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)
Churchwarden: Mr Alex Brockhurst
Tel: 07792 544259.; Email: churchwarden@paghamchurch.org
Churchwarden: Mr Mike Wake
Tel: 07899 705632; Email: churchwarden@paghamchurch.org
Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jan Brockhurst
Email: safeguarding@paghamchurch.org
Find us online: www.paghamchurch.org // @StThomasPagham
Registered charity number 1134842
SUNDAY 7th May 2023
fifth sunday of easter
Sunday 7th 08:00 Holy Communion (St Richard’s & Pagham)
EASTER 5 09:30 Parish Family Eucharist
Monday 8th 10:00 Big Help Out- see below
Julian of Norwich
Tuesday 9th 18:00 Evening Prayer (Pagham church)
19:00 Tuesday@7
Wednesday 10th 14:30- 16:00 Tea & Chat
(Pagham Church centre, Nyetimber Lane)
18:00 Evening Prayer (Pagham church)
Thursday 11th 17:30 Evening Prayer (St Richard’s)
Friday 12th No public services today
Saturday 13th No public services today
Sunday 14th 08:00 Holy Communion (St Richard’s only)
EASTER 6 09:30 Parish Eucharist
10:45 Annual Parochial Church Meetings
Hymns
Introit: 570 Praise the Lord ye heavens
Gradual: 177 For all the saints
Offertory: 35 A new commandment
Final: 336 I will enter his gates x 2
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 Fifth Sunday of Easter:
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
New Testament reading: Acts 7: 55- end
Standing before the high priest and the council, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.
Psalm 31: 1- 5 The response to the psalm is “Let your face shine on your servants”
New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 2: 2- 10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:
‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’,
and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Gospel Reading: John 14: 1- 14
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
Philip said to him, ‘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.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Rosie Sims, Barbara Crew, Karen Cox, Jim Fowler, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Nicola Simpson, Betty Smith, Mike Hatzfeld, Andrew Naylor, Colin May, Tyler Rankin, Max Davey, Leslie Francis, Dickie Roots, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Margaret Easton, Beatrice Tucker, Julie Green, Simon Grout, Carole Turner.
Anniversary of death Joseph Conneeley (7th); Nellie Baker (8th); Alfred Robbins, Kay Street (9th); Henry Mustard (10th); Vic Huxley (12th); Reginald Watson, Evelyn Archer (13th)
Recently departed Rosemary Seabourne
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.
We pray for Nyewood Junior School as they seek to appoint a new Head Teacher.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life: grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 17: 22- 31; Psalm 66: 7- end; 1 Peter 3: 13- end; John 14: 15- 21.
Being With- Course Exploring Christian Faith and Life
We will be running a course for those exploring the Christian faith after Easter, starting on Monday 15th May and running for the next 11 weeks (10 sessions in total 19:30- 21:00, no session on Monday 29th May). Devised and created by Samuel Wells and Sally Hitchiner of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The course is an introduction to Christianity with a difference. At its heart is the idea that God’s greatest desire is to be with us in Jesus. If you would like to know more about this course please speak to Mthr Lucy.
The Coronation and our church community
Ring for the King
Pagham Bells will ring out at 4pm on Coronation Day (6th May) in celebration of the coronation of King Charles III.
The Coronation Big Help Out at St Thomas à Becket.
Monday 8th May 10:00- 13:00 the final part of the Coronation weekend sees the encouragement and invitation to help out in the local community. At Pagham church we are putting the call out for volunteers to help with some tasks around the church and church centre. If you are able to help out, then please come on down for all or part of the time on Monday 8th May to lend a hand. Litter picking in the churchyard and along Church Lane with Alison Blenkinsop and the Pagham Pick & Mix Litter Pickers. Or weeding out the front of the church centre on Nyetimber Lane.
This is advertised on the National Big Help Out website, so I hope we might meet some local volunteers too, but please don’t leave it all to them! The more the merrier!
St Thomas à Becket Annual Parochial Church Meetings
These take place on Sunday 14th May following the 09:30am service. Please do come and join us if you are able to, as we celebrate and give thanks for the events and activities of the last year and look forward to the new one. With election of Churchwardens and PCC Members. It is still possible for eligible members of the Electoral Roll to be nominated for election to the PCC or Deanery Synod at the meeting- please speak with Mthr Lucy, a Churchwarden or someone on the PCC for more information. The accounts are available for inspection and reports will be available later this week, circulated via email with a few copies available in church.
Ascension day
Is Thursday 18th May do join us for celebrations: 10:00 for a said celebration of Holy Communion at St Thomas à Becket, Pagham, or at 19:00 for a Sung Eucharist at St Richard’s followed by refreshments and their APCM.
Since the fourth century, on the fortieth day of Easter there has been a particular celebration of Christ’s ascension. Jesus commissions his disciples to continue his work, he promises the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then he is no longer among them in the flesh. The ascension is therefore closely connected with the theme of mission- making this the perfect week for the Annual Meetings- looking back and giving thanks, and forward saying yes to all that we are called to in the God’s mission in this place.
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.