Weekly Pews News
no 21-10
7.3.2021
Third Sunday of Lent
Sunday 7th March
10:00 Online Eucharist (see notice below)
Readings: Exodus 20: 1–17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1: 18–25; John 2: 13–22
Collect Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lockdown 3.0: public worship continues to be suspended at Pagham church, and the church remains closed for private prayer. As we have heard in the Government Roadmap announcements over the last week, a very cautious approach is being taken to coming out of this Lockdown. We too will seek to reopen carefully and slowly. We do not anticipate making any significant changes for quite a few weeks to come. If it is felt we are able to safely return to public worship in time for Easter, then this will be a very stripped-back and simple celebration. Provision will be made for you to mark this Feast at home and online.
While this will be sad and difficult news for many of you, we must continue in this way to care for ourselves, one another and our NHS. The local situation on rates of infection with coronavirus is improving, but the NHS is still under tremendous strain. We must continue to do what we can to ‘Stay at Home’ while the vaccination programme is rolled out, and appropriate time is given for the first dose of the vaccine, that many of you have received, to take effect. Now is the time to be patient, but also thankful for the great steps that have been taken in protecting the community so far. Let us continue to pray for all frontline workers, our friends and family that we miss, and all those who have died with Covid-19. Mthr Lucy
Sunday 7th March
Intention: our schools, colleges and universities; all teachers and learners, governors and administrators.
11:00–12:00 Online coffee meeting (see below)
Monday 8th March – Edward King, bishop, 1910
Intention: the hungry, homeless, refugees and asylum seekers; the work of Church Army, Christian Aid and all relief agencies; our local charities Stonepillow and Bognor Regis Foodbank.
09:00 Morning prayer (online, see below)
17.30 Evening prayer
19:30 Lent course 3
Tuesday 9th March
Intention: the Queen and Royal Family, our nation and government, and our local MP Nick Gibb.
09:00 Morning prayer
17.30 Evening prayer
21:00 Compline
Wednesday 10th March
Intention: our local clubs and organisations, especially our Ladies’ Club and Men’s Group, and Pagham Luncheon Club.
15:00 Lent course 3
17:30 Evening Prayer
Thursday 11th March
Intention: our Scouts, Guides, Cadets and other local youth organisations.
09:00 Morning prayer
19:00 Stations of the cross VII-IX
Friday 12th March
Intention: our local industry and commerce, our farmers and growers, and the holiday industry; the staff and guests of Church Farm Holiday Village.
Saturday 13th March
Intention: our organist and director of music, our choir and musicians; our lay ministers of communion, altar servers, welcome team and bell-ringers.
Sunday 14th March – Mothering Sunday
Readings: Exodus 2: 1–10; Psalm 127: 1–4; 2 Corinthians 1: 3–7; John 19: 25b–27
PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS
We pray for all in need of healing in body, mind or spirit: Lynette, Rosie Sims, Terry Haskell, Barbara Crew, Jean Martin, Lila Cowee, June & Bruce Evans, Karen Cox, Jim Fowler, Sheila King, Gerald Hume, Carole & Ian Turner, John Kitchener, Richard Rundle.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Colin Wood (264192) to start the Prayer Chain.
The recently departed: Beryl Rundle.
Anniversary of death: Ronald Knight (7th); Jessie Towler, Lilian Gilham (8th); Gladys Halling (9th); Betty Wadlow, Joyce Winfield (10th); Norman Williams, Robert Upton, Neville Purdy, Cynthia Brown (11th); Stanley Holder, Harry Taylor (12th).
We remember Church family who live in residential care or usually receive communion at home: Beatrice Armstrong, Mary Baxter, Madge Breakspear.
We pray for all affected directly by Covid-19; for the safety and wellbeing of all prisoners and staff.
NOTICES
Online Sunday service: I encourage you to join the service at 10:00 on YouTube if you can – just as you would turn up to church for a set time.
Online Coffee Hour after the service: we continue to meet from 11:00 to 12:00. You are welcome to join whenever you are able, and leave early if you need to. Details are in Trudi’s email – if you would like some help navigating Zoom please do contact Mthr Lucy.
Morning & Evening Prayer on Zoom continues as listed above. The praying of the Daily Office is an important way to pray together as a community, to offer up the day’s challenges and give thanks for the blessings. All texts are provided on screen. The link to this can be found in Trudi’s email. Please contact Mthr Lucy if you have any trouble joining the call.
Additional services during Lent: we meet online for the office of Night Prayer (Compline) at 21:00 on Tuesdays on Zoom and our Facebook page. You may find it helpful to have a copy of the Lent Prayer Resource with you for this. Stations of the Cross at 19:00 on Thursdays is presented on Zoom: everything needed will be shared onscreen. NB feel free to dip in and out of the online offerings.
Palm Sunday Passion Gospel: if you would be interested in taking part in this year’s Passion Gospel for our pre-recorded service on Palm Sunday, would you please contact Mthr Lucy. NB you must be able to use Zoom for this.
Churchwardens: at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting after Easter, both Mike Wake and Stephen Cox-Rusbridge will be stepping down as our churchwardens, having served the maximum term (+in Mike’s case!). We will of course give great thanks for all that they have done and the time that they have dedicated to the role when we are able to meet. Now, however, we find ourselves needing to appoint two new wardens. Please do see the information attached to last week’s Communication email which outlines the role. I ask you all to give some prayerful thought to this subject as we seek to elect two new wardens for Pagham Church.
Chichester Cathedral’s lunchtime concerts have resumed! A series of five concerts is available; the first three can still be viewed, and there will be live performances from 13:00 on Tuesday 9th & 16th March. Each concert is preceded by a short talk on the programme via Zoom at 12:45. All details can be found online: chichestercathedral.org.uk/music/streamed-concerts/ (Apologies for late notice – AB.)
World Day of Prayer (formerly Women’s World Day of Prayer): this service usually takes place on the first Friday in March. This year, pandemic restrictions have prevented that, but a later event is planned for Friday 10th September in Bognor Regis, hosted by the Salvation Army and Major Sarah Butler. This year’s service has been written by Christian women in Vanuatu. Major Sarah has written a reflection on the service (attached) to aid us in our prayers for the women of Vanuatu, ourselves and the world.
CONTACT DETAILS – find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @StThomasPagham.
The Revd Lucy Sullivan: 19 Willowhale Avenue, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 4AU.
mthrlucy.pagham@gmail.com, 01243 941551. Rest day Friday.
Churchwardens: Mike Wake and Stephen Cox-Rusbridge: churchwarden@paghamchurch.org
07899 705632//07974 177905. Church website update: email editor@paghamchurch.org.
Safeguarding Officer: Jan Brockhurst, safeguarding@paghamchurch.org.
Pews News: Alison Blenkinsop, pewsnews@paghamchurch.org, 261131, 07784 544981.