Weekly Pews News

no 21-7

14.2.2021                         


Sunday next before Lent

Sunday 14th February

10:00 Online Eucharist (see notice below)

Readings: Ezekiel 47: 1–12; 1 John 4: 10–19; John 15: 9–13

Collect  Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Lockdown 3.0: due to the ongoing pandemic, all public worship at St Thomas à Becket’s, Pagham, is currently suspended and the church closed for private prayer. This decision will be reviewed this week.

Let us continue to pray for all affected by the virus and those who continue to work on the frontline, for the vaccination programme and all those who volunteer their time to offer this locally, as well as for all who have died and those who have lost loved ones. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York recently called us all to pray together at 18:00 each evening. So let us too unite in prayer with them, our neighbours and Christians throughout the Church of England each evening.           Mthr Lucy

Sunday 14th February

Intention: our Parochial Church Council, its officers and committees; all those who serve our Church in any way.

11:00–12:00  Online coffee meeting (see below)

Monday 15th February

Intention: our local community; our Parish Pastoral Care Team, local Residents’ Associations, and the County, District and Parish Councils.

09:00            Morning prayer (online, see below)

17.30            Evening prayer

Tuesday 16th February

Intention: those married here and preparing for marriage this year; family life, and especially any families facing adversity.

09:00            Morning prayer

17.30            Evening prayer

Wednesday 17th February – Ash Wednesday

Intention: the press, radio and television corporations, and all who influence public opinion; also Christian publishing and broadcasting.

09:00            Morning Prayer (all online, see below)

12:00            Midday Prayer

17:30            Evening Prayer

19:30              Eucharist of Ash Wednesday

21:00            Compline

Thursday 18th February

Intention: all seafarers, fishermen and lifeboat crews, and the work of Mission to Seafarers.

09:00            Morning prayer

Friday 19th February

Intention: Church finances, national and international finance; consider what the words poverty and wealth mean to us.

Saturday 20th February

Intention: all victims of violence, crime and oppression; those affected by domestic and other forms of abuse, and all who seek to support them.

Sunday 21st February – First Sunday of Lent

Readings: Genesis 9: 8–17; Psalm 25: 1–9; 1 Peter 3: 18–end; Mark 1: 9–15.

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, Robin Potter, Gerald Hume, Carole & Ian Turner, John Kitchener.

For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Colin Wood (264192) to start the Prayer Chain.

The recently departed: Gill Coppuck, Beryl Rundle, Robin Potter, Pamela Edwards.

Anniversary of death: Lydia Perez, Emily Lee (14th); Agnes Ray (15th); Gertrude Bradley, Darren Callaway, Peter Downey, Anne Martin, Ray Radmall (16th); Agnes Robbins (17th); Betty Wilmott (18th); Reg Smith (19th).

We remember Church family who live in residential care or usually receive communion at home: Lila Cowee, Kathleen Dudley, Ethel Huckle.

We pray for all affected directly by Covid-19; for scientists amending vaccines as the virus mutates.

NOTICES

Leprosy Mission: thank you to Chris Stratta of the Leprosy Mission for providing our sermon this week. Chris will also be joining us for Zoom coffee at 11:00, so please do make every effort to join us to hear more and ask questions about the important work of this charity.

Online services: I encourage you to join the service at 10:00 if you can – just as you would turn up to church for a set time. Please note that each week’s service will continue to be available, as in other weeks, so you can watch at your leisure.

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.

Ash Wednesday services: see the diary above. The prayer sessions will be on Zoom, and the Eucharist on the YouTube link, as for Sundays. Compline will also run on the Church Facebook page. Please note that you can dip in and out of the online offerings as suits you.

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.

Children’s Society: many thanks to Pat Rush for taking over the collections from Barbara Crew. Please contact her for more information on how to donate: 01243 262561, bprush@btinternet.com.

Christian Aid 2021: because of Covid-19, the usual Lent resource Count Your Blessings calendar, for our prayers and donations, has not been produced this year. However, the charity continues to support families facing poverty and injustice, with a focus on Bangladesh this year. Please continue to pray, and give via the website: christianaid.org.uk; or call 020 7523 2269 to donate by telephone.

Quiet Garden online meeting: Chris Bemrose writes: ‘Although the Quiet Garden mornings at Runcton Manor are on hold, we are planning a series of three Zoom-based events on the theme of ‘Spiritual Journeying’. These are on the topics of Into the margins, Crossing borders and Through the heart, and will be held fortnightly from 2-3.30 pm on Tuesdays, 16th February, 2nd & 16th March respectively. Places are limited, so prior booking is essential.’ Contact Alison Blenkinsop (as below) for more details.

Lent Course 2021

This year we will be using the Diocese of Chichester Lent course Cracked Wide Open which, through introduction and conversations with Bishop Ruth and Bishop Will, invites reflection on what minimum requirements need to be present for a diocese to participate in the mission of God. In the light of that reflection, it asks for prayer about how our unity with God and in the Body of Christ might grow and deepen, that the world might believe (John 17:21). This course will be delivered online over 5 sessions, beginning on Monday 22nd February. Each session will run twice a week: Mondays at 19:00 and Wednesdays at 15:00. Materials will also be available for use at home.

Please let Mthr Lucy know this week which session (Mon/Wed) you would like to sign up for, to help with creating balanced ‘breakout’ groups. More details will be found on the Lent leaflet.

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.