| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 23 February 2025 The 2nd Sunday before Lent |
 Welcome As an open water swimmer I have learnt over the years to never take water for granted, even if you think … I’ll just have a quick dip. Water is powerful and unpredictable. My photos of the Sea of Galilee are abit murky due to the rain that day, instead I have posted one I took from the beach in Carmel. Although the beaches on this stretch of the Pacific are golden sand and beautiful blue sea, you can’t actually swim in it, the current and waves are far too powerful. Even on calm days, you just cannot trust the sea. The river is different though, still unpredictable, and there is technology out there to help us find out the water level, the flow rate and yes, the pollution! Sadly lives have been lost in our local rivers as youngsters have succumbed to the temptation of cool water on a hot summers day, not understanding flow, temperature at deeper levels and reeds/weeds. No matter how experienced an open water swimmer you are, you are still susceptible cold-water shock etc. Water out of control can be terrifying. Often in the Bible, the sea is used as a metaphor for life itself and the chaos that may surround us at any point. The Sea of Galilee was and still is known for its ability to change weather, squalls can brew very quickly, but surely the disciples and Jesus knew this? The disciples were so afraid, yet Jesus was fast asleep, totally unbothered by the chaos around him. Jesus sleeps peacefully. Somehow, they knew that Jesus could do something about it and he did and then.. they were confused! We all experience chaos in lives at some point, and it may feel like Jesus is sleeping because we feel like he’s not listening, so we give up. Or we can persist and shake Jesus awake, trusting that by his very presence something will change. Be still, my soul: your God will undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be clear at last. Be still, my soul: the tempests still obey his voice, who ruled them once on Galilee. Blessings for your week 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. Amen READINGS Genesis 2.4b-9, 15-end These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground – then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’ Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.’ Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Revelation 4 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal. Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’ This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel Reading Luke 8.22-25 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’ 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 trecently in London, 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 Mighty God, we pray for peace in our world. May all lands that suffer violence and injustice find peace and reconciliation. We pray for the peoples of the world and all who offer their services in the leadership of the affairs of the world that they may uphold what is right and good. We pray particularly at this time for peace in all places where there is violence, war and terrorism. 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 Adapted from the Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit Costa Blanca POST 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 Listen to Revd Rosie’s Sermon/Talk from last Sunday LISTEN NOTICES EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY The Sunday evening service is Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Readings Psalm 147 Genesis 1.1-2.3 Mattthew 6.25-end 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 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 12.00 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 Prayer Sun 16 Mar 10.30am Parish Eucharist – 2nd Sunday of Lent 3.00pm Wild Worship 5.00pm Evening Prayer PLEASE 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: Mary Brown, 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 new Bible Explorers Group. 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 Brasil. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Madras (South India), Madurai-Ramnad (South India), Magwi (South Sudan), Mahajanga (Indian Ocean), Maiduguri (Nigeria), and Maine (USA).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. EVENTS 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. The next Wild Worship will be held on the 16th Mar. COFFEE AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAYS Could we ask you to consider bringing your own mug/cup for tea/coffee? And take it home after church to wash up at home. Washing up in church is difficult, and this will reduce use of paper cups. Thank you. VOLUNTEER ROLES IN CHURCH There are several roles within the church community which we are looking for volunteers for: welcomers, hospitality, music, reading lessons, leading prayers, chalice assistant etc. Sign up forms for these are at the back of church. Please think about how you could help. LENT READING Lent is traditionally a time for study. To help with this there are a number of publications for you to borrow at the back of the church. The booklet Living Hope is our main one during Lent, there is a sign up form if you would like us to order one for you (£2).      Board Trustee – Human Resources (HR) An exciting opportunity has arisen at Alma Beacon for a Trustee position to support the charity on key Human Resources matters that are intrinsic to its smooth running. If interested please download the full job description here Alma Beacon is also looking for some additional volunteer support roles. We want to take a moment to invite you to consider two exciting opportunities to further enhance our charity’s impact and smooth running. 1. Room Booking System Coordinator for Alma Beacon 2. Volunteer Champion If you think that you could help with either of these, please click here for more information  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  Celebrate with us! Can you believe that this year we celebrate our 10th year of supporting children in the community? Ever wanted to have a sneak peek at The Guildhall in Windsor? How about combining it with our first fundraising event to mark the occasion? We’re hosting a posh afternoon tea on Saturday 8th March at the glamourous Guildhall in Windsor town centre, just a stones throw away from the walls of Windsor Castle. Tickets can be purchased using the QR code or the following link. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebabybank/1585623 We want to roll out the red carpet for all our amazing supporters and would love for you to join us. Best wishes Lauren, Rebecca & The Baby Bank team  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 |