Services Today 8.00am Holy Communion - Ross The Rev’d Prebendary Jill TalbotPonsonby 9.30am All Age Eucharist - Ross The Rev’d Sarah Jones and Canon Freda Davies Setting: New English Mass - Appleford Introit: S38 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God Gradual: S5 Be still for the presence of the Lord Offertory: S6 Bind us together Lord Communion: Lord for thy tender mercy’s sake - Farrant/Hilton Post Communion: S33 Meekness and majesty 11.15am Family Communion - Walford The Rev’d Laurence Mathew & The Rev’d Caroline Pascoe 867 Never let Jesus into your heart unless you’re prepared to change 67 Be still for the presence of the Lord 332 Here I am, Lord Post Communion Prayer Lord God, you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven; by it you nourish our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love: teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread, and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from out of your mouth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Services next week 1st March 2015 8.00am 9.30am 9.30am 11.15am Holy Communion - Ross Sung Eucharist - Ross Matins - Walford Cafe Church - Brampton Abbotts School 6.30pm Choral Evensong - Ross The Rev’d Nick Adley Organ: Courante - J.S.Bach Hymn: 217 Be thou my guardian Responses: Tomkins Psalm: 25.1-9 - Wesley Hymn: 129 Lord Jesus, think on me Canticles: Morley with faux bourdon Anthem: Almightly and everlasting God Gibbons Hymn: 211 Through the night of doubt Fugue on a Theme of Corelli - J.S.Bach Do join us for coffee in St Mary’s hall after the 9.30 Eucharist Tel: 01989 562175 Email: [email protected] The Benefice of Ross with Walford Newsletter SUNDAY 22ND FEBRUARY FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT We offer a warm welcome to everyone at our services today Last Tuesday the House of Bishops sent a letter to all parishes reminding us that we all have a responsibility to vote in the General Election in May. In the Today programme the Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, one of the authors of the letter was interviewed alongside MP Nadine Dorries. He said the letter was not telling us how to vote but just to think carefully before we vote; and to think of the wider picture. She said the Church should stay out of politics and limit itself to the ethical issues. Obviously the discussion was a bit longer but those were the main points. Last week the Church Urban Fund published “Church in Action: A national survey of church-based social action” which “revealed the scale and nature of Anglican social action in England. The opening sentence of the report states that “ Social action is not an optional side project for the Church; it is core to its heart and mission.” Throughout the Gospels Jesus involved himself with the politics of his age. When asked whether Jews should pay taxes they were told to pay them (Mark 12: 1317). In the parables Jesus made it quite clear that those who love God should work for a just society and have a heart for the poor and vulnerable. The windows in St. Mary’s depict the story of the Good Samaritan and part of the story of the Sheep and the Goats. Our Christian ancestors almost certainly involved themselves with social action. The letter from the Bishops encourages “church members to engage in the political process, to put aside self-interest and vote for the “common good”, The privileges of living in a democracy mean that we should use our votes thoughtfully, prayerfully and with the good of others in mind, not just our own interests.” Jill Talbot-Ponsonby For our prayers this week: We pray for those that are unwell: Bernard Coles, Ken Burchell, Ann Rowland and Mona Cato. We remember those who have died: William Davies and Betty Barnes and pray for her family The Rev’d Sarah Jones 01989 562175 - not Tuesday The Rev’d Laurence Mathew 01989 769692 - not Thursday The Rev'd Nick Adley 01989 563633 - not Friday Today’s Collect Second Reading: 1 Peter 3.18-22 Notices Heavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness, and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. Confirmation - our new Bishop will be confirming people in St Mary’s on Sunday 26th April. If you are not Confirmed and would like to explore this, please let the office know as prep sessions are starting! Sarah The Bereavement Cafe - is open again this Wednesday 25th February in St. Mary's Hall from 10.30 until midday. If you know anyone, who has been bereaved who might enjoy coming out for coffee and a chat please do tell them. APCMs - St Michaels Walford APCM will be Monday 20th April. St Mary’s APCM will be Wednesday 29th April. Both at 7.30pm. Please can you submit your reports now to Lou in the office for the year 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014. Thank you, Sarah. Electoral Roll - The Electoral Roll will be closing for a period of review in early April ahead of the St Mary’s APCM on 29 April. To have the opportunity to vote at that meeting you need to be a member on the Roll and so you are encouraged to get your name added before the Roll closes. Please speak to Peter Raddenbury (01989 218295) if you require a form or more information. Today’s Readings First Reading: Genesis 9.8-17 God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’ Gospel Reading: Mark 1.9-15 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ The St Michael’s Walford C.O.A.T Coffee on a Tuesday this month will be at Nicky and George Smith’s home, Mill House, Walford HR9 5QS - (adj. Walford Timber) on Tuesday 24th Feb starting at 10 45am. Please come and invite someone to come with you. Valentine Quiz - Many thanks to everybody who supported the Quiz evening so well. We raised £383 for St Mary’s Church funds. Tina and Marilyn Paddle and Praise is a group for parents/grandparents with pre-school children. All welcome We are meeting on the following dates: Monday 23rd March Monday 20th April Monday 11th May Monday 15th June Monday 6th July All to be held at the home of Wendy Alston, 9.30am-11.30am. Tel: 01989 562959 Women’s World Day of Prayer - Friday 6th March, 11am at Christchurch. Prepared by Christian women of The Bahamas. Coffee Morning - Saturday 7th March 10.30am-12 noon, hosted by Open the Book.
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