Weekly Pews News
no 21-4
24.1.2021
Third Sunday of Epiphany
Sunday 24th January
10:00 Online Eucharist (see notice below)
Readings: Genesis 14: 17–20; Psalm 128; Revelation 19: 6–10; John 2: 1–11
Collect Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; 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.
Lockdown 3.0: all public worship at St Thomas à Becket’s, Pagham, is currently suspended, due to the current concerning rate of infection and demand on our local and national NHS provision. This decision will be reviewed regularly, but we do not anticipate returning to public worship until at least 21st February 2021.
The church is also closed for private prayer at this time – this will also be reviewed regularly.
It is an enormous privilege that, during this time of crisis, the nation has called upon its Church to keep praying and so we must answer that call, as a dispersed community. Our corporate worship will look different for the next few months, but keeping our eyes fixed on Him, who is our comfort and guide, continues to be the Church’s duty and its joy. Mthr Lucy
Sunday 24th January
Intention: the Church’s worldwide mission; all missionary societies and the Bible Society.
11:00–12:00 Online coffee meeting (see below)
Monday 25th January – Conversion of St Paul; Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ends
Intention: our Diocese of Chichester, Bishops Martin, Ruth and Will, and Archdeacon Luke; the work of Diocesan Synod and Church House; the witness of Chichester Cathedral.
17.30 Evening prayer (online, see below)
Tuesday 26th January – Timothy and Titus, companions of Paul
Intention: the elderly, lonely and bereaved; all those in residential care and those who care for them.
17.30 Evening prayer
Wednesday 27th January
Intention: all who work for peace and justice; the maintenance of good relationships with the United Nations and all other countries.
17.30 Evening prayer
Thursday 28th January – Thomas Aquinas, priest, philosopher, teacher of the faith, 1274
Intention: vocations to the ordained ministry, especially in our own parish; theological colleges and ordinands in training; our own Parish ordinand Gemma Fleury; vocations to the religious life.
Friday 29th January
Intention: our mission to our own parish; the outreach of our parish newsletter; all newcomers to Pagham, and to our Church family.
Saturday 30th January – Charles, king and martyr, 1649
Intention: our neighbouring Churches, and the work of Churches Together in Bognor Regis and District.
Sunday 31st January – Presentation of Christ in the Temple/Candlemas
Readings: Malachi 3: 1–5; Psalm 24: 7–end; Hebrews 2: 14–end; Luke 2: 22–40
Registered charity number 1134842 www.paghamchurch.org
PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS
We pray for all in need of healing in body, mind or spirit: Lynette, Rosie Sims, Terry Haskell, Barbara Crew, Jean Martin, Lila Cowee, June & Bruce Evans, Karen Cox, Jim Fowler, Sheila King, Robin Potter, Gerald Hume, Carole & Ian Turner, John Kitchener.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Colin Wood (264192) to start the Prayer Chain.
The recently departed: Di Willson, Pauline Aylward.
Anniversary of death: James Turton (24th); Florence Plummer (24th); Cyril May (25th); Winifred Turner (27th); Isobelle Summerside (27th); Phyllis Perkins (27th); Marjorie Phillips (27th); Eileen Tooze (28th); Leonard Cowee (28th); Frank Ashton-Gwatkin (29th); Daniel Humphries (29th); Bill Clark (29th); Sylvia Pepper (29th); Eric Atkins (30th).
We remember Church family who live in residential care or usually receive communion at home: Bett Steenerson, Jane Upton.
We pray for all affected directly by Covid-19, especially those whose treatment for other conditions has been delayed.
NOTICES
Online services: as last Sunday, our service will be available from 10:00, and I encourage you to join the service at this time if you can – just as you would turn up to church for a set time. I hope this will give us a greater sense of community as we think of others gathering at the same time, in prayer. The service will show in ‘real’ time, and so for the first 50 mins will show as ‘LIVE’ meaning you cannot fast forward/rewind. Please note that each week’s service will continue to be available, as in other weeks, so you can watch at your leisure/return to the film.
Online Coffee Hour after the service was very successful last Sunday, so we will continue to meet from 11:00–12:00. You are welcome to join whenever you are able, and leave early if you need to. Details are in Trudi’s email – if you would like some help navigating Zoom please do contact Mthr Lucy.
Morning & Evening Prayer on Zoom continues as listed above – note the different pattern for this week only. The praying of the Daily Office is an important way to pray together as a community, to offer up the day’s challenges and give thanks for the blessings. All texts are provided on screen. The link to this can be found in Trudi’s email. Please contact Mthr Lucy if you have any trouble joining the call.
The Presentation of Christ – Candlemas – Sunday 31st January
Next Sunday you are encouraged to have some candles ready for lighting during the online service. Please give some thought to how you’re going to do this safely and carefully during this week.
Lent Course 2021
Preparations are currently being made for our journey through Lent, Holy Week and Easter. When we closed the churches for Mothering Sunday in 2020, few of us anticipated that we could be facing a similar approach to Lent and Easter a year later, but sadly it does look as though we may well be facing this reality. The difference this year is that we have time to prepare, and I hope that we will all be able to engage in this most holy of seasons of the Church year together, even if we are unable to meet in person. (Ash Wednesday is on 17th February.)
I intend to host an online Lent Course with alternative resources for those who are not comfortable using Zoom. As a first step it would be helpful to know roughly how many people might be interested in engaging with this. Could you please make contact via email or phone to show your interest, and indicate whether you intend to join on Zoom or use materials at home? And those who might join online, whether you have a preference between daytime/evening and a preference of day (Monday/Tuesday/ Wednesday)? Please don’t panic – interest does not firmly commit you to engaging! Full details will follow on Sunday 31st as to the course material we will be engaging with. Please note all of this course will take place online, whether or not we have returned to public worship/private prayer in church.
CONTACT DETAILS – find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @StThomasPagham.
The Revd Lucy Sullivan: 19 Willowhale Avenue, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 4AU.
mthrlucy.pagham@gmail.com, 01243 941551. Rest day Friday.
Churchwardens: Mike Wake and Stephen Cox-Rusbridge: churchwarden@paghamchurch.org,
07899 705632//07974 177905.
Church website update: email editor@paghamchurch.org.
Safeguarding Officer: Jan Brockhurst, safeguarding@paghamchurch.org.
Pews News: Alison Blenkinsop, pewsnews@paghamchurch.org, 261131, 07784 544981.