawrence. Cost: £4.95 for 10 cards; they are available from the Church Office. 2015 CALENDARS are now on sale, £5 each, available from the Church Office, Over the Moon or on a Sunday during coffee. Before you next shop online remember to sign up to EASYFUNDRAISING - to help raise church funds, especially as you order your Christmas gifts (or your supermarket shop). Use this link www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ stlabbotslangley - it won’t cost you a penny but the church will benefit. TRAIDCRAFT items will be available during coffee this morning along with Christmas catalogues - all sales of cards and presents support church funds. Next Sunday (9th) - REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY - worship at 10.55 am at the War Memorial followed by service in St Lawrence; also a service at Bedmond at 3.00 pm. There will be nostalgia, comedy and tensions in Abbots Langley Players’ production of ABIGAIL’S PARTY. You won’t meet Abigail. Even her Mum isn’t welcome. Performances will be in the Henderson Hall from Wednesday 12th Saturday 15th November at 7.45 pm and Saturday matinee at 2.30 pm. Ticket office 0844 804 5354. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP? We are in need of people to help with Sunday Lunches (1st & 3rd Sundays of the month only, on a rota basis), Sunday Coffee after the 9.30 am service or with Church Cleaning, also both on a rota basis. Contact the Office to offer help, 261795. Find us and Like us on THE PARISH OF ABBOTS LANGLEY OUTLOOK (church magazine - 40p) and SEEROUND (diocesan paper - free) are available for November. Please take a copy. If you would like to find out about advertising in Outlook magazine for 2015 please contact the office to find out more. The Friends’ CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2014 is available from today from the Church Office, Jan Taylor or Judy Roe. This year the questions are on The Rivers of Great Britain. 100 questions for £1.00. A WATFORD INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION PILGRIMAGE takes place on Sunday 16th November starting at Watford & District Synagogue at 1.30 pm see Outlook for more details. FRIENDS’ & MOTHERS’ UNION COFFEE MORNING in the church hall on Saturday 29th November from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. Stalls, raffles, cakes, jams, chutneys and the famous bacon butties come along and support this event. HANDBELL RINGING PRACTICE - if you’d like to learn please come along on a Tuesday at 6.30 pm. JOHN RUTTER CHRISTMAS CONCERT - Thursday 11th December at the Albert Hall, £44 pp including coach - if you signed up please pay now - cheques payable to ALPCC Social Committee. CONTACT NUMBERS Vicar: The Revd Dr Jo Spreadbury 01923 263013 Curate: The Revd David Warner 01923 518262 Assistant Priest: The Revd Angela Milton 01923 519453 Assistant Priest: The Revd Guy Buckler via the Church Office Reader: Mrs Sally Sanderson 01923 265963 Church Office: 01923 261795 StLawrenceChurchAbbotsLangley and TheTinChurchBedmond St Lawrence the Martyr, Abbots Langley with the Church of the Ascension, Bedmond 2nd November 2014 ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY TODAY WELCOME 8.00 am Holy Communion President & Preacher: The Revd David Warner Reader: Marcus Coultrup 9.30 am Parish Communion with Seekers President: & Preacher: The Revd David Warner Hymns: 393 - 564 - 555 - 297 134 (vv 1,2,4,7,8,) Intercessions: Pam Rastall 11.00 am Holy Communion at Bedmond President: & Preacher: The Revd Jo Spreadbury Hymns: 393 - 564 - 63 - 123 (vv 1,2,4,7,8) Reader: Linda Ball 12.00 noon Baptism of Gethin Shepardson 12.30 pm Sunday Lunch Club 3.00 pm Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance Hymns: 422 - 313 - 490 - 186 6.30 pm Requiem Eucharist for All Souls’ President: The Revd David Warner Welcome to everyone at our worship today, especially to those who have come to hear their Banns of Marriage read visitors and newcomers - please introduce yourself if you are new or a visitor. SERVICES THIS WEEK Holy Communion 10.15 am Wednesday 9.30 am Friday (with Morning Prayer) Morning Prayer 9.30 am Monday to Wednesday and Friday Evening Prayer 5.15 pm Monday to Friday, including prayers for peace on Monday and prayers for healing on Tuesday Prayer Extra 8.15 am Thursday: prayers for the parish and local community If you have been confirmed or usually receive Communion in your own church, please do so here. If not, you are welcome to come to the altar rail for a Blessing, and if you carry a book with you the priest will know not to offer you the bread and wine. Please tell a sidesman before the service if you would like a gluten-free wafer. A T-loop is provided for hearing aid users. For our younger members at 9.30 am: Crèche - there is a room in the church hall with suitable toys (0-3 years) Seekers in the church hall (3-10 years) except Second Sundays (the Church Hall is at the end of the car park) Quiet Children’s Corner in Church Before the service, listen to God; and after the service, listen to each other. If you have come to the service at 9.30 am please stay for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat in the church hall. A collection is taken at each main service. (If you are a tax payer, please use a gift aid envelope.) This money is fundamental to the life of the church: its ministry, mission and charitable giving. You may notice that some people put nothing in the bag; this is because their giving is made by standing order. JustTextGiving - a new way to give - text STLA12 followed by the amount to 70070. www.abbotslangley.org.uk THE PRAYERS AND BIBLE READINGS FOR OUR PRAYERS COLLECT: Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; 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. GIVE THANKS FOR » the example, witness, and prayers of the saints » those who have encouraged you in your faith » the faithful departed MONDAY 3rd Richard Hooker, Priest, Anglican PRAY FOR » those who are persecuted for their faith » those who do not know Christ » all who mourn » the peoples of Iraq and Syria, Palestine & Israel; and all seeking to end terror and conflict » all those affected by the ebola virus » those who worship at St Paul’s Church » Dynamite Youth group and its leaders » those who live in Standfield, Station Road and Stewart Close (inc. Stewart Lodge and Tanners) TUESDAY 4th 10.15 am Tuesday Coffee in St Lawrence 6.30 pm Handbell Ringing practice 7.45 pm Dynamite Youth group FIRST READING Revelation 7, 9-end Pew Bible page 247 There were arguments in the early Church about the inclusion of the book of Revelation in the Bible, and it has vexed scholars ever since. The visions should not be taken literally, nor should we look for a single ‘key’ to unlock what Revelation has to say. Rather, as in this passage, it shows us in vivid language and symbol a picture of heaven. We cannot know the exact details of eternal life with God: we have faith that those who have served him faithfully on earth are caught up into the worship of heaven, to enjoy a full relationship with God of which we get only glimpses here on earth. SECOND READING 1 John 3.1-3 Pew Bible page 237 A dominant strand of John’s theology is that those who have seen the Son have seen the Father, and that those who have seen God at work in the life of Christians have seen the Son. Faced with a belief in the impending return of Christ, which it was believed would be preceded by a time of great trial, Christians are exhorted to stand firm in the faith, confident that they are God’s beloved children. In the fullness of time (i.e. at the Second Coming of Christ), Christians will be made perfect as Christ is perfect, and God will be all in all. GOSPEL Matthew 5.1-12 Pew Bible page 4 Lest we be tempted to judge people according to the world’s standards, Jesus reminds us that those who are blessed are the ones the world often forgets. The saints of God are those who embody the values and life of his Kingdom: those who set before them the vision of God in this world will enjoy it fully in the next. POST COMMUNION PRAYER: God, source of all holiness and giver of all good things: may we who have shared at this table as strangers and pilgrims here on earth be welcomed with all your saints to the heavenly feast on the day of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. READINGS NEXT SUNDAY Amos 5.18-24 1 Thessalonians 4.13-end Matthew 25.1-13 DAYS OFF Jo - Friday David - Thursday A prayer for countries affected by Ebola: Mighty King, lover of justice, we pray that equity would be established across the Earth. We pray that the death toll from Ebola would not keep rising where resources are so few. We pray that the resources needed now would be made available in abundance. We pray for the poorest, who are again those experiencing the brunt of inequality. Mighty King, lover of justice we cry to you for those who are suffering. Help us to be the answer to their prayers. Amen Psalm 99.4a THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR IN NEED » Shirley Hammond : Norman Finch : Pete : Ray Greeves : Tom Stuart : Alison Warner : James Stevens : Mary Hunt : Ellis Haggith : Chris : Christine Corners : Ken Durtnall R.I.P. » Barry Curtis (The Cottage, Kitters Green) : Joyce Brown (Bluebell Drive) Amongst the charities we support financially and with our prayers, this week we pray for the work of the Leprosy Mission. The charity concentrates its work in 11 countries in Asia and Africa. Over the next few months we will pray for each country in turn and their specific projects. This month is India: Please pray for the work and staff of Purulia Hospital as they continue to treat people with ongoing problems associated with Leprosy. Give thanks for the Mercy Home attached to the hospital who supply accommodation, food and care to those too disabled or elderly to return to their own homes. Please pray for the mobile clinics and their staff who are trying to access the more remote regions to educate, identify and treat local people. Give thanks for the legacy that built 9 low cost homes in Andhra Pradesh providing a safe and secure environment for people suffering from the effects of Leprosy. www.leprosymission.org.uk THE COMING WEEK Apologist, Teacher of the Faith, 1600 2.15 pm 7.30 pm Tiny Tots service in St Lawrence Ringers’ practice WEDNESDAY 5th 10.15 am Holy Communion THURSDAY 6th 8.15 am Prayers for the local community 10.00 am Funeral of Barry Curtis in St Lawrence followed by Cremation 7.00 pm Service at Tanners FRIDAY 7th Willibrord of York, Bishop, Apostle of Frisia, 739 9.30 am Holy Communion with Morning Prayer 10.00 am HAL Coffee Morning in the Henderson Hall 6.15 pm Youth Choir SATURDAY 8th The Saints and Martyrs of England NEXT SUNDAY THE THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY 9th November 2014 8.00 am Holy Communion President & Preacher: The Revd Jo Spreadbury 9.30 am Leader: Second Sunday Service The Revd Jo Spreadbury 10.55 am Act of Remembrance at War Memorial followed by a Service in St Lawrence Preacher: The Revd David Warner 1.00 pm Baptism of Jack Norton 3.00 pm Remembrance Service at Bedmond Preacher: The Revd David Warner 6.30 pm Evening Communion President & Preacher: The Revd Jo Spreadbury