| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 17 September 2023 The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity |
 WELCOME I have just returned from a walking retreat, walking the Camino to Santiago, the Way of St James in Northern Spain. Apart from rain on the first day of walking, the weather was a kind 24 degrees, certainly cooler than the UK. Every morning hostel and hotel doors open and people emerge wearing a variety of back packs, boots and walking sticks, all wearing the symbolic pilgrim shell and all head off in the same direction…following the yellow arrow to start their day’s walk. After the death of Jesus, St James the disciple took his ministry to the Iberian Peninsula and to this day is considered the Patron Saint of Spain. And he is recorded as being the first martyr amongst all the disciples of Jesus. The body of St James was taken to Compostela, where his grave is very famous and has become one of the chief pilgrimage destinations. Multitudes of pilgrims from all parts of the world go there to pray. Having been a fisherman in Galilee and having taken the road that helped him discover his spirit, the Scallop Shell is the emblem of St. James and its symbolism relate to two layers of the human condition; the physical and the spiritual. St. James was an ordinary pilgrim like the rest of us. He walked a long difficult road with Jesus; he was imprisoned by his emotions, and he went through all kinds of struggles to free himself and discover the hugeness of his spirit. He learned how to live an authentic, peaceful life and he shared his personal lessons with others. People have walked the pilgrim’s journey in the way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela starting at different points. Some walk slowly, others challenge themselves by walking fast and giving themselves goals. Some ride bicycles, and some go on horseback, wheelchairs and toddler buggies. There are those who walk the Camino in stages, and others who walk a little and bus a little. This is not unlike the path we traverse in life. My sister and I walked the last part from Sarria to Santiago, 117km and on arrival we were just 2 of the over 800 pilgrims to register at the pilgrims post office that day. On the spiritual levels, we are all undertaking our own unique journeys, governed by the lessons that we need to learn, and the people that we are evolving into. No two pilgrims are alike, and though we may walk the same roads on the outside, our inner pathways wind through very different emotional landscapes. The Scallop Shell has many grooved lines that lead from the outer rim to a meeting point at the base. The shell itself represents the many different spiritual/religious pathways that lead to the same place, to the universal center of all life-forms, the spirit, the soul. At St Andrews we use the scallop shell to pour the waters of baptism for this reason. When pilgrims that walk the Camino carry the Scallop Shell it represents their personal journey, the sacred path that we all must take within. We are all on the outer rim of the spirit, struggling to find our way back to God, our center. The Scallop Shell reminds us why we are walking, especially at the points when the journey feels too hard and we want to give up. It reminds us to focus on our journey only, and that each person has their own journey to travel and own story that is unfolding. It reminds us that we are all ultimately one sacred soul and that each of our roads leads us back to each other. Isn’t it amazing that St James is still leading people to Jesus! Buen Camino Revd Rosie COLLECT God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; 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 – ONLY THE GOSPEL WILL BE READ ON SUNDAY MORNING Genesis 50.15-21 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?’ So they approached Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this instruction before he died, “Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.” Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.’ Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, ‘We are here as your slaves.’ But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Romans 14.1-12 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honour of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then, each of us will be accountable to God. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. THE GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew . Glory to you, O Lord. Matthew 18.21-35 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Holy God, you have called us here today; and so as we gather in your house we offer to you our prayers which stem from our love for you and our love and concern for those we love and for the people of the world. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Lord God, when the Church joins together, we can show people a much fuller picture of Jesus and His Kingdom. We pray for your church, and the churches in our local community, and ask that there will be a growing desire to get together and get out. We give you thanks for those who come up with fresh ways of making your name known to the wider community and for those who work so hard to make fellowship and fund-raising events so pleasurable and financially successful. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Creator God, we pray not only for the victims but for the perpetrators of evil and violence in our world; for all governments which run on corruption and fear. We pray for a change of heart and attitude, an awakening to a better way of living, and the courage to reject wrong principles. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Father God, forgive us when we waste our lives by being too busy to enjoy your creation. Teach us how to make spaces in the day to do the things we most enjoy. Just as you rested from your work, help us to practise the discipline of recreation and help me to become your hands and feet in my street so that my neighbours will one day ask me to tell them more about you. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Loving God, help those we know and love to turn away from habits which are harmful to them. Help them to turn to you in times of crisis, rather than reaching for quick-fix solutions. Lord, we also bring to you those we know who are ill or suffering in any way. Give them healing and restore them in body, mind and spirit. Especially: Blake, Sam, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Diane, Sylvia, Mary, Gracie, Carmel, Christine, and Vivienne. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Mighty God, we remember in your presence all those who have died, and particularly those we have known and loved. Thank you for them and thank you for your promise of eternal life and peace. We pray for all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Lord in your mercy: Hear our prayer. Faithful God, at the start of this new week, help us to be an example to others and show us the practical steps we need to take to develop consistency and integrity in all that we do in our lives. 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 POST COMMUNION Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual mercy; and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall, keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Listen to Canon Brian’s Sermon last Sunday morning LISTEN NOTICES SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS Tuesday and Thursday 5.00pm Evening Prayer on Zoom Church Open every day 10.00am – 6.00pm Sun 17 Sep 10.30am Parish Eucharist 3.00pm Wild Worship (in the Churchyard; focus: Back to School) 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom Sun 24 Sep 10.30am Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom Sun 01 Oct 10.30am All Age Family Eucharist – Harvest Festival 5.00pm Parish Eucharist Sun 08 Sep 10.30am Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE This Sunday there will an Evening Prayer service at 5.00pm on Zoom. PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Diane, Sylvia, Mary, Gracie, Carmel, Christine, and Vivienne. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Those baptised: Kobe. Weddings: Liam and Amey. 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 live or work in Shirley Avenue, Kingsbury Mews, Rutherford Close, West Crescent, East Crescent, and Hatch Lane, Firs Avenue (off Hatch Lane) Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Abyei (South Sudan), Accra (West Africa), Adelaide (Australia), Afikpo (Nigeria), Alexandria (North Africa), and Agra (North India).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. CHURCHYARD TIDY Our end of season Churchyard Tidy will be on 30 September 10.00am-12.00. Please see Bob if you can help, or have any questions. MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNINGThe Macmillan Coffee Morning on Wednesday raised £245! Thansk for all who took part, and special thanks to Maureen for organising it. If you missed it, it’s not too late to contribute, our Giving Page is: https://www.justgiving.com/cm23048553   Please share this amazing event,. We are holding a one time only harvest market in the churchyard on Saturday 23rd starting at 10am. Lots of local growers are coming along to support our fundraising. Local honey, and maybe even a bakery stand. If you have any homemade cakes, jams, chutneys etc then please donate. Refreshments available. Its going to be great!   CHURCHES TOGETHER IN WINDSOR NEWSLETTER CTW | Churches Together in Windsor https://www.facebook.com/ChurchesTogetherInWindsor A summary of events from the Summer edition: 8th September and continuing The fortnightly meeting for teenagers entitled “Geese” re-starts at Windsor Methodist Church. This is a Bible study and discussion group with Pizzas. This meeting meets on alternate weeks with the youth club for the 11+ age group. Both meetings begin at 6pm. Visiting youngsters are welcome at each of these meetings. 17th September at 6pm Taizé-style Holy Communion at St Stephen & St Agnes Church. All welcome. Sunday 24th September at 10.30am Dedworth Green Baptist Church: family-friendly Harvest celebration 30th September 6.30pm for 7pm Quiz Night in aid of Windsor Christian Action, 73a Alma Road Project. Parish Hall at All Saints’ Church, Frances Road, SL4 1HU. £10 per person, includes Harvest Supper. Book as a team of 6 or 8, or come by yourself and join a team on the night. Licensed bar. Please book in advance: windsor.churchbookings@gmail.com 1st October 10.30am Harvest Festival at St Andrews Clewer. 1st October at 7pm Organ Recital at Windsor Parish Church. Leading international concert organist, Thomas Trotter, re-launches the recently restored three-manual pipe organ in a concert designed to highlight the instrument’s varied tonal palette and power. Bookings through Thomas Trotter: Inaugural Recital on rebuilt Organ (windsorfestival.com) Saturday 7th October 3.45 to 6pm Windsor Methodist Church messy church afternoon. 8th October at 5pm Joint Harvest Choral Evensong at All Saints Francis Rd, singers welcome to join the choir. Saturday 21st October 7.00 for 7.30pm A CONCERT at Windsor Methodist Church by the award winning Christian singer/songwriter Rob Halligan. Tickets £7-50 (under 18s free) from Phil Mount (philmount@aol.com) or pay on the door. Thursday 16th November 7.45pm Churches Together in Windsor short AGM and social time at Windsor Methodist Church. Saturday 2nd December: 2.30pm Christmas Concert and Organ Recital at Windsor Methodist Church with our minister Vicci Davidson and the renowned organist Paul Leddington-Wright.   HARVEST EVENSONG – DATE FOR THE DIARY There will be a Harvest Evensong with All Saints Frances Rd, 8th October 5pm. Singers welcome. WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare CAN YOU HELP? We are currently very short ofCooking SaucesUHT MilkBiscuitsTinned FruitTea bagsWe get less food donations in the spring and summer, even though we are still feeding the same amount of people. 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 2 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… You can drop off to us on Wednesdays 9.30-1.30 or Thursdays 9.30-3.00 at Dedworth Green Baptist Church. We do not like to ask as we know times are tough for lots of people right now. Imagine if your whole street donated one tin each to us how this would help our stocks. 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. email: office@clewerparish.org Revd Rosie 01753 852334 email rector@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Rector: Revd Rosie Webb 01753 852334 rector@clewerparish.org Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Contact via email: office@clewerparish.org Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |