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 11th DECEMBER 2022
third sunday of ADVENT
Sunday 11th 09:30 Parish Eucharist
ADVENT 3 18:00 Festival of Lesson and Carols
at St Richard’s Gossamer Lane
Monday 12th 09:00 Morning Prayer (church)
Tuesday 13th 17:30 Evening Prayer (zoom)
St Lucy 19:00 Tuesday@7 Eucharist- Christingle
Wednesday 14th 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
St John of the Cross
Thursday 15th 09:00 Morning Prayer (church)
10:00 Holy Communion
Friday 16th No public services today
Saturday 17th No public services today
O Sapientia
Sunday 18th 08:00 Holy Communion
ADVENT 4 09:30 Parish Eucharist
Hymns
Entrance: 263 Hark! A herald voice is calling
Gradual: 580 Rejoice, the Lord is King
Offertory: 295 How lovely on the mountains
Final: 282 Hills of the north, rejoice
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 at the back of church. Thank you for your generosity.
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Third Sunday of Advent:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; for you are alive and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Old Testament reading: Isaiah 35: 1- 10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 146: 4- 9 the response to the psalm is “Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help”
New Testament reading: James 5: 7- 10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Gospel reading: Matthew 11: 2- 11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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, Colin Wood.
Recently departed:
Anniversary of death: Rose Bailey (11th); Dorothy Player (12th); Gladys Markworth (13th); Cecelia Fielder (14th); Edward Ashwood, Alfred Dobson, Henry Alldis, Geoffrey Niblett, Tony Lock (16th)
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: We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts; kindle in us the fire of your Spirit that when your Christ comes again we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns now and for ever. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7: 10- 16; Psalm 80: 1- 8; Romans 1: 1- 7; Matthew 1: 18- end
Prayer Diary
To work alongside the new version of Pews News there will be a yearly prayer diary to be taken home and used in your daily prayers, this will be ready for collection shortly.
Christmas Cards
The Christmas card noticeboard is now ready at the back of the church. Why not pin a card for the whole church community to this board, as we share Christmas greetings among the parish, and save those cards you have purchased for those you won’t be seeing?
Advent Meditations
Unfortunately, the Advent Meditation sessions have had to be cancelled due to commitments elsewhere in the parish. We will resume a pattern of meditation in the New Year.
Christmas Services
Please be sure to pick up a flyer from church with all the Advent and Christmas service details. This year we explore the ‘Great Invitation’ of Christmas, so why not take a few extra flyers and invite someone new to join us for Christmas at Pagham church.
Festival of Lessons and Carols
Sunday 11th December 6pm: Traditional service of Lessons and Carols with the joint choir of St Richard’s and St Thomas à Becket, at St Richard’s church. Followed by mulled wine and mince pies. This promises to be a great evening service for Gaudete Sunday, do be sure to share the ‘Great Invitation’.
Tuesday@7 Christingle
Join us on Tuesday (13th December) for the last Tuesday@7 of the term and our celebration of the Christingle… Do not fear, however, if your little ones are too young for Tuesday@7, as there will be an opportunity to make Christingles at Sunday School on Sunday 18th December- 09:30.
Sunday 1st January 2023
On Sunday 1st January the services will be as follows: 08:00am Holy Communion St Thomas à Becket, Pagham. 11:00am Said Eucharist St Richards, Aldwick.
Millennium Light
The eagle eyed among you will notice that the Millennium light is once more illuminated. Very many thanks must go to the Men’s Group who have generously funded the repair of this, and to Alex Brockhurst for fitting the parts.
Music at Pagham Church
For the last year or so we have been very grateful to Alison Blenkinsop for supporting the music of the church by playing the organ, helping choose hymns, and encouraging the choir. Alison will be stepping down from this informal ministry after Christmas, and so we find ourselves with a changed landscape for our music provision. For the time being, Jenny will continue to play for us on the first Sunday of the month, and for other services we will use recorded hymns- there is a wonderful provision for this through the ACNY website, which was well used as part of our online services in 2020/21. If you have any questions or concerns about this then please do contact me on the phone/ email and I will be happy to talk this through with you. Mthr Lucy
Friends of Pagham Parish Church fundraising Family Quiz
The annual Christmas quiz is available for £2 at church, or from Alison Blenkinsop, 261131/07784 544981. Every entry has a chance to win a prize! Closing date is 8th January, and winners’ names will be drawn after the morning service on 15th January.
Urgently needed this week: 1Ltr UHT Fruit Juice, UHT milk, Pasta Sauce, Rice Pudding, Tinned Fruit, Tinned Custard, Tinned meat, Jams/ spreads, Instant Mashed Potato, Pasta.
Please also consider adding some Christmas ‘special/ treat’ items too.
Items for the next pew sheet should be with Mthr Lucy no later than Wednesday 17:00.