Author: Reuben

6th Sunday of Easter –Rogation Sunday Sunday 21 May 2017 when you have finished with this sheet pass it on to someone unable to get to church today

COLLECT Risen Christ, by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples: help your Church to obey your command and draw the nations to the fire of your love, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
FIRST READING Acts 17.22-31
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him – though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” 29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’
This is the word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD
PSALM Psalm 66.7-18
R: All the earth shall worship you, O Lord.
Bless our God, O you peoples; make the voice of his praise to be heard, Who holds our souls in life and suffers not our feet to slip R For you, O God, have proved us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the snare; you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; but you brought us out into a place of liberty R I will come into your house with burnt offerings and will pay you my vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. I will offer you fat burnt sacrifices with the smoke of rams; I will sacrifice oxen and goats R Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul. I called out to him with my mouth and his praise was on my tongue. R If I had nursed evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me, But in truth God has heard me; he has heeded the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his loving mercy from me. R

SECOND READING 1 Peter 3.13-22
A reading from the first letter of Peter.
Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
This is the word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD
GOSPEL John 14:15-21
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. GLORY TO YOU O LORD
Jesus said to his disciples: 15 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
This is the gospel of the Lord. PRAISE TO YOU O CHRIST
POST COMMUNION God our Father, whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life: may we thirst for you, the spring of life and source of goodness, through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. AMEN

The materials used in this sheet are from the Common Worship materials of the Church of England www.churchofengland.org all Bible verses are from NRSV translation this sheet created by Fr Reuben James Preston SCP OblOSB rectorofsharnbrook@rjpmedia.co.uk www.sharnbrookcofechurches.org

The United Benefice of Sharnbrook, Felmersham and Knotting with Souldrop
St Peter’s Church, Sharnbrook MK44 1HU, St Mary’s Church, Felmersham MK43 7JP All Saints Church, Souldrop MK44 1EX www.sharnbrookcofechurches.org Welcome to Church on this Rogation Sunday!

Worship in the Benefice today-6th Sunday of Easter 0930 Sharnbrook Parish Communion 1100 Felmersham Parish Communion 1300 Sharnbrook Holy Baptism 1600 Rogation walk starting at St Peters to Souldrop 1800 Souldrop Benefice Choral Evensong– LLW Rosemary Monday—Rogation Day 1145 Messy Church 1400 St Peters Guild Tuesday—Rogation Day 0930 Holy Communion (CW) at Felmersham 1500 REVIEW meeting in SPR Wednesday—Lesser Festival-John and Charles Wesley, 1791 and 1788 0930 Holy Communion CW 4th Wed at Sharnbrook Thursday—Principle Festival—ASCENSION DAY 12noon Sharnbrook Holy Communion (said) 1930 Felmersham Benefice Sung Communion with the Deanery preacher Andrea Maffie ordinand with ERMC Friday—Benefice THY KINGDOM COME events in Sharnbrook 1630 start of 24hrs of prayer in and around St Peter’s Saturday—THY KINGDOM COME events in Sharnbrook continue Next Sunday—7th Sunday of Easter 0830 Souldrop Holy Communion BCP 0930 Sharnbrook Parish Communion 1100 Felmersham Parish Communion 1800 Sharnbrook Benefice Evensong– LLW JaneT
POUNDS for PENTECOST
St Peter’s is collecting pound coins to raise £500 to install a wall alms box by the door to allow donations to be securely left by visitors. Bring your pound coins and add them to the bucket at PENTECOST

Christian Meditation Group meets on Mondays at 8pm in St Peter’s Room—all welcome!

Intercessions The sick and in need: Marjorie, Ron, Connie, Paul, Pat, Rex, Betty, Martin, Connie, Henry, Osvaldo, Claire, Peter The Departed: Michael Reedshaw Send the names of people who have asked to be remembered in our parish intercessions to the Rector Pray for the future of Sharnbrook church with no churchwardens Pray for those being baptised today: Jude William Corbett Pray for the preparations for the general election.

Sharnbrook extra-ordinary Annual Parochial Meeting on Wed 31 May 2017 at 7:30pm for the election of churchwardens

LAUNDE Abbey retreat programmes available—let’s go to the ADVENT Retreat Tues 21 Nov—Fri 24 Nov 2017 £245 plus travel—Pick up a leaflet in Church for details.
Book your own place and add your name to the lists in church and then as we have final numbers we can organize our transport in cars or minibus. Please Add you name to the list in church so we know who has decided to sign up.

24/7 Prayer for THY KINGDOM COME 2017 4:30pm Friday 25 May to 4:30pm Sat 26 May pick up a leaflet today

Benefice Warden’s meeting Thursday 22 June 7:30pm in Souldrop

Church Contacts
The Rector: Reuben Preston, The Rectory, 81 High Street, Sharnbrook MK44 1PE 01234 782000 07971 895897 rectorofsharnbrook@rjpmedia.co.uk
Lay Leaders of Worship: Rosemary Drewery 07792926004, Jane Templeman, Andrea Maffie 07881 046255 Churchwardens:- St Peter’s Church: vacant St Mary’s Church: Jane Wells 01234 782462 &
Sue Whitehouse 01234 781300 All Saints Church: Nick Wells 07841 759497 Safeguarding Co-Ord: Rosemary Drewery 07792 926004 Items for inclusion should be sent to sharnbrookbenefice@gmail.com by 0900 on Wednesdays.

To make arrangements for Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms/Christenings, Confessions, House Blessings etc. please contact the Rector

Spnsorship: in prayer for those who have lost their loved ones also in memory of the late Grace Gibson If you would like to sponsor this sheet please send you £5 donation to The Rectory along with details of the sponsorship (even if anonymous)

LAUNDE Abbey retreat programmes available—let’s go to the ADVENT Retreat Tues 21 Nov—Fri 24 Nov 2017 £245 plus travel—Pick up a leaflet in Church for details.
Book your own place and add your name to the lists in church

THANK YOU to the flower team who have decorated church for Eastertide
And thank you to everyone who has helped make our Holy Week and Easter services take place this year—your hard work is appreciated.