St Mark’s Parish News

30 August - Ordinary 22 - Trinity 12

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God saw all that he had made and it was good Genesis 1

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Praying Together on Sunday at Noon As a church family we unite our prayers together this week on Sunday & Wednesday. Here are some suggested themes to guide us in our prayers. At the beginning of September, we think about all those who are starting schools, colleges, apprenticeships, Universities and Further Education establishments. We give thanks for all who are teachers and educators, who shape our young people and have responsibility for their safety and learning. We pray for:

1. Those called to a vocation of teaching 2. Young children who are just beginning at pre-school and primary

school 3. All staff in schools at this challenging time, for guidance in the

decisions and for help in this time of need in our schools 4. Young people faced with uncertainty about their future courses and

careers 5. Those supporting the mental well-being of young people

Mike and Janet Warren

Midweek Zoom Service

St Mark’s Church Worshipping together every Wednesday Morning Worship at 10.00am on Zoom

Click here at 10.00am

or Telephone 0131 4601196 Meeting No 88151161300 #

Sunday Services

We welcome you to our Sunday services at 9.30am and 11.00am. Please book in by email office@stmarkschurch.com or call the Vicarage 01234 309175 / 07973113861 Our Sunday services are broadcast on YouTube

Please note no need to dress up only participants are recorded, not communicants!

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Keep in touch with what is happening at St Mark’s Church with regular updates during the week.

Church Services every Sunday 9.30am and 11.00am

To book a seat just call 01234 342613 or email office@stmarkschurch.com

We are pleased that no members of our congregation have had COVID-19. We want to welcome you to St Mark’s Church and St Mark’s Leadership Team have put in place measures to ensure your continuing safety.

1. Hand sanitising stations 2. Face coverings 3. 2m social distancing in services. 4. Entire church treated (fogging) before services with 72 hour active protection

anti-viral agent to kill coronavirus including COVID-19. What does the future hold ? The Leadership Team met this week and discussed what services can be held over the coming months and we are taking steps to enable these to take place. Harvest There will be Harvest Festival Services on Sunday 18 October and we are hopeful that Bishop Alan will still be able to join us. Please bring along tins and dried good between now and then for the Foodbank which can be left in the container in the foyer. Remembrance Sunday. There will be two services at 9.30am and 11.00am held for Remembrance Sunday on Sunday 8 November Commemoration Service. We cannot hold a commemoration service, however we will ask for names of people to be remembered in our service on Sunday 15 November and we will light individual candles when their names are read out. Midnight Mass will take place on Christmas Eve at 11.30pm Carols in the Car Park We are hopeful that Carols in the Car Park will be possible in some form and we can get together over mulled wine and mince pies. Our Annual Congregational Meeting will take place at 10.30am on 7 October, continuing on from our usual online Zoom worship, all are welcome. We are listening ! The Leadership Team would be pleased to hear from you about any ideas of what more we could be doing as a church in this uncertain time. Please tell us any ideas which you have which might help us meet the needs of our congregation and wider community. Please speak with any member of the Leadership Team or Ministers.

St Mark’s Church

The safest place outside your home

Ordinary 22 Verse of Scripture Minister The Lord be with you All And also with you All Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession

All Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen. (The minister will declare the words of forgiveness) Collect Prayer for the Day Before we read we pray Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of 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. CW First Reading Exodus 3: 1-15 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’

Moses and the Burning Bush C250 Fresco Dura Epos, Syria

"The Dura-Europos synagogue is unique among the many ancient synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs in that it was preserved virtually

intact. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Discovered in 1932 at Dura-Europos, in mod-ern Syria it was dated by an Aramaic inscription to

244 CE. It contains a forecourt and house of assem-bly with frescoed walls depicting people and ani-

mals, and a Torah shrine in the western wall facing Jerusalem. The frescoes are now displayed in the National Museum of Damascus. Because of these frescoes, the synagogue was at first mistaken for a Greek temple. The painted scenes of stories include

Moses receiving the Law, Moses leading the He-brews out of Egypt, and many others.

It is thought that the Synagogue was used in part as an instructional display to educate and teach the

history and laws of the religion. Some think that this synagogue was painted in order to compete with the many other religions practiced in Dura Europos. The

large-scale pictorial art in the synagogue helps to dispel narrow interpretations of historically prohibited

visual images."

He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations.’ (This is the word of the Lord All Thanks be to God) Second Reading Romans Chapter 12:9-21 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (This is the word of the Lord All Thanks be to God) Gospel Reading Matthew Chapter 16:21-28 Reader: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew All Glory to you, O Lord From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’ (This is the Gospel of the Lord. All Praise to you, O Christ)

Sermon The Reverend Canon Charles Royden

Offering Prayer and Intercessions

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.

The Lord's Prayer

All Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our

trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

After the prayers

All Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Musical Reflection

The Prayer of Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. All And also with you. Lift up your hearts. All We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All It is right to give our thanks and praise. Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying: All Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

All Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world. And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

All Though we are many, we are one body

because we all share in one bread.

Prayer of Humble Access Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, and his blood which was shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving. Amen.

You are warmly invited to come and receive the bread from the communion table

Post Communion Prayer Lord of all mercy, we your faithful people have celebrated that one true sacrifice which takes away our sins and brings pardon and peace: by our communion keep us firm on the foundation of the gospel and preserve us from all sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

The Blessing

The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you, this day and for ever more. Amen Go in peace to love and serve the

Lord All In the name of Christ. Amen

Commentary In our reading today Jesus calls on people to follow him. Today we associate the idea of following somebody with Twitter. People choose to have the views and opinions of certain people sent direct to their phones so they can keep up with what they are saying. Some people are really popular and they become known as influencers. These are people who by making certain recommendations can affect what people buy and think. Of course you might decide you like what the people you follow say but you might just as easily decide to ignore them. Today in our Gospel reading we hear all about what is means to follow Jesus. He tells his disciples that if they want to follow him then it is not a ‘take it or leave it ‘ affair. Jesus makes plain that his followers have to be all in, they have to be prepared to follow him all the way to the cross if necessary.

Jesus knew that ordinary people were angry about the things which he was talking about, but he also realised that there would be a backlash against him by the religious authorities. What he was saying was causing trouble and the powerful religious leaders were getting jealous. Jesus believed that they would eventually kill him, because they saw him as a threat to the established religion of his day. What was it that caused the Jewish religious leaders to be so angry with Jesus ? 1. Jesus said that God’s love extended to all people, not just the Jews but even those like the

Samaritans who were hated by the Jews! 2. Jesus said that you didn’t have to go to the temple to offer sacrifices to be forgiven by God, he

forgave people himself, bypassing the religious authorities 3. Jesus said that old rules like the Sabbath and food laws weren’t important anymore All of this

undermined the Jewish religion 4. Jesus was much more popular because he performed miracles, raised the dead and made

sick people better Jesus knew that all of this put him on a collision course with the most powerful people in the land. He recognised that that if anybody wanted to be his follower then they would have to be prepared to be fully committed because his friends would be seen as enemies by the religious authorities. Those people who chose to follow him could not pick and choose what bits of his teaching to like and which to ignore, you had to be committed like he was. We have all heard the stories surrounding the number 666? Some people think of the Book of Revelation Chapter 13 where they hear that 666 is the number of a beast. There is actually something much more serious associated with this number in John Chapter 6 Verse 66 we read that after Jesus had been talking about his death Many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him This is a really significant verse, people who followed Jesus, decided that they no longer wanted to follow him anymore. They counted the cost of following Jesus and they decided that it was better to turn back because his teachings were too hard. Those who did follow Jesus went on to achieve amazing things. The world was changed but some of them did indeed pay for their faith with their own lives like Jesus. Meditation So what does it mean to follow Jesus? Well in the passage from Romans today the Apostle Paul speaks about what kind of lives followers of Jesus should have. We might never have to choose life and death in regard to our faith but that does not mean that we can just do as we please. Using Romans Chapter 12 we can make a list of the characteristics which should be a part of the lives of those who want to be a follower of Jesus. Here is some guidance on following Jesus In the footsteps of the Cross from Romans 12 1. Be sincere in loving others 2. Hate what is evil and do what is good 3. Love one another with mutual affection 4. Outdo one another in showing respect 5. Serve the Lord, work hard and do not be lazy 6. Be happy because you have a real hope 7. Be patient in your sufferings 8. Share everything with God in prayer 9. Share what you have with those in need, extend hospitality to strangers 10. Ask God to bless those who treat you badly 11. Share the happiness of those who are happy

12. Share the sorrow of those who are sad 13. Live in peace with one another 14 Do not think of yourself as more important or wiser than others 15. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but do what everyone thinks is right 16. Do everything possible to live at peace with everybody 17. Never seek to take revenge, leave it in God’s hands 18. Care for your enemies and so overcome evil with good Prayers for Sunday and week ahead God, you are the power of liberation, calling your servant Moses to lead your people into freedom, and giving him the wisdom to proclaim your holy law. Be our Passover from the land of injustice, be the light that leads us to the perfect rule of love, that we may be citizens of your unfettered reign; we ask this through Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our salvation. Amen. Through the waters of oppression and death, Lord God, you led a people into the burning presence of your love. As you fed them in the desert, now feed us with the finest of wheat, that we may know the liberating power of the paschal feast. Amen. Your voice burns within the depths of our being, O God of our ancestors, and draws us into your presence and service. Hear the cries of your people and speak a word of comfort, that we may proclaim to all the earth the glory of your name. Amen. On this day of rejoicing, O God of our ancestors, as we gather to break the bread, we remember that through the blood of the Lamb you redeemed us and made us pass over from death to new life. Grant that, as we celebrate your mighty deeds, we may be one with Jesus in offering you this sacrifice of praise. Amen.

News St Mark’s Church Office will be open again from 9am - 5.00pm from Monday 7 September. Thank you to our volunteers for helping to open this vital service to our community. Please be patient as we do need to put in place protective measures to keep everybody safe. St Mark’s Church Preschool. Our preschool will be back in full operation from Monday 7 September. We look forward to welcoming back our children and supporting families in our community Bedford Hospital. We all know the challenges which our hospital has faced during this pandemic. I recently became a governor of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and want to help support the hospital. I am seeking to recruit Hospital Members who will have a say in how the hospital is run. There are no costs or commitments, but you will receive newsletters have access to information, be able to raise concerns and influence the way that the hospital runs. I have a number of leaflets available so please contact me if you are interested by email, phone etc Thank you - Charlie

Zoom Worship This is working really well and we are delighted that so many people are able to join us by computer or telephone from wherever they may be in the world. The Leadership Team recognise that this is likely to be a normal part of our church worship for a considerable time to come. Starting September 27, Zoom will require that all meetings have a Passcode to access meetings and so this is an early warning that in the next couple of weeks you my be required to enter a password to gain access. The password we have chosen will be 2512 (Christmas Day) so please make a note now so that you are prepared.

Wednesday Morning Worship Click here at 10.00am on Zoom !

Telephone 0131 4601196 Meeting No 88151161300 #

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. All and also with you. This is the day that the Lord has made. All Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We have come together in the name of Christ to offer our praise and thanksgiving, to hear and receive God’s holy word, to pray for the needs of the world, and to seek the forgiveness of our sins, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to the service of God

Confession

Jesus says, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.' So let us turn away from our sin and turn to Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith. All Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty God who forgives all who truly repent have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Amen.

Praise

Let everything be said and done in the name of the Lord Jesus, All giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ. Sing psalms, hymns and sacred songs: All let us sing to God with thankful hearts. Open our lips, O Lord: All and we shall praise your name.

The night has passed, the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. All Amen.

The Offering Thank you for your ongoing support of the work of the church

All Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.

The Word of God The Collect Prayer & Bible Readings

Collect Lord God, defend your Church from all false teaching and give to your people knowledge of your truth, that we may enjoy eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. First Bible Reading 1 Timothy 6 : 6 - 19 There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time – he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. Reader This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God. Gospel Reading Luke 16: 19 - 31 Jesus told this parable to those among the Pharisees who loved money: ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” The man who had been rich said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house - for I have five brothers - that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’ Reader This is the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God.

Thought for the Day by Charlie

The Affirmation of Faith

Do you believe and trust in God the Father? All I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ? All I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit? All I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers The following responses may be used Leader Lord, in your mercy: All hear our prayer. ending with Leader Merciful Father, All Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. The Lord's Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn 1 In a world where people walk in darkness, let us turn our faces to the light, to the light of God revealed in Jesus, to the daystar scattering our night. For the light is stronger than the darkness and the day will overcome the night, though the shadows linger all around us, let us turn our faces to the light. 2 In a world where suffering of the helpless casts a shadow all along the way, let us bear the cross of Christ with gladness and proclaim the dawning of the day. Refrain 3 Let us light a candle in the darkness, in the face of death a sign of life; as a sign of hope where all seemed hopeless, as a sign of peace in place of strife. Refrain

Praying Together on Wednesday at Noon As we look around at our troubled and broken world, we think about justice and peace for all. We pray for: 1. The people of the USA in this election period, for an end to racism

and brutality that affects the black people of the US, for moderation in language and a focus on the needs of the most vulnerable to be the mark of those who would lead

2. The people of Belarus clamouring for democracy and an end to corruption

3. The people of Hong Kong seeking democratic freedom 4. Those countries ravaged by war - Yemen, Syria, Libya,

Afghanistan, Somalia and other African countries

5. Israel-Palestine and all those living behind walls both physical and political

Robert A Willis (born 1947) © Very Revd Robert A Willis Recorded remotely by the Choral Scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields in their homes, and edited together. This material is used with permission through ‘A Church Near You’ Church Resources Hub for the Church of England. Copyright CCLI 429192 & Streaming & PRS 0020269

The Blessing The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life. All Amen Let us bless the Lord All Thanks be to God.

Bishop signs Christian Solidarity Worldwide letter supporting Uighurs Bishop Alan has added his name alongside other bishops and religious leaders to affirm human dignity for all by highlighting one of the most egregious human tragedies since the Holocaust: the potential genocide of the Uighurs and other Muslims in China. At least one million Uighur and other Muslims in China are incarcerated in prison camps facing starvation, torture, murder, sexual violence, slave labour and forced organ extraction. As faith leaders, we are neither activists nor policymakers. But we have a duty to call our communities to their responsibilities to look after their fellow human beings and act when they are in danger. In the Holocaust some Christians rescued Jews. Some spoke out. To quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” After the Holocaust, the world said “Never Again.” Today, we repeat those words “Never Again”. We stand with the Uighurs. We also stand with Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Christians throughout China who face the worst crackdown on freedom of religion or belief since the Cultural Revolution. We urge people of faith and conscience everywhere to join us: in prayer, solidarity and action to end these mass atrocities. We make a simple call for justice, to investigate these crimes, hold those responsible to account and establish a path towards the restoration of human dignity. We look forward to Bishop Alan joining our worship on October 18

Welcome To Junior Church Moses and the Burning Bush. Exodus 3: 1-15. Exodus is in the Old Testament, and is one of the first 5 books of the Bible, (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), In this chapter we find Moses on a mountain looking after his sheep, when God starts to talk to him through a bush that is on fire and burning but that is not being burnt up. God tells him to remove his sandals as he is standing on Holy ground, God tells Moses that he will be the one that leads his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and into Canaan. In Egypt they are being poorly treated, turned into slaves and are suffering. The Israelites would have prayed to God to help them and to save them from being slaves. God has seen this and knows that now is the time to act. God tells Moses that he will be with him when he goes to the Pharaoh (King) of Egypt to tell him to let the Israelites leave Egypt, Moses is also given a message to tell the Israelites so that they trust and believe him and follow him out of slavery in Egypt. 1. God tells Moses --- he can do anything when God is with him. 2. God tells Moses ---the people will believe and follow. Here we can see that God equips and empowers Moses and He can do the same for us today. He gives us strength to do what He has planned for us and wants us to do. God will help us overcome and complete difficult tasks. God has not said that following him will be easy or straightforward or even trouble free, but He will always be there to help and support us and be with us when we need Him the most. God will provide you with the help needed to complete the task just like He did for Moses. We can serve God by doing simple things… like tidying a room without being asked, helping siblings or just not annoying them, making new friends and welcoming children that are new to a school or club. We can also try to break a bad habit that we have got into or just help a friend when they need it.

Janine Rolfe

Burning Bush A photograph of an arrangement of leaves from an

Euonymus alatus, or "Burning Bush." Date 2011 Artist: Schumacher, Joe

No prizes for guessing what the painting is about this week. This is Fra Angelico’s ‘Entry of the Blessed into Paradise’, a scene from his painting The Last Judgment of 1431. In it, the blessed, just risen from their graves, gather together in a flowering garden to join hands with angels and dance into the light of heaven. There’s a scene in D H Lawrence’s novel The Rainbow (1915) when Anna Brangwen sees a copy of the image, and finds it almost too beautiful to look at. ‘The floweriness, the beams of light, the linking of hands, was almost too much for her, too innocent,’ writes Lawrence. Overwhelmed, she weeps ‘with happiness’. Forgive me but this painting does not move me to tears like Anna. However for generations of Christians the works of Fra Angelico inspired devotion. Fra Angelico was born in 1395. He entered the Dominican Order of Preachers at Fiesole Italy and was given the name Giovanni de Fiesole (Fra John). Blessed John of Fiesole was a painter, recognized for the beauty and light of his paintings and the holiness of his priestly life. Nicknamed “Angelico” by his Dominican brothers. He was known as il Beato – Blessed One – even in his own lifetime. Pope Saint John Paul II remarked at the beatification ceremony in the Vatican: “Why do we need miracles? These paintings are his miracles.” He never handled a brush without fervent prayer and he wept when he painted a Crucifixion. The Last Judgment and the Annunciation were two of the subjects he most frequently treated. Fra Angelico died on February 18, 1455, in the convent of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome and was buried in the adjoining Basilica, where his body was covered by a simple slab on which was carved his portrait. Fra Angelico had lived a poor and humble life, refusing honours and position, he was never paid for his work. I am sorry that we cannot print this painting any bigger this week but if you look closely you will see those to the left of Jesus condemned to Hell and, to his the right, the saved ones and the saints. The opened tombs demonstrate the resurrection of the dead. I am delighted at the thought of dancing in the garden whilst being welcomed by angels blowing trumpets. However I would not like to be with the damned, herded by devils to be boiled in those Hot Tubs of Hell. I wonder whether those moved to devotion were rather frightened into submission at the thought of being boiled alive. Which raises the question of whether God judges more favourably those who are just so terrified of him as to bow down and worship?

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words Last Judgement by Fra Angelico, 1425–31 Museum of San Marco Born 1395 - Died 1455 tempera on wood Height 105 cm (41.3 in Width: 210 cm (82.6 in)

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Rest In Peace

On the Sunday following a funeral service we remember in church those who have died. We light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ which eternally shines and brings hope. If you would like a person remembered in our service when the candle is lit, perhaps on an anniversary or birthday,

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May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory . Amen.

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