| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 19 March 2023 Mothering Sunday |
 WELCOME Last week we had International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. In the church calendar, today is Mothering Sunday, a refreshment day in the middle of Lent. A day to return to mother church, a day to reflect and give thanks to those who mother us. Women of a gentle persistent nature, the encouragers, the courageous, the listeners, the ones who ground us and remind us of who we are, as well as those who seem to get cross easily but it is only because they love and want what’s best for us. The reading selection for today usually include the story of Moses, Hannah and Samuel and Mary and Jesus, but there are so many incredible women in the Bible! The picture today is of Shiphrah (“splendid”) and Puah (“beautiful”), who were the two Hebrew midwives who covertly defied Pharoah and prevented the genocide of Israel’s baby boys born during their watch, including one very important baby boy: the prophet and Israelite leader, Moses. Their story is found in Exodus 1. We will be looking at a few more in our service this morning, and whilst you reflect on who has ‘mothered’ you in your life, here is a Litany for Mothers for your prayer time this week. A Litany for Mothers Eve our first mother – thank you for stepping out and being the first to understand the complexities of life. Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth – thank you for your patience and courage in waiting for a miracle. May all people longing for children be strengthened by your stories and comforted in their pain. Hagar – thank you for your resolve in the face of exile. May all mothers who are forced to flee or are forgotten be given hope in you. Rebecca – thank you for your flexibility. Let us remember all mothers who have to raise their children in a different country or far from their relatives and who feel isolated. Rachel – you carried the burden of grief and wept for your children. Hold the hands of all those mothers who weep for their children – children who have gone missing, who have died or are lost to them in other ways. Jochebed – you used wisdom and insight to protect your children. Give to all mothers this wisdom and insight in the bringing up of their children, especially in vulnerable times. Naomi and Ruth – you showed that love can conquer all trials. Help all mothers to love constantly when life seems impossible and despair weighs hard upon their souls. Mary – the new Eve whose ‘yes’ to God changed our world forever. Thank you for sheltering the Holy One all those years ago, for your faithful love and tender care of God’s most precious Son. Blessings for your week Revd Rosie COLLECT God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary, shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself: strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal; 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. or God of love, passionate and strong, tender and careful: watch over us and hold us all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen READINGS Exodus 2.1-10 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’ This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 34.11-20 11 Come, my children, and listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is there who delights in life and longs for days to enjoy good things? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from lying words. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry and the Lord hears them and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and will save those who are crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the troubles of the righteous; from them all will the Lord deliver them. 20 He keeps all their bones, so that not one of them is broken. Colossians 3.12-17 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. Luke 2.33-35 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Holy God, you gave us our Mothers, for which we give you joyful thanks. Today, we especially thank you for all that our mothers gave to us from the moment we were born into this amazing life. We remember the love and care they surrounded us with through our early years; the guidance they continued to give as we grew to maturity; the support that they continued to give as many of us became parents ourselves and the role they played as grandparents, playing such a vital role in society. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Gracious God, we thank you for the role that so many mothers played in introducing us to you and your son Jesus Christ, through bedtime prayers and stories, in the way they served as an example of Christian life and introducing us to public worship in the fellowship of our Mother Churches and our first spiritual homes. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Creator God, as we watch and read the news we see the brokenness of our world and that for many families life is more dangerous than ever before. We pray for healing among the nations; for food where there is hunger; for freedom where there is oppression; for joy where there is pain; that your love may bring peace to all your children. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Father God, your Son, was born into the human family of Mary and Joseph; bless all those that we live amongst who are parents and all who care for children in our local communities. Strengthen all families who are living under stress and shine your love into homes where no human love is found. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Loving God, we pray for all mothers of children suffering from serious illness, recognising not only their anguish but also the way that their love and determination really makes a big difference to chances of recovery. We thank you for the many hours our parents spent caring for us when we were ill, and thank you too for the many children who grow up to be their parent’s carers in later life. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Merciful God, like a mother, you gather your people to you as gently as any human mother with her children. Turn the despair that comes through the parting of death into hope, and may we, through your gentleness, find comfort and restoration in our sadness and loss. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Everlasting God, you alone can see the future, and so we pray to you, who can see ahead of us, asking for your protection for each of us, for our families and those who we love. 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 Merciful Lord, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Listen to Revd Rosie’s Sermon last Sunday Listen NOTICES SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Tuesdays and Thursdays, Evening Prayer at 5.00pm via Zoom Church Open every day 10.00am – 6.00pm Sun 19 Mar 10.30am Mothering Sunday, Parish Eucharist 5.00pmEvening Prayer Sun 26 Mar 10.30am 5th Sunday of Lent, Parish Eucharist Passiontide begins 5.00pmEvening Prayer Sun 02 April 10.30am Palm Sunday Procession around Clewer Village, includes reading the Passion Narrative 5.00pm Parish Eucharist for Palm Sunday Mon 03 Apr 12.00 Eucharist in Holy Week Tue 04 Apr 12.00 Eucharist in Holy Week Wed 05 Apr 12.00 Eucharist in Holy Week Thu 06 Apr 7.30pm Liturgy of the Upper Room, with foot washing Fri 07 Apr Good Friday 10.00am Family Activities, making the Easter Garden 1.00pm Hour of Silence 2.00pm The Liturgy of Good Friday 3.00pm Veneration of the Cross, Church open until 6.00pm Sun 09 Apr Easter Day 6.00am Dawn Service with Easter bonfire in the churchyard 10.30am Easter Day Family Eucharist followed by Easter Egg Hunt  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, Gracie, and the Flisher family . 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 preparing for baptismThose preparing for marriage Our Bible Explorers group at Clewer GreenCommunity 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, work at, or take part in activities in, all Retail Premises, Mill Stream Houseboats, Boatyard, Windsor Race Course, Forest House Veterinary Group, Petworth Court, Care Homes (Sandown Park, Queens Court, Mountbatten Grange and Winton House).Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Please pray also for the churches in these dioceses: Rokon (South Sudan), Rorya (Tanzania), Ruaha (Tanzania), Rukwa (Tanzania), Rumbek (South Sudan), and Rumonge (Burundi).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe.  Last two dates 22 March 29 MarchEASTER EGGS Donations of Easter eggs are needed for our stall at the community Easter Fair on Palm Sunday afternoon, 02 April. Thanks to all who have donated so far, and more are needed.  Clewer & Dedworth Together Easter Fair Join us for a fun-filled afternoon – we will have a children’s farm, bouncy castle, fairground rides for children, Easter tombola, craft stalls and lots of fun things happening. All money is ploughed back into the community. Free to attend. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING We are looking for volunteers to help with Family activities on Good Friday morning. Please see Revd Rosie if you can help. PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL OXFORD CHANGE OF DATE 28th April. 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 together. Our date has had to be cancelled by the cathedral, but the new date they have given us is Friday 28 April. If you would like to go please let Revd Rosie know as we will need to arrange transport. CORONATION WEEKEND IDEAS? The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort takes place on 06 May. https://www.royal.uk/coronation The Big Help Out is just one of the nationwide activities planned for that bank holiday weekend. https://thebighelpout.org.uk If you can think of some things we could do as a Church around these times, please let Revd Rosie know. 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 still looking for someone to be our Christian Aid representative. This does not need to be a PCC member or other church official. Please see Revd Rosie if you can help. WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare We are currently running very low on tinned meat and tinned pulses. We have many ways to donate food to us. 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. 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 |