| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 27th July 2025 The Sixth Sunday after Trinity |
 WELCOME 27th July Trinity 6 This week we have said our ‘goodbyes’ to our Year 4 children at Clewer Green, they now have a much-needed summer break before starting middle schools in September. This year group have been a real pleasure to get to know and a significant number of them have become members of St Andrews. They were also our first cohort of Bible Explorers and some, our first to be baptised at school and church on Easter Sunday. This photo was taken whilst on their pilgrimage last week. Every summer we take the year 4’s on pilgrimage as part of their ‘moving on’ preparation. We reflect on education, creation, recreation, our homes and families and finally our worship, as they come together at church for their leavers service. It is a real joy to spend time with them reflecting on their journey through Clewer Green, what they have enjoyed and what they have learnt, all in the context of God walking with us along the way and giving thanks. In the photo Cornelius is leading them in a quiet mediation, time to be still, time to reflect on what moving on feels like. It is so important to teach children the importance of being still, switching off and noticing the sounds around them, acknowledging the noise and learning to let it go. This is a big part of our Wild Worship at Clewer Green. One of our greatest joys at Clewer Green is to witness the children’s prayers. On their journey through our church school the children have grown in faith and confidence to pray readily and easily with their peers. I am never ceased to be amazed by their eagerness and willingness to offer a prayer, when invited, hands shoot up! Today’s readings encourage us to explore some of the things that the bible says about talking with God. Prayer doesn’t need to be deeply theological or complicated, God knows us, God understands us, the trouble is…. we get abit complicated at times. Prayer is our relationship with God, we come in prayer with all our sorrows and joys, our questions and thanks and in many different ways. God does not limit our communication, God ‘inclines his ear’ to us and listens, how much more then should we make time to listen? Blessings for your week Revd Rosie COLLECT Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; 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 Genesis 18.20-32 Then the Lord said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.’ So the men turned from there, and went towards Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ Again he spoke to him, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Colossians 2.6-15 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God Gospel Reading Luke 11.1-13 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’ Perseverance in Prayer And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Jesus taught His disciples and us to pray saying: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Father God, direct all our living; all that we think, say, and do. May your name never be a curse or a blasphemy on our lips but always a name that is loved, honoured and praised; and may the way that we speak of You move our world closer to a heavenly kingdom on earth. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer thy kingdom come; Mighty God, we pray that you will strengthen our parish as we seek to draw folk into worship and faith. Keep our church strong and growing and help us to encourage others to take up the Christian faith through our worship and social events. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer on earth as it is in heaven. Gracious God, sometimes we find this very difficult to accept, especially when some is seriously ill or dying, but we pray for those we know who are ill or have died asking that your will not ours be done. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer Give us this day our daily bread. Creator God, in a world of greed and selfish desires may we see that we are sustained only by your wonderful provision. May our eagerness to acquire material possessions pale in comparison to our joy in the wonderful gift of Your Son to be our Saviour. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Merciful God, how easy it sometimes is for us to ask for forgiveness and yet at the same time refuse forgiveness for those who perpetrate acts of terrorism and war. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Almighty God, protect us from the constant dangers and enticing temptations we face each day. Deliver us from the oppressive evils of apathy, addiction, and abuse. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Everlasting God, we make all these requests because you are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen Adapted from the web site of The Anglican Chaplaincy of the Costa Blanca POST COMMUNION Grant, O Lord, we beseech you, God of our pilgrimage, you have led us to the living water: refresh and sustain us as we go forward on our journey, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen SERMON RECORDINGS Revd Rosie’s Sermon for 20 Jul 2025 Listen NOTICES EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY Sunday evening’s service is Evening Prayer at 5.00pm. Readings Psalm 88 Genesis 42.1–25 1 Corinthians 10.1–24 SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Church open every day 10.00am until 6.00pm Evening Prayer via Zoom at 5.00pm Tue,Thu (not in August) Morning Prayer on Wednesdays at 8.00am in Church Sun 27 Jul 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 6th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 03 Aug 10:30am All Age Eucharist – 7th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Eucharist Sun 10 Aug 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 8th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 17 Aug 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 9th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 24 Aug 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 10th Sunday after Trinity 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 31 Aug 10:30am Parish Eucharist – 11th Sunday after Trinity 3.00pm Worship Explorers – Children’s Church No evening service – 5th Sunday of the month PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Sam, Matt, Al, Sharon, Vivienne, Stef, John F, Joanna, Jane P, Tom B, Val, Bronwyn. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: Lucie Lazell, Patricia Faulkner, all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Baptisms: Roman and Hallie Weddings: Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, Mrs Branch, Mr Seymour, and all the staff, pupils, staff and governors. 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 Hermitage Lane, Longbourn, Maidenhead Road, Rays Avenue, Wells Close, Vale Road, and Buckland Crescent. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for The Church of Papua New Guinea. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Niassa (Mocambique e Angola), Nicaragua (Central America), Niger, Niger Delta, Niger Delta North, and Niger Delta West (Nigeria). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. UPCOMING EVENTS Coffee and More Wednesday 6th August 10.00am (see below) Churchyard Teas – the next afternoon tea in the churchyard will be for the VJ day 80th anniversary on Friday 15th August. Look out for other dates as they are confirmed. A date for your diary – Saturday 30 August 12.00-3.00pm, Parish Picnic at St Leonards Hill. Details to follow. Another date for your diary – Friday 26th September at Windsor Boys School, starting at 5.00pm, 24-hour Sing-Along to raise money for the Night Shelter. ST ANDREW’S CHURCHYARD BAT WATCH 2025   Over seventy people – from babies to grandparents – gathered between 8:30pm and 10:00pm on Tuesday 22nd July for a repeat experience of last year’s extremely popular Bat Watch. Hosted by the church and Wild Windsor and led by expert Claire Taylor, a combination of congregation members and new visitors to St Andrew’s were intrigued to learn about the physical characteristics and important activities of bats living in the local area as well as fascinating bat facts from around the world. The significant role bats play in pollinating tropical fruit trees was one of the most amazing revelations – thanks to bats we have bananas, mangoes and other natural treats to enjoy! Noises from the electronic detectors filled the air as the light gradually faded, translating bats’ echolocation signals into audible clicks, and many bats were clearly visible as well from around 9:00pm. Welcoming hospitality and refreshments provided by PCC volunteers were served in the church and a number of individuals remarked how pleased they were to be able to appreciate the building’s unique heritage at closer range. Thanks to Rev Rosie for supporting this valuable opportunity, Liam Harrison for stunning posters in the churchyard, Cornelius and Beverly for providing delicious refreshments, and Jane Cockman and Susy Shearer for arranging the event. Claire Taylor was a superb presenter and we hope to welcome her and husband Andrew back next year for another “Batty” evening!   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, X (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? We are currently very low on toiletries and cleaning products – these items are essential for our clients and often overlooked. 🧼 Items needed include: • Shower gel • Shampoo • Toothpaste • Deodorant • Toilet roll • Washing-up liquid • Laundry detergent • Household cleaning sprays 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! 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 |