| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 15 May 2022 The Fifth Sunday of Easter |
  THE EUCHARIST SERVICE IS IN ST ANDREWS CHURCH AT 10.30 Welcome When our children were small, we used to visit a local park, it was at the top of a hill, and right at the top was a beacon. They were always fascinated by the big metal basket on the top of a pole, but somehow, we never managed to see it lit in our lifetime there. Beacons are lit for national celebrations, a royal wedding or a jubilee. If you search on Google you can find the beacons all over the country that will be lit for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it’s a big part of the celebrations. Lighting beacons is an ancient way of signalling special news, can you imagine all the sorts of important news that has travelled across the world? Don’t forget the Olympic beacon! Jesus lights a beacon in our Gospel today. He’s at the Last Supper, about to enter his very bleakest moment. The passage is set between the exit of Judas, who’s gone to hand him over to the authorities, and Jesus telling Peter that before morning he will deny him three times. This is a tense time and Jesus lights a beacon amid betrayal and disloyalty. ‘God will be glorified,’ he says- God will win out in the end and your job, he tells his disciples, is to love one another in the same way that I, love you. He is shining a light in the darkness. It’s a light for the disciples to remember and hold on to in the chaos of the days ahead when Jesus is crucified and all seems lost. It’s a light for them to fan into full flame as they experience wonder and joy of the resurrection and encounter the risen Christ in their midst. In these days after Easter, we have snapshots of the disciples after the resurrection going about lighting beacons with the love of Jesus. Last week Peter raised Tabitha from the dead. This week he begins his mission to the Gentiles fuelled by a vision from God where he comes to realise that everything and everyone whom God has made is clean. God is calling everyone into his kingdom, even those who used to be considered ‘outsiders’. There are no outsiders any more- this is the good news of Jesus Christ, this is the beacon. How might you light a beacon for someone? What could you do or say or pray that might help another to begin to experience the love of God? ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is a call to prayer for all Christians around the world. It’s a call to light up the world with the love of Christ. This year, as in previous years, we are called to pray into the days leading up to Pentecost, praying that the Holy Spirit will fall on people afresh. This call to prayer is not for the faithful few- this is absolutely for all of us to pray. One way to prepare for this is to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in who you should be praying for this year. And if you’re not sure that you are ready to do that and you need to be assured that God loves you and is calling you, ask to be filled with the courage and commitment of Jesus so that you can show his love, lighting a beacon for our community and the nation. Amen COLLECT Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: grant that, as by your grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen READINGS Acts 11.1-18 Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’ This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 148 1 Alleluia. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 2 Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all his host. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you stars of light. 4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He made them fast for ever and ever; he gave them a law which shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and mist, tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word; 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; 10 Wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things and birds on the wing; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the world; 12 Young men and women, old and young together; let them praise the name of the Lord. 13 For his name only is exalted, his splendour above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up the horn of his people and praise for all his faithful servants, the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia. Revelation 21.1-6 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL READING John 13.31-35 When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Let us pray, for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for his goodness. Give to the Church the spirit of holiness, to be the image here on earth of the New Jerusalem… Inspire your people with mutual love, so that all may know that we are your disciples. And we pray for the Church, and all Bishops and Priests, throughout the world. We pray especially for our Archbishops Justin and Stephen. And in our area, we pray for our Bishops Stephen and Olivia; for Revd Rosie and Canon Brian. We pray for all decision makers in the Church. In the Anglican cycle of prayer we pray for the Churches in England, Scotland and Wales, South Sudan, Kenya, and Nigeria. We pray for Christian Aid and its work, and for everyone taking part in activities this week. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer Break through the prejudices that divide people from one another … Open the eyes of the proud, to see the worth of those they have despised. Give peace between nations and harmony between races and ethnic groups. We pray for all those who work for peace, negotiators, and world leaders. We pray for the all the countries of the world in a state of war; we pray especially today for the people of Afghanistan. We also pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Nigeria. And we pray especially today for Ukraine, in the words of the prayer from our Archbishops, Justin and Stephen: 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 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. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer Grant that in our families and in our friendships we shall truly love one another… In our work and with our neighbours, make us open to hear different opinions and to respect those with whom we disagree. And in our local community, we pray for everyone in Clewer, Dedworth, and in Windsor. We pray for our Church school, Clewer Green, the head teacher Martin Tinsley and all the pupils, staff and governors. For all our Care Homes, for the safety of residents and staff. And in our Parish Cycle of Prayer, we pray for all who live in Parsonage Lane, Errington Drive, Chantry Close, Rectory Close, Haslemere Road, Oak Lane, Orchard Avenue, and Dedworth Road. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer Comfort those who are outcast and unloved … Have mercy on all who suffer discrimination as members of minorities. Give grace to all who work for better understanding in places of racial or religious tension. We pray for all in need, especially today: Blake, Sam, Reuben, Don, Karl, Hugh and Sarah, Joanna, Pam, Holly, Hugo, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Norman and Diane, Patricia, and Frank. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. And we also pray for all who have asked for our prayers, those whose needs we know, and those known to God alone. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer We pray for the departed, who have entered into new life. Keep them eternally where there is no more death, no sorrow or crying or pain. And with confidence in the love of Christ who died for sinners, we commend the souls recently departed this life, Barry Armstrong, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer We join our prayers with those of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Andrew, St Agnes, and all the Saints, as we commend ourselves, one another, and those we have prayed for, to your unfailing love. Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life: grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. All Amen Listen to Revd Rosie’s Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Easter NOTICES SUNDAY 5.00PM EVENING PRAYER (ZOOM) BCP Evening Prayer is on Sunday at 5pm via a Zoom link. We will send out the order of service later. Readings Psalm 98 Daniel 6.6-23 Mark 15.46-16.8 APCM The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will be held in St Andrews Church on the 22th of May 2022, at 11.30am (after the Eucharist Service). At the meeting, as well as hearing the reports, we need to elect the following: One Churchwarden (currently vacant), and one to be re-elected A Deanery Synod Representative (currently vacant) Two PCC Members (currently vacant), and two may be re-elected. If you think that you could contribute in any of these roles, please see Revd Rosie. Copies of the APCM report for 2021 have been sent to our mailing list, and a few copies will be available in Church on Sunday SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Evening Prayer on Zoom, every Tuesday and Thursday at 5.00pm Church open for Private Prayer, every Wednesday 10.00am-12.00 Sun 15 May 10.30am 5th Sunday of Easter – Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom Sun 22 May 10.30am 6th Sunday of Easter – Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom Thu 26 May 12.00 Ascension Day – Midday Eucharist Sun 29 May 10.30am 7th Sunday of Easter – Parish Eucharist No Evening Prayer (5th Sunday) Sun 05 Jun 10.30am Pentecost – Family Eucharist 5.00pm Eucharist – in Church Sun 12 Jun 10.30am Trinity Sunday– Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom PRAYERS & BEARS Prayers & Bears is now back to every Friday at 9.30am at St Agnes. DEANERY SYNOD The next Deanery Synod meeting is this Thu 19th May at 8.00pm at St Andrews. We will be offering refreshments from 7.30pm, so we would appreciate help. Please let Revd Rosie know if you can. Any parishioner can attend the meeting, but those helping don’t have to stay if they don’t want to. THY KINGDOM COME Thy Kingdom Come this year is Thu 26th May – Sun 5th June. We will be having a daily time of prayer at noon, in church. Special TKC prayer booklets will be available. More information on their web site: https://www.thykingdomcome.global CHURCHYARD TIDY The next churchyard tidy is Saturday 16th July from 1000-1200. 15-21 May 2022      PATHWAYS The latest issue 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. PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Reuben, Don, Karl, Hugh and Sarah, Joanna, Pam, Holly, Hugo, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Norman and Diane, Patricia, and Frank. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: all those recently departed this life, Barry Armstrong, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Those being Baptised: Sophia Slaughter 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. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live in Parsonage Lane, Errington Drive, Chantry Close, Rectory Close, Haslemere Road, Oak Lane, Orchard Avenue, and Dedworth Road. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for The Church in Scotland. Please pray for the Churches in these Dioceses: Liverpool (England), Liwolo (South Sudan), Llandaff (Wales), Lodwar (Kenya), Lokoja (Nigeria), and Lomega (South Sudan). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. WINDSOR FOODSHARE They need basic food please, anything welcome, especially: Tinned meat · Tinned fish · Tinned vegetables· Soup · Rice · Herbs/Spices Cooking sauces · Instant mash · Tea bags/Instant coffee · Sugar · Breakfast cereals · UHT milk · Tinned desserts · Cereal bars/biscuits · Jams · Fruit juice/Squash Also: they need plastic bags. They use strong plastic bags for their clients to take away tinned food and fruit & veg. More information, and to donate online: https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk/food-donations 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 |