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 20th august 2023
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday 20th 08:00 Holy Communion
TRINITY 11 (St Richard’s Church & Pagham church)
09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by Coffee
14:00 Sunday afternoon tea & cake
St Andrew’s Chapel until 16:00
Monday 21st 09:00 Morning Prayer
10:00 Funeral- Roland Ell RIP (Pagham church)
Tuesday 22nd 18:00 Evening Prayer
Wednesday 23rd 18:00 Evening Prayer
Thursday 24th 09:00 Morning Prayer
ST BARTHOLOMEW 10:00 Holy Communion
Friday 25th No public services today
Saturday 26th No public services today
Sunday 27th No 08:00 Holy Communion this week
TRINITY 12 09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by Coffee
14:00 Sunday afternoon tea & cake
St Andrew’s Chapel until 16:00
Hymns
Introit: 448 Meekness and Majesty
Gradual: 162 Father, I place into your hands
Offertory: 555 Peace perfect peace
Final: 502 O how good is the Lord
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 Eleventh Sunday after Trinity:
O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; 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: Isaiah 56: 1, 6- 8
Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my deliverance be revealed.
And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
and hold fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather others to them
besides those already gathered.
Psalm 67 The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Romans 11: 1- 2a, 29- 32
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 15: 21- 28
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Barbara Crew, Karen Cox, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Nicola Simpson, Mike Hatzfeld, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Emilia Hogan, Julie Green, Lucia.
Recently departed Roland Ell.
Anniversary of death William Hudson, Beryl Gore (21st); May Ashwood, William Rockcliffe, Marion Shaw (22nd); Jean Sage (23rd); Ethel Hadfield (25th);Raymond de Marvine (26th).
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 of all mercy, we your faithful people have celebrated that one true sacrifice which takes away our sins and brings pardon and peace: by our communion
keep us firm on the foundation of the gospel and preserve us from all sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
Isaiah 51: 1- 6; Psalm 138; Romans 12: 1- 8; Matthew 16: 13- 20
Roland Ell- RIP
Roland’s funeral will be on Monday 21st August at 10am at Pagham Church, Officiated by Fr Lawson Nagel. Please do keep his wife Sally-Ann and children Victoria and Peter as well as their families, in your prayers. We give thanks to God for Roland’s faithful service at Pagham Church, before his move to St Mary’s Felpham last summer. Rest Eternal Grant unto him, O Lord. And let light perpetual shine upon him. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Sunday Afternoon Tea & Cake
Join us for refreshments on Sunday afternoons (20th and 27th August) 14:00- 16:00 in St Andrew’s Chapel and the Churchyard. The perfect stop on a sunny Sunday afternoon stroll, or a wonderful escape on a rainy afternoon. A generous slice of cake with tea of coffee – £3.50. Do share with friends as the more the merrier!
Harvest
This year we will celebrate the Harvest with a whole weekend of events on the 16th- 17th September. On Saturday 16th we will enjoy a parish walk with picnic lunch at Lagness (the halfway point of the walk, and boundary of the parish), and on Sunday 17th following the Parish Harvest Eucharist we will share a Ploughman’s lunch at the Church Centre on Nyetimber Lane- £10 per adult, children free. Do get the dates in your diary and sign-up on the list in church or on the Eventbrite link. All are very welcome, and we really do encourage you to invite friends along as well. Our food collection this year will again go the Bognor Regis Foodbank- keep an eye out for the most needed items.
Harvest Flowers
We will be decorating the church in readiness to celebrate Harvest on Saturday 16th September from 09:00. Donations of greenery and produce for use in the arrangements would be welcomed. If you would like to sponsor an arrangement or contribute to the cost of the flowers please contact Trudi 263597/ 07703597353.
Confirmation Courses
Dates for the adult confirmation course are as follows: Mondays 4th, 11th, 18, 25th September and 2nd, 9th October 19:30- 21:00 at the Pagham Parish Church Centre on Nyetimber Lane. This is in preparation for Confirmation with Bishop Ruth on the 17th October at St Mary’s Clymping. If you are interested in exploring this, please contact Mthr Lucy- details on the front page.
Getting to know Paul
In the autumn we will be running a study course on the writings of St Paul- the dates of these sessions are Sundays 15th & 22nd October and 12th & 19th November, at 16:30 in St Andrew’s Chapel at Pagham Church. The first session will look at the writings of Paul and provide an introduction to traditional readings of these writings, while the second and third sessions will share two 21st Century books by Paula Gooder – Pauline Scholar and Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. These books are Phoebe A Story (Hodder & Stoughton 2018) and Lydia A Story (Hodder & Stoughton 2022) available online and from all good book sellers. You might like to get reading now!
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.