| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 16 February 2025 The 3rd Sunday before Lent |
 Welcome This week has been General Synod, discussions have been difficult about the Church now and the future. General Synod debated the Makin Review, on the first day of its February 2025 session. The Review published in November 2024, looked at the Church of England’s handling of allegations of serious abuse by the late John Smyth. Introducing the motion, the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell, asked Synod to remember those whose lives have been ruined by the effects of the awful abuse of John Smyth, as well as all victims and survivors living with a legacy of abuse. Members overwhelmingly approved the following motion, which included an amendment, after a full debate. ‘That this Synod, repenting of the failures of safeguarding in the Church of England detailed in the Makin report; (a) ask those in leadership roles across the Church of England to redouble work to implement best safeguarding practice in line with national policies and guidance, and note the further and forthcoming reforms set out in GS 2376; and at the specific request of victims and survivors of John Smyth QC, recognise that the institutional failure to enact adequate disciplinary process means that this and other cases cannot simply be labelled ‘historic’ as they have continuing effects on the lives of those victims and survivors who suffer the consequences of the prolonged cover-up by the Church of England.’ SOURCE Church of England Media Centre Today’s readings include Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. Luke’s text is called ‘Blessings and Woes, but first, healing’. People came to Jesus to listen, to be heard and to be healed, they came looking for something in Jesus that would bring about a change in their circumstances, whether personal or political. To those who came with ulterior motives, trying to catch him out or condemn him, to them he says ‘beware’. The word he uses is woes; woes could also be thought of a ‘whoa’, like telling a horse to stop, wait, listen, warning. Since the beginning of Christianity, people have come to the Church to be healed, not to be pushed further to the margins of society or the Church. As a church we must honour victims and survivors, change must happen, we must have a church that embraces challenges and be committed to change. These are timely biblical texts; Jesus is saying to the Church ‘whoa’. Trust and confidence must be rebuilt within our Church, the Church of yesterday is not the Church of today, but we are all arbiters of blessings and woes; we have a choice, to be like Jesus, either to bless or to woe. Safeguarding is our thinking and speaking every minute of every day. Remember, week by week, day by day you are not coming to church, you are coming to God. Coming to church does not give us eternity, God does. So, our responsibility is to welcome everyone who does come, and they leave feeling blessed by having been and not full of woes. Blessings for your week. Revd Rosie COLLECT Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; 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 Jeremiah 17.5-10 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes.They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green;in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse – who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God 1 Corinthians 15.12-20 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ – whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel Reading Luke 6.17-26 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said:‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Holy God, help us to hold high the standard of your teaching, even when it is hard to apply it to our modern way of life. May we strive to never lower your standards, or to change what you teach, but to pray diligently for a realistic understanding of what you want for us in every aspect of our lives. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Gracious God, we pray for your blessing to be upon this congregation, upon this church and upon our Parish; and for your presence to be seen vividly in what we do and say each day. We pray that your joy and your love will flow freely in and through us and that we might never be seen by those around us as falling short of the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Creator God, drive away despair from our politics, revive our dreams of justice and truth, and restore our passion for what is good and right. Establish your just and gentle rule throughout the world especially where there is conflict; where peace seems so far away and so many have lost everything, even the faint hope of a peaceful future. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Father God, we pray for our Parish communities, that each of us might make use of our individual talents enabling each church group to flourish as a witness to the “One Body” of the church. As we approach Lent, stir up the desire in all of us to serve where appropriate, in order that your gospel may be effectively taken out into every part of Clewer and beyond. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Loving God, we ask for your healing touch on all who are ill or suffering. We especially pray for any we know who are experiencing emotional pain or are broken in spirit through personal or family problems. Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that by casting their cares on you they may find the strength to face the days ahead. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer We give thanks for those who, drawing their strength from you in this world, have yielded their souls into your care. Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Everlasting God, send us out into the world, renewed by our worship and strengthened by our fellowship, so that we may be a testament to the Gospel of your son Jesus Christ, and determined to bring healing and reconciliation to our wounded world. Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen Adapted from the Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit Costa Blanca POST COMMUNION Merciful Father, who gave Jesus Christ to be for us the bread of life, that those who come to him should never hunger: draw us to the Lord in faith and love, that we may eat and drink with him at his table in the kingdom, where he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen Listen to Canon Brian’s Sermon from last Sunday LISTEN NOTICES EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY The Sunday evening service is Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Readings Psalm 6 Hosea 10.1-8 Galatians 4.8-20 SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Church open every day 10.00am until dusk. Evening Prayer Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5.00pm via Zoom Morning Prayer Wednesdays at 8.00am in Church Sun 16 Feb 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 3rd Sunday before Lent 3.00pm Wild Worship 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 23 Feb 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 2nd Sunday before Lent 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 02 Mar 10.30am All Age Eucharist – Sunday next before Lent 5.00pm Eucharist Wed 05 Mar Ash Wednesday 12.00pm Eucharist – with imposition of ashes 7.00pm Eucharist – with imposition of ashes Sun 09 Mar 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 1st Sunday of Lent 5.00pm Evening PrayerPLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Sam, Matt, Al, John C, Sharon, Vivienne, Stef, John F, Joanna, Jane P, and Tom B. 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: Lacey-Mai, Felix, and Willow. Weddings: Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, Mrs Branch, Mr Seymour, and all the staff, pupils, staff and governors. 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. 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 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 of Bangladesh. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Lweru (Tanzania), Macau (Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui), Machakos (Kenya), Maciene (Mocambique e Angola), Madhya Kerala (South India), and Madi and West Nile (Uganda).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. EVENTS The next Wild Worship will be held on the 16th Feb, our focus will be looking for signs of Spring, don’t forget to dress for the weather. See poster below. The next Pop Up Children’s Café will be 28th Feb, due to the overwhelming success of this café, we are seeking more volunteers to help. If you’d like to get involved please have a word with the Rector. Our next Bible Explorers Club at Clewer Green begins at the end of February, please keep this group in your prayers as the majority of children are just beginning their journey of faith.    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 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? Can you help us with sturdy carrier bags. We encourage clients to bring their own bags but still find we need more. If you are having a sort out this January and find you have excess bags please can we have them? 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 |