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)
Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Rosemary Towse
Email: rosemarytowse@talktalk.net
Churchwarden: Mr Alex Brockhurst
Tel: 07792 544259; Email: alex.brockhurst@hotmail.co.uk
Churchwarden: Mrs Sue O’Neill
Tel: 07867 904780; Email: suesdesignservices@gmail.com
Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jan Brockhurst
Email: safeguarding@paghamchurch.org
Find us online: www.paghamchurch.org // StThomasPagham@gmail.com// @StThomasPagham
Registered charity number 1134842
SUNDAY 17th MARCH 2024
Fifth Sunday of Lent / Passiontide begins
Sunday 17th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick)
LENT 5 09:30 Eucharist followed by coffee
17:30 Stations of the Cross (Aldwick)
Monday 18th 09:00 Morning Prayer (Pagham)
11:00 ‘Broken’ Lent Course 5 – (Pagham)
Tuesday 19th 10:00 Eucharist (Aldwick)
St Joseph of Nazareth 14:00 Private memorial service
church closed to the public (Pagham)
17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
19:00 Tuesday@7 (Pagham)
Wednesday 20th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom
St Cuthbert 19:30 APCM St Andrew’s Chapel
Thursday 21st 09:00 Morning Prayer (Pagham
St Thomas Cranmer 10:00 Holy Communion (Pagham)
12 noon – 13:15 Lent Lunch (Pagham Church Centre)
14:00 Funeral – Margaret Dougliss RIP
17:30 Evening Prayer (Aldwick)
19.30 ‘Broken’ Lent Course 6 (Aldwick)
Friday 22nd No public services today
Saturday 23rd No public services today
Sunday 24th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick)
PALM SUNDAY 09:30 Liturgy of Palm Sunday (Pagham)
14:30 Procession of Palms – Pagham to Aldwick
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.
HYMNS
Introit: 504 O Jesus I have promised
Gradual: 752 Will you come and follow me
Offertory: 418 Teach us to pray aright
Final: 448 Meekness and majesty
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for The Fifth Sunday of Lent:
Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Old Testament reading: Jeremiah 31: 31- 34
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Psalm 119: 9-16 The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 5: 5- 10
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek. ’In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel Reading: John 12: 20-33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.
‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Barbara Crew, Karen Cox, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Mike Hatzfeld, Pam Browning, Lucia, Jessie Hutchins, Bea Tucker, Tony, Charles Paterson, Adrian Usher, Colin May
Recently departed: Margaret Dougliss, Alan Crew, Mandy Colwell.
Anniversary of death: William Wadlow, Thomas Hender (17th); Christopher Rathbone, Terence McCarthy (18th); Dennis Mackenzie (20th); Patricia Bratt, Joan Taylor (21st); Ann Gristwood (22nd); Norman Teulon, John Pegnall (23rd).
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 the people of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. For the peace of the Holy Land. For those who will weep, and fear, and die this day.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Palm Sunday
Philippians 2: 5-11, Mark 14: 1- end of 15
A note of thanks
Harriet would like to thank everyone who listened to her talk about her forthcoming visit to Tanzania, and for supporting Harriet and Lily’s cake sales which raised £370. Harriet would also like to thank everyone for their generous donations, for which she is really thankful.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting
The APCM will take place on Wednesday 20th March at 19:30, in St Andrew’s Chapel. You are very welcome to attend as we review and give thanks for the activity of Pagham church in 2023.
If you are interested in standing for election on the PCC, please speak to Mthr Lucy or the Wardens to find out more about this way of serving the church community.
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross have formed part of Christian devotion during Lent for many centuries because they enable us to engage actively with the path of suffering walked by Jesus. They originated when early Christians visited Jerusalem and wanted to follow literally in the footsteps of Jesus, tracing the path from Pilate’s house to Calvary. They would pause for prayer and devotion at various points, it’s still possible to walk this path today. Eventually those pilgrims brought the practice back to their home countries and ever since then Christians of differing traditions have used this form of devotion.
You welcome to join in the Stations of the Cross on Sundays in Lent with the final session on Sunday 17th March last at 17:30 at St Richard’s Church, Aldwick. No prior experience needed, or wet weather gear- our pilgrimage takes around on a spiritual journey inside the church.
Lent 2024
You are all welcome to join in with any of the offerings this Lent. The fifth episode of ‘Broken’ will be shown on Monday morning at 11am at Pagham church. The sixth and final ‘Broken’ session is on Thursday in the Mosse Hall Committee room. This will be the only opportunity to see the final episode, so please do join us on Thursday evening if you are able to, even if you’ve been attending the Monday morning sessions.
Lent Lunches
Join us for the final Soup Stop lunch on Thursday 21st March. The opportunity for good food and company at the Pagham Parish Church Centre, Nyetimber Lane. 12noon- 1:15pm. Join us for a warm welcome, soup and a roll, and tea & coffee. Why not invite a friend to join you? So far, we have rasied a wonderful £350 for our 5 chosen charities: Grassroots, Tanzania; Christian Aid, Stonepillow, St Wifrid’s Hospice and Chesnut Tree House, it would be great to add a little more to the total!
Good Friday Children’s workshop – 29th March 2024, 10:30- 12noon.
We look forward to welcoming all our families and young people to the Good Friday Children’s Workshop at the Mosse Hall at St Richard’s: a host of craft activities will be on offer, concluding with a children’s service and hot cross buns. If you would like to volunteer to help with this workshop please be in touch with Mthr Lucy.
Bognor Churches Together – Good Friday Walk of Witness
Beginning at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, at 10am and concluding with worship and refreshments at Bognor Regis Methodist Church. Email bognorchurches@gmail.com for more details.
Easter Flowers
As part of our celebration of Easter we like to fill the church with flowers. If you would like to sponsor an arrangement, or contribute to the costs of flowers, please speak to Trudi – 07703597353. The church will be cleaned and decorated on Holy Saturday – 30th March from 09:00. Please join us if you would like to help – hot cross buns and refreshments will be available at 11am. Donations of greenery would be appreciated, delivered to church by 09:00 on the 30th March.
SUPPORT FOR THE FOODBANK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
Urgently needed this week: Pasta Sauce, tinned fruit, tinned soup, UHT fruit juice, tinned carrots. Plenty in stock: Baked beans and pulses.