| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 22nd June 2025 The first Sunday after Trinity |
 WELCOME Ordinary Time – Green What is Ordinary Time? Historically, after Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, the church enters a long period known as Ordinary Time, stretching from the day of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday to the start of Advent — about half of the liturgical year. It is time out of the year to reflect about Christ’s incarnation at Christmas, his resurrection at Easter, his victorious Ascension into Heaven, and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and; the glorious mystery of the Trinity. Each of these events in the life of Christ and his church has forever changed both our individual lives and the course of human history. Ordinary Time is a logical continuation which allows us to contemplate all these realities. It’s my favourite time of year! And of course, don’t most people try to take a break at this time of year? A time to step aside and reflect on our lives, take a rest if we can, but life never seems to be so easy. There are always ups and downs, there are political and economic and environmental issues that weigh heavy on our hearts, and wars that make us feel helpless to do anything about. It can be hard to take a break. Ordinary Time in the church also means – ordained time, between Christ’s first and second coming, a time when God is powerfully at work to accomplish his purposes, even if we don’t notice it. It’s not a time for us to rest on our laurels but a wonderful opportunity to notice where God is at work in ourselves and those around us. Our lives are not constantly being interrupted by yet another festival or feast day, but threaded together – Ordus, the Latin word used to describe the way threads are aligned in weaving, and later, the way soldiers were aligned in formation. Ordinarius implied conformity to an order. And what better comfort than the certainty that God is lining all the events of our lives and of the world in conformity to his wise and loving plans? So, resting in the assurance of God’s unwavering love for us in and because of Christ, we enter Ordinary Time, time to let the Spirit work in our lives, learn more about the life of Jesus, shocking as it may sometimes feel and demand of us. This will take time, a lifetime, in fact — lots of ordinary time spent in ordinary attendance to the ordinary means of grace and in ordinary, humble interaction with those around us. But this is what God has provided for most of our lives. Blessings for your week. REVD ROSIE COLLECT O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; 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 Isaiah 65.1-9 I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am’, to a nation that did not call on my name. I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks; who sit inside tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat swine’s flesh, with broth of abominable things in their vessels; who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’ These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all day long. See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their laps their iniquities and their ancestors’ iniquities together, says the Lord; because they offered incense on the mountains and reviled me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their actions. Thus says the Lord: As the wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it’, so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Galatians 3.23-end Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel Reading Luke 8.26-39 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’ – for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Everlasting God, we thank you for the Good News we have been given; help us to remember that is not just for us, but to pass on to the rest of the world. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Creator God, we pray for all who have influence and authority, through their political standing, fame or wealth; speak into their hearts of righteousness and justice, integrity and compassion. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Father God, as the holiday season builds up once again we pray for the thousands of families who come to visit WIndsor. May they enjoy themselves, and enjoy each other. May their visit bring not only pleasure but restoration and healing into their lives. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Loving God, we raise before you those in need of comfort and reassurance; all in pain and mental anguish. We pray for those who have lapsed in their faith, those troubled with doubt and those who need your Good News this week. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Merciful God, have mercy on those who have recently died and those who are on that last journey now. May those who have gone before us rest in your eternal peace. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Faithful God, we thank you for the Good News we have received; may we be ready during the coming week and beyond to share our joy with others. Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen Adapted from the web site of The Anglican Chaplaincy of the Costa Blanca POST COMMUNION Eternal Father, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts: may our communion strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen NOTICES Listen to Canon Brian’s Sermon for Trinity Sunday LISTEN Listen to Canon Brian’s Sermon for Corpus Christi LISTEN EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY The Evening service at St Andrews is Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Canon Brian will be leading. Readings Psalm 57 Genesis 24.1-27 Mark 5.21-end SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Church open every day 10.00am until 6.00pm Evening Prayer via Zoom at 5.00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays Morning Prayer on Wednesdays at 8.00am in Church Sun 22 Jun 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 1st Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 29 Jun 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 2nd Sunday after Trinity 3.00pm Worship Explorers – Childrens’ Church No evening service (5th Sunday) Sun 06 Jul 10:30am All Age Eucharist – 3rd Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Eucharist Sun 13 Jul 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 4th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Sam, Matt, Al, Sharon, Vivienne, Stef, John F, Joanna, Jane P, Tom B, Val, and Bronwyn. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Baptisms: Roman and Hallie Weddings: Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, Mrs Branch, Mr Seymour, and all the staff, pupils, staff and governors. 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. Please pray for the PCC as they work through the Mission Action Plan and discern God’s mission in Clewer. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live or work 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 of Mocambique e Angola. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Nakuru (Kenya), Nambale (Kenya), Namibia (Southern Africa), Namirembe (Uganda), Nampula (Mocambique e Angola), and Nandyal (South India).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. UPCOMING EVENTS Coffee and More Wednesday 2nd July 10.00am (see below) Churchyard Teas – the next afternoon tea in the churchyard will be Wimbledon themed, on 5th July. The one after that will be for the VJ day 80th anniversary on 15th August. Look out for other dates as they are confirmed. Churchyard Tidies are being organised, please keep an eye out for dates, and help when you can. CHURCHES COUNT ON NATURE Thank you to everyone who took part in the Churches Count on Nature last week. I have been uploading your observations to iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/projets/beautiful-burial-grounds Our sightings will help to show how valuable churchyards can be for wildlife.  A reminder about the Clewer Memorial Poppy Project On their website, there a a cople of patterns that you can download https://cleweranddedworth.org.uk/clewer-memorial-poppy-project/ The pink download button at the bottom of that page Once finished you can drop off the poppies once done to Woody’s Cafe, Clewer Memorial Recreation Ground, Dedworth Road, Windsor, SL4 5AY.   Please consider supporting the work of the Baby Bank. You can donate your second-hand baby clothes/supplies or even volunteer your time. Alternatively, you can help us out with a cash donation to help with the day-to-day running costs of The Baby Bank. Simply click on the link below to see how you can get involved. https://thebabybank.org  WINDSOR FOODSHARELoving 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 currently very low on toiletries and cleaning products – these items are essential for our clients and often overlooked.  Items needed include:• Shower gel • Shampoo • Toothpaste • Deodorant • Toilet roll • Washing-up liquid • Laundry detergent • Household cleaning sprays There are many ways to donate food to us – https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk/donating-food. We have a permanent donation box at Tesco Superstore, Dedworth and also at Waitrose & Partners in Windsor town centre. So if you are shopping it is easy to pop a pack or two in the donation box. Or why not try our Wishlist on Common Good and Amazon (you can click through to these from our linktree at https://taplink.cc/windsorfoodshare). You can also drop off to us on: – Wednesdays 09.00-13.30; or – Thursdays 09.00-15.00 at Dedworth Green Baptist Church (Smiths Lane, Windsor SL4 5PE). Thank you all so much for your continued support! Click here for the Windsor Foodshare January 2025 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 |