| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 12 February 2023 The 2nd Sunday before Lent |
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| WELCOME This has been a week of mixed emotions. The Church of England’s General Synod has welcomed proposals which would enable same-sex couples to come to church after a civil marriage or civil partnership to give thanks, dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing. For some this will be a step too far and for others, a step not far enough. It’s been a week of tragedy due to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and the war in the Ukraine continues. Yes, it has been a heavy week. During our evening prayer on Thursday our OT reading was the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob and his mother Rebekah, tricked Isaac into giving his blessing to Jacob and not Esau, his first born. It makes for difficult reading when Esau realises what has happened. Esau pleads with his father, ‘have you only one blessing? Bless me, me also, father!’ in other words, I’m not going anywhere until you bless me. The gospel reading this week from Matthew 6 is part of a larger message that Jesus came to teach us. The message is that the kingdom is a place for everyone, no one is denied God’s blessing. God’s kingdom is different from the values of this world and includes our privilege and calling to bring Jesus’ light to those dark places of the world. We are to be a blessing to others, not to criticise or judge but to give thanks with a grateful heart and be a blessing in this world. Revd Rosie |
| COLLECT Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever. All Amen |
| READINGS Genesis 1.1-end, 2.1-3 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 136.1-9, 23-end 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, for his mercy endures for ever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures for ever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endures for ever; 4 Who alone does great wonders, for his mercy endures for ever; 5 Who by wisdom made the heavens, for his mercy endures for ever; 6 Who laid out the earth upon the waters, for his mercy endures for ever; 7 Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures for ever; 8 The sun to rule the day, for his mercy endures for ever; 9 The moon and the stars to govern the night, for his mercy endures for ever; 23 Who remembered us when we were in trouble, for his mercy endures for ever; 24 And delivered us from our enemies, for his mercy endures for ever; 25 Who gives food to all creatures, for his mercy endures for ever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his mercy endures for ever. Romans 8.18-25 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. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. Matthew 6.25-end ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. |
| INTERCESSIONS Holy God, sometimes our lives are so full of worries that we forget how you look after us through every aspect of our lives. When our worries begin to spiral out of control, help us turn them into a conversation with you, confident that you will calm our anxiety and give us hope for the future. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Gracious God, we pray for your church, and the churches in our local community asking that there will be a growing desire to get together. We give you thanks for those who come up with fresh ways of making your name known to the wider community. We remember the General Synod, which met this last week and for all those who work so hard to make important and sometimes difficult decisions regarding the everyday running of the Church of England. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Creator God thank you for our world and the places where we live. Help us all to be mindful that we are all created equal in your sight and accept our deep regret that despite this there is still so much inequality to be found. Help us to remember that you want us to be good stewards of your creation, living responsibly in the lands and seas of the earth. May all future growth be sustainable and may we ensure that its abundance is fairly shared for the good of all. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Father God, we thank you for the joy of human love, and for all those among whom we live and work. We pray particularly for loved ones who worry us with their health, or circumstances, or life direction. We pray for those among our friends and families who do not know you, or whose faith has been shaken. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Loving God, we pray for all who bear the burdens of pain, bereavement, worry and depression. We pray for those whose illness stems from anxiety. We pray that they may have an awareness of your presence and an understanding that you are bearing those burdens with them and always working towards their healing and wholeness. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Merciful God, through your love and mercy, you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life. Comfort those who grieve in their sorrow and those who are worried about how they will cope on their own, and reassure them that you will never leave them to carry the burdens of life unaided. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Everlasting God, we ask you to lead us into the coming week, help us to believe that you are close by us, keep us from making mistakes and help us never to disappoint you through our words and actions. Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen From the Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit Costa Blanca |
| PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION God our creator, by your gift the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross and enjoy the delights of eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen |
| NOTICES |
| SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Tuesdays and Thursdays, Evening Prayer at 5.00pm via Zoom Church Open every Wednesday 10.00am – 12.00 Sun 12 Feb 10.30am Second Sunday before Lent, Parish Eucharist 5.00pmEvening Prayer Sun 19 Feb 10.30am Sunday Next before Lent, Parish Eucharist 5.00pmEvening Prayer Wed 22 Feb 12.00am Ash Wednesday, Midday Eucharist Sun 26 Feb 10.30am First Sunday of Lent, Parish Eucharist 5.00pmEvening Prayer Sun 05 Mar 10.30am Second Sunday of Lent, All Age Eucharist 5.00pmEucharist Sun 05 Mar 10.30am Third Sunday of Lent, Parish Eucharist 5.00pmEvening Prayer |
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| —————————————————————————————————————– We are looking for volunteers to help with Lunch and More, please stay behind after the service on Sunday for a chat about how you could help. |
| WOMENS WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 3rd March 7pm. People to help with refreshments please,see Revd Rosie if you can help. |
| PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL OXFORD 12th May. A chance to visit our mother church, have a personal guided tour, have tea in the Great Hall, share in worship at Choral Evensong and a tour of the gardens. If you would like to go, please sign up. The cost for tea depends on which menu we decide on, we will be the only parish tour that day and it will be a wonderful experience for us to enjoy tog |
| PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Hugo, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Norman and Diane, Sylvia, Mary, and Gracie. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: Roy Pardoe, all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Those baptised this month: Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, the head teacher Martin Tinsley and all the pupils, staff and governors. 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 Night Shelter. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who work at, or take part in activities in, Legoland, Dedworth Medical Centre, Scouts, Cubs, Brownies, Guides, Thames Hospice, Guards Club, Tennis Club, and Windsor Gym. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for The Church in the Philippines. Please pray also for the churches in these dioceses: North Central Philippines, Northern Philippines, Southern Philippines, Phulbani (North India), Pittsburgh (USA), and Polynesia. Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. |
| PRAYER FOR UKRAINE God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen. |
| TURKEY-SYRIA EARTHQUAKE APPEAL Please see details of the Oxford Diocese appeal on our web site: https://www.standrewsclewer.org/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal Or see the DEC appeal: https://donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal God of refuge, You are an ever present help in time of need. Please be this to the people of Turkey, Syria and Iraq today. Provide people with safe shelter and the essentials they need. Be a comfort to those who are grieving and who are traumatised. Be people’s strength and rock as they work together to rescue people, treat the injured, care for those in need and rebuild after this tragedy. In Jesus’ name, Amen. |
| CHRISTIAN AID REP We are looking for someone to be our Christian Aid represntative. Please see Revd Rosie if you can help. |
| KEY REGISTER We need to update our key register, so if you have any church keys, please list them in the form at the back of church. Thank you. |
| PATHWAYS The latest issue (3rd quarter 2022) of the Diocese magazine Pathways is available, you can read it online: Click Here for Pathways https://www.oxford.anglican.org/pathways-pdf-version Pathways is the magazine for the people of the diocese, featuring articles to help equip committed Christians on their walk with God, while informing enquirers as they learn more about faith. From deepening your spiritual life to practical tips on living out your faith, we hope Pathways will provide something for everyone and be enjoyed by many. |
| WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare PLEASE CAN YOU HELP? We are extremely short of Tinned spaghetti Tinned Meat Tinned Desserts Tinned Pulses Carrier bags If you are shopping in Tesco Superstore it is an ideal way to donate to us or Waitrose & Partners. Both of these supermarkets have a permanent donation box for us. |
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| FoodShare Trustee An exciting opportunity for you to make a big difference in the local community Can you help? We are Windsor Christian Action (WCA), registered charity no. 1154308, founded in 2013. The work of WCA is carried out via four Projects: 1) The Homeless 2) Street Angels 3) Foodshare 4 )More Than a Shelter (MTaS) We comprise a Board of 10 Trustees, 5 employees and over 200 volunteers, who work across the four Projects, as well as in fundraising and general administration. We are currently looking to recruit a Trustee with particular responsibility for overseeing the FoodShare Project and providing support to its manager and volunteers. The aim of FoodShare is to provide non-perishable food on a short-term basis to people who would otherwise be going hungry and who are referred to us by various local agencies. As we approach our 10th anniversary, we are currently able to help up to 70 families per week from our distribution points at the Baptist Church, Smiths Lane, Dedworth, and Kerith Church Windsor. We also deliver food to people’s homes in appropriate cases. In common with the experience of many foodbanks in the country, we are dealing with increasing need but are also seeing remarkable generosity of so many people and organisations which enables us to meet that increased need in such challenging times. Ideally, you will be able to attend the FoodShare project from time to time either on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon, in order to understand how the work is done, and will also be available to attend the 3-monthly Steering Group Meetings. The FoodShare work will involve a few days per month and the majority of the work, apart from any meetings, can be carried out remotely. Although you will have particular responsibility for Foodshare, as a Trustee you will also have an important contribution to make to the work of WCA as a whole. Trustees are required to attend 4 WCA Trustee meetings per year plus one AGM. We also have brief catch-up meetings in the months between Trustee meetings. You can read more about our work on our websites www.windsorchristianaction.org and https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk How to Apply: The closing date for applications is: February 28th 2023 If you would like to join the team and apply for this exciting role at FoodShare , please contact us at: secretary@windsorchristianaction.org. Or call Jane Deakin on 07972 646613 for an informal discussion. |
| CHURCH FINANCES – MESSAGE FROM ANDREW Thank you to everyone for all you have been able to give in this difficult time. Please consider continuing your regular giving by paying directly to our bank account, the details of which are: HSBC Bank, High Street, Windsor 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 You may wish to consider transferring to 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, please contact the Parish Office by email. |
| CONTACTS The Parish Office is now closed. The Office Number is: 07490 094261 Email: office@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |