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 19th FEBRuary 2023
SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE LENT
Sunday 19th 08:00 Holy Communion
NEXT BEFORE 09:30 Parish Eucharist
LENT
Monday 20th 09:00 Morning Prayer (Church)
(11:00 Nyewood Junior Eucharist)
Tuesday 21st 14:30- 16:00 Pancake Party
Pagham Parish Church Centre
17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
19:00 TUESDAY@7
Wednesday 22nd 10:00 Said Eucharist + Ashing– Pagham
ASH WEDNESDAY 14:00- 16:00 Ashes- to-go – Pagham
17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
19:30 Sung Eucharist + Ashing St Richard’s
Thursday 23rd 10:00 Holy Communion
Polycarp
Friday 24th No public services today
Saturday 25th 10:30 Coffee, Cake & Conversation
Mosse Hall, St Richard’s Church
Sunday 26th 09:30 Parish Eucharist
LENT 1 17:30 Stations of the Cross- Pagham
Hymns
Entrance: 97 Christ is made the sure foundation
Gradual: 503 O Jesus I have promised (omit v 2)
Offertory: 413 Lord of all hopefulness
Final: 428 Love divine, all loves excelling (omit v 3 and 4)
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 Sunday next before Lent:
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.
Old Testament reading: Exodus 24: 12- end
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Psalm 2 the response to the psalm is “You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.”
New Testament reading: 2 Peter 1: 16- end
We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Gospel reading: Matthew 17: 1- 9
Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’
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: Thomas Best, Jack Field, Tony Spurle (21st); John Fisk (22nd); Eric Willmot (23rd); Alfred Vickery, Jean Saunders (24th)
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: First Sunday of Lent
Genesis 2: 15- 17; 3: 1- 7; Psalm 32; Romans 5: 12- 19; Matthew 4: 1- 11.
Christian Aid Collection for Northern Syria and Turkey: Thank you to those who contributed to the collection for aid following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Northern Syria. We will have a final retiring collection for this cause on Sunday 19th February. Thank you for your generosity. Let us continue to pray for all those affected by this.
Exsultet Candles, We have a number of ‘Pagham candles’ available for sale. They cost £2- £6 dependant on size and are unscented. Exultet Candles are made from previous years’ Paschal (Easter) candles and make a wonderful gift or addition to your home and are perfect to be lit during your prayer time or perhaps on the table for a dinner party- what a great way to open the conversation about your church with friends!
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.
Christingle donations for the Children’s Society amounted to £50. Thank you.
World Day of Prayer on Friday 3rd March at St Mar’s Felpham at 10.30a.m.
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
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.