St Thomas à Becket
Pews News
Priest-in-Charge: The Reverend Lucy Sullivan
Tel: 01243 941 551 Email: mthrlucy.pagham@gmail.com (Rest day: Friday)
Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Rosemary Towse
Email: rosemarytowse@talktalk.net
Churchwarden: Mr Alex Brockhurst
Tel: 07792 544259; Email: alex.brockhurst@hotmail.co.uk
Churchwarden: Mrs Sue O’Neill
Tel: 07867 904780; Email: suesdesignservices@gmail.com
Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jan Brockhurst
Email: safeguarding@paghamchurch.org
Find us online: www.paghamchurch.org // StThomasPagham@gmail.com// @StThomasPagham
Registered charity number 1134842
SUNDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2023
tHIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday 3rd 08:00 Holy Communion
TRINITY 13 (St Richard’s Church and Pagham Church)
09:30 Parish Family Eucharist
with blessing of backpacks followed by Coffee
Monday 4th 09:00 Morning Prayer
11:00 Meditation (Pagham church)
17:30 Evening Prayer
19:30 Adult Confirmation Class-
(Pagham Church Centre Nyetimber Lane)
Tuesday 5th 18:00 Evening Prayer
Wednesday 6th 09:30 Breakfast Club (Manor Nursery)
18:00 Evening Prayer
Thursday 7th 09:00 Morning Prayer
10:00 Holy Communion
Friday 8th No public services today
Birth of the BVM &
Accession of King Charles III
Saturday 9th No public services today
Sunday 10th 08:00 Holy Communion (St Richard’s Church only)
TRINITY 14 09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by Coffee
14:00 Holy Baptism- Maisie Kate Lee
Hymns
Introit: 201 Give me Joy
Gradual: 70 Be thou my vision
Offertory: 346 Jesus calls us
Final: 525 One more step along the world
The Collection plate– If you would like to make an offering, please use the contactless Payaz machine or the collection plate, both can be found by the door. Thank you for your generosity.
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity:
Almighty God, you search us and know us may we rely on your strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old Testament reading: Jeremiah 15: 15 – 21
O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to ne healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.
Therefore, thus says the Lord: If you turn back, I will take you back, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to you, not you who will turn to them.
And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you,, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the Lord. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
Psalm 26: 1 – 8 The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Romans 12: 9 – end
Let love be genuine; hate what s evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in seal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written,
‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16: 21 – end
From this time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not to divine things but on human things.’
Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to come my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will nt taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Barbara Crew, Karen Cox, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Nicola Simpson, Mike Hatzfeld, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Emilia Hogan, Julie Green, Lucia, Alan Crew.
Recently departed: Jeanne Outred, Ellen
Anniversary of death : Reginald Holyoak (6th); Ena Groves, Hazel Hope (8th); Tony Perez (9th).
We pray for peace and especially for and with the people of Ukraine. We pray for all those caught up in conflict, and for those seeking safety and refuge on these shores.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: God our creator, you feed your children with the true manna, the living bread from heaven: let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage until we come to that place where hunger and thirst are no more; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Ezekiel 33: 7- 11; Psalm 119: 33- 40; Romans 13: 8- end; Matthew 18: 15- 20
Parish Family Eucharist with blessing of back packs
This Sunday (3rd September) is our Parish Family Eucharist with blessing of back packs for the return/ at the start of the new school year. All our young people are encouraged to bring their school back packs/ sports bag/ bookbags/ PE Kit bags for blessing at this service as we pray for God’s guidance for all of those in education at the star of the new academic year.
Tuesday@7
Tuesday@7 our family friendly mid-week eucharist returns on Tuesday 12th September at 7pm. Please do spread the word and invite a friend- a wonderful introduction to church and worship for those exploring the Christian faith.
Harvest
This year we will celebrate the Harvest with a whole weekend of events on the 16th- 17th September. On Saturday 16th we will enjoy a parish walk with picnic lunch at Lagness (the halfway point of the walk, and boundary of the parish), and on Sunday 17th following the Parish Harvest Eucharist we will share a Ploughman’s lunch at the Church Centre on Nyetimber Lane- £8 per adult, children free. Do get the dates in your diary and sign-up on the list in church or on the Eventbrite link. All are very welcome, and we really do encourage you to invite friends along, as well. Our food collection this year will again go the Bognor Regis Foodbank- keep an eye out for the most needed items.
Harvest Flowers
We will be decorating the church in readiness to celebrate Harvest on Saturday 16th September from 09:00. Donations of greenery and produce for use in the arrangements would be welcomed. If you would like to sponsor an arrangement or contribute to the cost of the flowers please contact Trudi 263597/ 07703597353
2022 Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal: Leaflets are now available at the back of the church. Please bring boxes to church by Sunday 5th November. Pick up a leaflet and fill a box – or if you feel that you cannot fill a whole box, perhaps you could supply some items or money towards the transport costs. Every little helps. Details – Trudi Kearsley 263597/07703597353
Breakfast Club: 09:30 on Wednesday 6th September 09:30 at Manor Nursery. All welcome to join us for a hearty breakfast and company. Details – Alex Brockhurst (details on front page)
Confirmation Courses
Dates for the adult confirmation course are as follows: Mondays 4th, 11th, 18, 25th September and 2nd, 9th October 19:30- 21:00 at the Pagham Parish Church Centre on Nyetimber Lane. This is in preparation for Confirmation with Bishop Ruth on the 17th October at St Mary’s Clymping. If you are interested in exploring this, please contact Mthr Lucy- details on the front page.
Getting to know Paul
In the autumn we will be running a study course on the writings of St Paul- the dates of these sessions are Sundays 15th & 22nd October and 12th & 19th November, at 16:30 in St Andrew’s Chapel at Pagham Church. The first session will look at the writings of Paul and provide an introduction to traditional readings of these writings, while the second and third sessions will share two 21st Century books by Paula Gooder – Pauline Scholar and Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. These books are Phoebe A Story (Hodder & Stoughton 2018) and Lydia A Story (Hodder & Stoughton 2022) available online and from all good book sellers. You might like to get reading now!
SUPPORT FOR THE FOODBANK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
Urgently needed this week: Durable plastics bags, 1ltr UHT Fruit Juice, 1ltr UHT Milk, Tinned Fruit, Pasta Sauce, Tinned Fish, Tinned Custard, Tinned Rice Pudding, Pasta, Tinned Meat, Cereal, Shampoo/ Conditioner, Nappies- size 4/5.