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 12th FEBRuary 2023
seconD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
Sunday 12th 08:00 Holy Communion- St Richards
SECOND BEFORE 09:30 Parish Eucharist
LENT 14:00 Holy Baptism- Anders Ison Cotterill
Monday 13th 09:00 Morning Prayer (church)
Tuesday 14th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Cyril and Methodius
Wednesday 15th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Thursday 16th 10:00 Holy Communion
Friday 17th No public services today
Janani Luwum
Saturday 18th No public services today
Sunday 19th 08:00 Holy Communion- St Richard’s
SUNDAY NEXT 09:30 Parish Eucharist with Sunday School
BEFORE LENT
Hymns
Entrance: 70 Be thou my vision
Gradual: 654 The Lord’s my Shepherd
Offertory: 67 Be still for the presence of the Lord
Final: 662 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
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 Second Sunday before Lent:
Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament reading: Genesis 1: 1- 2: 3
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Psalm 136: 1-9, 23- end the response to the psalm is “For his mercy endures for ever”
New Testament reading: Romans 8: 18- 25
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Gospel reading: Matthew 6: 25- end
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Rosie Sims, Terry Haskell, 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.
Recently departed: Richard Jeffrey
Anniversary of death: Rose Humphries (12th); Thomas Best, Jack Field, Tony Spurle (21st).
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, by your gift the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross and enjoy the delights of eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Sunday next before Lent
Exodus 24: 12- end; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1: 16- end; Matthew 17: 1- 9.
Holy Land Pilgrimage
Mthr Lucy is currently on the Diocesan Holy Land Pilgrimage. “Please know that I pray for you as I journey, and I hope that you will pray for me and the other pilgrims. Let us all pray for the peace of Jerusalem” Mthr Lucy
Friends of Pagham Parish Church ‘Winter Warmer’ Thanks to all those who came and supported the Friends event last night. Do keep an eye out for future events and activities organised by the ‘Friends of Pagham Church’.
Pancake Party Tuesday 21st February 14:30- 16:00 in the Pagham Parish Church Centre, Nyetimber Lane. Come and fill your tums with pancakes before our lent fast begins. Open to all, bring a friend and enjoy both the hospitality and the company.
Ash Wednesday Lent begins on Ash Wednesday 22nd February. On this day there will be a Said Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes at 10:00 at St Thomas à Becket, and a Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes at 19:30, at St Richard’s Aldwick. Please do make every effort to attend a service on this day at the start this holy season. In preparation for these services, please can you return any palm crosses you have at home, to be burnt for ash. Many thanks.
Lent, Holy Week and Easter 2023 Please pick-up a flyer which outlines all our Lent, Holy Week and Easter services, study groups, and invitations to prayer. This year, in an attempt to make all events as accessible as possible there is a combination of offerings day/ evening/ weekend – at St Richard’s and St Thomas à Becket. Please know that you are welcome at all sessions.
Christian Aid Lent Lunches In aid of Christian Aid we will be hosting ‘Lent Lunches’ at the Pagham Parish Church Centre, Nyetimber Lane, on the Thursdays in Lent 12:00- 14:00(March 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th). Warming soup lunch with bread roll, teas and coffees and a warm welcome! Bring a friend. Pay what you feel… this means you might only feel able to pay £1… or you might feel able to pay £10. Knowing that you can enjoy a warm meal and company, or that you are enabling someone else to enjoy these in the difficult financial times some are facing at the moment, and adding to our offering to Christian Aid. Sue O’Neill will be co-ordinating these lunches, if you would like to help her, please do contact her on suesdesignservices@gmail.com / 07867 904 780. It’s not necessary to be available every week.
Pagham Luncheon Club
The Pagham Luncheon Club returns on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from the 15th of March open to all residents of the parish and friends. 12:00- 14:00 at St Ninians for a lunch provided by The Bear and good company, at £9 per head. The Pagham Minibus is available for lifts to this gathering. For more information and book-in please call Jean Hunt on 01243 268 818.
Christian Aid Syria and Turkey Earthquake appeal
A retiring collection, supporting this appeal, will be held this Sunday and next Sunday. Please put your donations in the marked collection plate at the back of the church.