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 April 16th 2023
Second Sunday of Easter
Sunday 16th 08:00 Holy Communion (Pagham church only)
EASTER 2 09:30 Parish Eucharist
Monday 17th 09:00 Morning Prayer (church)
Tuesday 18th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
19:00 Tuesday@7
Wednesday 19th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Thursday 20th 09:00 Morning Prayer (church)
10:00 Holy Communion
Friday 21st No public worship today
Saturday 22nd 14:00 Burial of ashes
Sunday 23rd 08:00 Holy Communion (St Richard’s only)
EASTER 3 09:30 Parish Eucharist
Hymns
Introit: 680 This joyful Eastertide
Gradual: 9 Alleluia alleluia! Hearts to heaven
Offertory: 84 Breathe on me breath of God
Final: 255 Hail the day that sees him rise
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Second Sunday of Easter:
Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our 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 2: 14a, 22- 32
On the day of Pentecost, Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd,
‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”
‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.
Psalm 16: The response to the psalm is “O Lord you are my portion and my cup”
New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 1: 3- 9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel Reading: John 20: 19- end
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
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.
Anniversary of death: Beryl Wright, Christopher Greenfield, Munro Edwards (16th); Minnie Vickery (17th); Kitty Vagg (18th); Raymond Dobson, Beatrice Reed (20th); Christopher Goring (22nd).
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 Lord God our Father, through our Saviour Jesus Christ
you have assured your children of eternal life and in baptism have made us one with him: deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in your love, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 14a, 36- 41; Psalm 116: 1-7; 1 Peter 1: 17- 23; Luke 24: 13- 35.
Churchyard
We need your help- please!… There will be a catch up session for grass cutting and tidying in the churchyard on Monday and Tuesday 17th and 18th April starting at 9.30am until about lunchtime. If you are free for all or part of the sessions, please come along to help. For more information contact wardens Alex or Mike details (contact details on front page).
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 in our church community
Coronation Prayer Books
With thanks to a generous donor the small prayers books released by Church House Publishing for the Coronation are available at the back of church- please do take one/ two per household to use in your family prayers, copies have also been purchased to share with the local schools. These books have been produced to encourage our church communities to pray: for The King, our nation, and the world; to explore the symbolism of the Coronation service; and to reflect on Jesus, the Servant King.
The Coronation Vigil at St Thomas à Becket, Pagham.
On the eve of the Coronation – Friday 5th May- there will be special service of Evening Prayer at 18:00 at St Thomas à Becket, Pagham. To pray for King Charles III and Camilla the Queen Consort as they make their final preparations and for their calling to a life of public service.
The Coronation of King Charles III is an historic moment in the life of our nation. The ceremony itself is rooted in longstanding tradition and will reflect the King’s role today and in the future. Throughout the weekend, themes of community life, volunteering and service will be highlighted and celebrated. We start our celebrations in prayer for all that is to come.
The Coronation BBQ at St Thomas à Becket, Pagham.
Following the Vigil Service (above) there will be a joyous gathering in the churchyard for the Pagham Church BBQ (in the church if the weather isn’t with us! Food available from about 7pm), with bring and share salads and desserts. Please sign-up on the list at the back of church if you hope to come, to help us with catering, and a note of what you can contribute to the bring and share. Donations on the day.
The Coronation Big Lunch at St Richard’s.
Sunday 7th May ~ 12:30pm (following the 11:15am service). A two-course hot lunch with joyful music, great company, and the opportunity to toast our new King. Suggested minimum donation £10 per person- please sign-up at the back of church, please speak to Mthr Lucy if cost is prohibitive.
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- more details to follow. 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. 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!
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.
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.