| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 16 June 2024 3rd Sunday after Trinity |
 Welcome from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York The coming General Election is [a] critical moment in the life of our nation, which will shape our future. This is a time for us all to ask important questions about what kind of country we want to build. The world and our nation face deep challenges – from questions of war and peace, poverty and injustice to the very future of the earth God has given us. Faced with such huge questions, our calling as Christians is to turn first to God in prayer. We are therefore inviting everyone who is willing to dedicate the next few weeks as a time not just to think about the big questions, but also to pray for our nation and our world. We want to invite everyone to think about how we all can play our part both as voters and, more broadly, as citizens. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray each day, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven’. This simple and profound prayer is our starting point during the days leading up to the General Election – and all the days beyond. May God’s will be done in our nation and in God’s world. Archbishop Justin Welby & Archbishop Stephen Cottrell WELCOME The readings this Sunday are about planting and flourishing. The Gospel from Mark gives us the familiar text when Jesus talks in parables: seeds and mustard seeds. The first makes a serious point about what is and what is not our responsibility in growing the kingdom. We sow the seed and we harvest it, but everything in between is beyond our powers. The parable of the mustard seed takes this abit further, the seed is a weed and really hard to eradicate, so we have to be ready to rejoice if the seeds we are given produce unexpected, untidy kingdom growth. The readings this week could help us to reflect on our general election, if we think there is no point, even our small vote is important. Ezekiel says God will plant a tree in Israel to produce boughs and bear fruit. After all we are called to play our part in bringing the Kingdom of God to the world around us, that may just include how we vote, but we can start by praying! Blessings for your week. Revd Rosie COLLECT Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; 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 READINGS Ezekiel 17.22-end Thus says the Lord God: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. All the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord. I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken; I will accomplish it. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God 2 Corinthians 5.6-10 So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel Reading Mark 4.26-34 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. Glory to you, O Lord. He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Everlasting God we are gathered together in love and fellowship, hear us now as we bring before you our cares and our needs. And so we pray for your church throughout the world, for Christians everywhere meeting in small house groups, in rural and town churches and in great city cathedrals. Grant that we and all your people may be built up in our faith and show in our lives the love we see in Jesus. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Lord God, we give you thanks for our church here in Clewer. We pray for all who minister and preach and who enlarge and enrich our understanding of God and help us to respond to his love. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Holy God, we pray for Christians working in places of power and influence who make decisions which affect the lives of so many people. We ask you to bless those who work in politics, in the media, in advertising and in the financial markets. May they all know what to say and how to act for the benefit of all people and at all times to be true and faithful to you. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Father God we pray for those whom we love, family and friends who are the special people in our lives wherever they may be. We pray for their hopes, their fears, their problems and their needs but most of all we thank you for each one of them and for what they give and mean to us. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Merciful God, today’s Gospel showed the importance of sowing the Seeds of the Gospel. Help us to learn from this and remember that we should always strive for opportunities to spread the Good News and bring comfort to those are ill and in need and that if we “ask it will be given to us.” We raise before you now all those who we know who need to touch the hem of Jesus garments and receive health and healing in their lives. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Merciful God, into your caring hands we commit those who have died recently, and those whose anniversary falls at this time. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Gracious God, we have laid before you our concerns and now we offer you our thanks and praise for all the blessings and gifts you lavish on us. In the weeks ahead help us to keep the faith as deeply and passionately as possible in these troubled times. Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen POST COMMUNION O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen Listen to Revd Rosie’s Sermon last Sunday Listen NOTICES EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY Sunday Evening’s Service is Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Reading are: Psalm 39 Jeremiah 7.1-16 Romans 9.14-26 SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Church Open every day 10.00am to 6.00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays 5.00pm, Evening Prayer via Zoom Sun 16 Jun 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 3rd Sunday after Trinity 3.00pm Wild Worship 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 23 Jun 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 4th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 30 Jun 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 5th Sunday after Trinity 3.00pm Childrens Church No Evening Service (5th Sunday) Sun 07 Apr 10.30am All Age Family Eucharist – 6th Sunday after Trinity No evening service – Pimms and Puddings PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Hugo, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Diane, Sylvia, Mary, Gracie, Christine, Vivienne, the Brocas family, Ishbel, and Jane. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: Peter, all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Baptisms in June: Reggie and Willow. Those preparing for Confirmation Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, the head teacher Martin Tinsley, all the pupils, staff and governors, and the Busy Buttons CORE Charity and for all the work that they do. For all our Care Homes, for the safety of residents and staff. We pray also for Windsor Christian Action, and the work of the Homeless Project, Street Angels, FoodShare, and the Alma Beacon Hub. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live in Clarence Road, Trevelyan Estate, Helston Lane, Green Lane, Clewer Avenue, Clewer New Town, and Birchington Road.Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for The Church in Chile. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Gahini (Rwanda), Gambella (Province of Alexandria), Gambia (West Africa), Garissa (Kenya), Gasabo (Rwanda), and Gboko (Nigeria). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. THE GENERAL ELECTION – PRAY YOUR PART The General Election will be a moment for the nation to ask important questions about the future. In the run-up to and into the campaign period, the Church of England would like to invite everyone to join us in prayer for our nation and play your part as citizens and voters. Sign up for daily election reflections which will be available for three weeks in the run up to Election Day: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/topics/pray-your-part-general-election-2024 The Pray your Part booklets are now available in Church.You can also read Bishop Stephen’s blog here: https://blogs.oxford.anglican.org/how-to-pray-for-the-general-election   Printed copies of the above leaflet are available in Church, and a summary follows: Key to Events Blue- Social events Amber- Children and Families Green- Creation/Environment Black- Liturgy June 15th 5pm Kings Birthday Concert for children and hosted by children 16th 3pm Wild Worship: Churches count on nature/ national cemeteries week 18th 9.30am My Time outing to Watlington House, Reading 20th 5am Creation Meditation- Summer Solstice 20th 7.30pm GIN Summer Solstice swim/walk 28th 3.45 – 5pm Childrens Pop-Up Café 30th 3pm Children’s Church (5th Sunday of the month) July 3rd 10am My Time outing to Fernygrove Farm shop and café 7th 3 – 5pm Pimm’s and Puddings – celebrating Summer in the Rectory Garden 11th 7.30pm GIN Walk 12th 9.15pm Creation Meditation Moth Watch in the churchyard 17th 3pm Churchyard Teas 19th 3.45 – 5pm Children’s Pop-Up Café – end of term picnic 20th 7pm Concert – A Night at the Musicals – Broom Farm Brass Friends 21st 3pm Wild Worship: butterflies and flower fairies August 7th 10am My Time outing to the Café by the Lake/ Thames Hospice 12th 8.30pm Creation Meditation Bat Watch 21st 3pm Churchyard Teas 27th to 30th 10am – 12pm Family Activity Week September 1st 10.30am Back to School Sunday/blessings backpacks 4th 10am My Time outing to Windsor Farm Shop 15th 3pm Wild Worship: Michaelmas 17th 10am Coffee and more in church 22nd Dawn Creation Meditation Autumn Equinox 27th 3.45 – 5pm Children’s Pop-Up Café 29th 3pm Children’s Church (5th Sunday of the month)   CREATION MEDITATION – 20 JUN 2025 5.00AM – SUMMER SOLSTICE  WINDSOR FOODSHARE Loving our neighbours From their Facebook, Twittter and Website Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk And their new page https://taplink.cc/windsorfoodshare CAN YOU HELP? We are running very low in stock on several items. One of these is cereals – wheat biscuits / Weetabix, corn flakes, bran flakes, malted wheat / Shreddies, Hoops / Cheerios etc. They do not have to be branded items. You get so much more for your money buying non-branded items. We have a permanent donation box at Tesco Superstore and also at Waitrose & Partners. So if you are shopping it is easy to pop a carton or two in. Or why not try our Wishlist on Common Good and Amazon. https://www.forcommongood.co.uk/…/giftr…/registry/215636 https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23EUESGGRMAVZ… We still ask that any food donations for Windsor Foodshare are dropped into Dedworth Green Baptist church as this will still be our main base. Click here for the Windsor Foodshare April Newsletter CHURCH FINANCES – MESSAGE FROM ANDREW Thank you to everyone for all you have been able to give in this difficult time. We prefer the Parish Giving Scheme, which we promoted in previous years. Details are on our page on their web site: https://bit.ly/2XCLuCr [https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/clewer-st-andrew-windsor/] We also have the printed application forms available in Church, or contact the Parish Office by email office@clewerparish.org Alternatively, by paying directly to our bank account, the details of which are: HSBC Bank Sort Code: 40-47-37 Account number: 11373366 Account name: PCC St Andrews Church or if your bank doesn’t like this Parochial Church Council St Andrews Clewer Parish CONTACTS Rector Revd Rosie Webb 01753 852334, email: rector@clewerparish.org Parish Office email: office@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Churchwarden: Vacant Contact via email: office@clewerparish.org Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |