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 23rd July 2023
seventh SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday 23rd 08:00 Holy Communion
TRINITY 8 (St Richard’s Church only)
09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by Coffee
Monday 24th 09:00 Morning Prayer
Tuesday 25th 18:00 Evening Prayer
ST JAMES
Wednesday 26th 18:00 Evening Prayer
Anne & Joachim
Parents of the BVM
Thursday 27th 09:00 Morning Prayer
10:00 Holy Communion
11:00 Quarter Peal at St Richard’s (See below)
16:00 Introduction of the Elaine Simpson Memorial Bench to the Churchyard
Friday 28th No public services today
Saturday 29th 10:30 Coffee, Cake & Conversation St Richard’s Mary, Martha & Lazarus
Companions of Our Lord
Sunday 30th 08:00 Holy Communion (St Richard’s Church only)
TRINITY 8 09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by Coffee
Hymns
Introit: 133 Come, ye thankful people, come
Gradual: 262 Happy are they that love God
Offertory: 288 Holy Spirit, come, confirm us (Tune 2)
Final: 646 The Kingdom of God
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 Seventh Sunday after Trinity:
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religiion;nourish us with all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; 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: Wisdom of Solomon 12: 13, 16- 19
For neither is there any god besides you, whose care is for all people, to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly;
For your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all.
For you show your strength when people doubt the completeness of your power, and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose.
Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, nd you have filled your children with good hope,
because you give repentance for sins.
Psalm 86: 11- end The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Romans 8: 12- 25
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 24- 30; 36- 43
Jesus put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
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, Leslie Francis, Dickie Roots, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Emilia Hogan, Julie Green.
Recently departed John Crockford.
Anniversary of death 23 rd – Donald Baxendale, Dennis Witcomb, Molly Morton (23rd); Mary Hill (24th); Walter Mitson, Donald Hurst (25th); Bernard Aldridge (26th); Phyllis Taylor, Wilfrid Tribe (28th); Laura Hart, Frank Jeune, Roy Gristwood, Daphne Standen, Madge Breakspear (29th).
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 Nyewood Junior School and their new Head Teacher- Mr Tom Spurle.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: Lord God, whose Son is the true vine and the source of life,
ever giving himself that the world may live: may we so receive within ourselves the power of his death and passion that, in his saving cup, we may share his glory and be made perfect in his love; for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Eighth Sunday after Trinity
1 Kings 3: 5- 12; Psalm 119: 129- 136; Romans 8: 26- end; Matthew 13: 31- 33; 44- 52
Quarter Peal at St Richard’s
Sussex County Association of Change Ringers, represented by ringers from Aldwick, Pagham, Ryde and Chichester Cathedral, will ring a Quarter Peal of Grandshire Triples on Thursday 27th July at 11am in fond and grateful memory of Richard Jeffery, former Tower Captain of Aldwick who died in February. And also marking significant birthdays and anniversaries of three ringers- among them our own Mike Wake- Congratulation Mike! Do listen out!
6’s & 7’s Mixer- Tuesday 1st August 19:00 onwards.
Following Transition Day last week I hope this event might offer a chance for those linked with Pagham Church a chance to catch-up and share some of the experience at the start of the holidays.
It’s a chance for us to catch-up with our yr 7’s at the end of their first year of Secondary school. And also, to celebrate our year 6’s at the end of their final year of Juniors. I hope it will be a wonderful time for the children and parents to mix and get to know one another across the different local schools and to hear a few of the stories of the moving up to Secondary. Children in y6&7 plus parent(s) are welcome. I ask where at all possible siblings are left at home so that there can be a chance for these years to share together. Tuesday 1st August 7pm onwards– pizzas provided but please do bring a salad or pudding! Please can you let me know by Sunday 30th July if you are able to attend. I realise this won’t work for everyone with holiday plans but I hope it will suit some of you.
Parish Picnic at Crimsham Farm **Saturday 12th August** 11am- 4pm.
Pagham Church Men’s group invite the congregations of St. Thomas à Becket Church to a Parish picnic at Crimsham Farm CIC (Lower Bognor Road, PO20 1LN). Shane and his crew invite us to spend time on their 4 acre farm getting up close and personal with the pigs, goats, chickens, alpacas etc. This is a particularly family friendly with loads for the children (of all ages) to do. If wet – wear a mac and bring wellies. We can picnic in a barn otherwise in a field. Crimsham Farm makes no charge, but we will make a collection so that we can make a donation to the great work the farm do. Please bring your own picnic and chairs/ blankets etc. Please sign-up using the Eventbrite link sent with Pews News, or on the list at the back of church. More details available from David Smith- 01243 263560.
Friends of Pagham Parish Church
Fun & Skittles with BBQ, 18:30 for 19:00 at the Spur, Slindon on Friday 18thAugust. All tickets £19 per person, to be bought in advance. Sign up sheet on noticeboard or contact or Carole (07732 768890) for tickets and more info. All welcome!
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.