Author: Reuben

Refreshment Weekend—Mothering Sunday Sunday 11 March 2018 when you have finished with this sheet pass it on to someone unable to get to church today

COLLECT
Merciful Lord,
you know our struggle to serve you:
when sin spoils our lives
and overshadows our hearts,
come to our aid and turn us back to you again;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FIRST READING Numbers 21.4–9
A reading from the book of Numbers.
The Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ 6 Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
This is the word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD
Responsorial Psalm 34:11-20
Response: Come, children, and listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Come, my children, and listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is there who delights in life and longs for days to enjoy good things? R Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from lying words. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. R The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. R The righteous cry and the Lord hears them and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and will save those who are crushed in spirit. R Many are the troubles of the righteous; from them all will the Lord deliver them. He keeps all their bones, so that not one of them is broken. R SECOND READING Ephesians 2.1–10
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among

those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
This is the word of the Lord. THANKS BE TO GOD
GOSPEL John 3.14–21
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
GLORY TO YOU O LORD
Jesus said to Nicodemus: 14 ‘Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’
This is the gospel of the Lord. PRAISE TO YOU O CHRIST
POST COMMUNION
Lord God,
whose blessed Son our Saviour gave his back to the smiters
and did not hide his face from shame:
give us grace to endure the sufferings of this present time
with sure confidence in the glory that shall be revealed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
LyCiG Prayer God of Mission, who alone brings growth to your Church, send your Holy Spirit to give vision to our planning, wisdom to our actions, and power to our witness. Help our church to grow in numbers, in spiritual commitment to you, and in service to our local community, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 this Refreshment for Mothering Sunday

Worship in the Benefice today… Mothering Sunday 0830 Souldrop Holy Communion BCP 0930 Sharnbrook All Age Communion 1100 Felmersham Mothering Sunday Community Service—40in&out! 1800 Sharnbrook Benefice Evensong – LLW Andrea
Monday—feria 1145 Messy Church 2000 Sharnbrook Compline—LLW Andrea
Tuesday-feria 1930 Felmersham PCC at JaneR
Wednesday—feria 0930 Sharnbrook Holy Communion 2nd Wed CW 1915 Sharnbrook Visual Stations of the Cross 2000 Sharnbrook Compline—Rector Thursday—feria 0930 Felmersham Holy Communion 1230 Sharnbrook Lent Lunch Friday—feria 1800 Sharnbrook Reconciliation 1900 Sharnbrook Holy Hour 2000 Sharnbrook Compline—FrMac Saturday—feria 0930-11 Lent Book Group at Sports and Social Club chp 13ff 1500 Club House Rise N Shine Kids events for St Patirck
1930 Friends of St Peters La La Land film at Village Hall Next Sunday morning—Lent 5 0930 Sharnbrook All Age Communion 1100 Felmersham Mothering Sunday Community Service 1500 Souldrop Parish Communion 1900 ‘Darkness Falls’ threatre production at the Upper School
To the people who put together the flowers or today—Well done and Thank you!

Christian Meditation Group meets on Mondays 2000 in SPR—all welcome!

LYCiG Local Study Course
Main Session 5: Tues 20 March 7:30pm– in Souldrop Village Hall Main Session 6: Sat 21 April 2pm-3:30pm—in SPR
This study course is for all who come to church to help us work together in growing our churches.

Sunday 18 March—7pm Darkness Falls—a play of St John’s Gospel—commissioned by the Deanery for you to bring your friends along to encounter St Johns presentation of the Gospel message—entry free, retiring collection. Book Your own seats now—tickets allocated

HOLLYWOOD IN SHARNBROOK Smash Hit Oscar winning LA LA LAND starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Sharnbrook Village Hall—Saturday 17 March Doors open 7.00 (film 7.30pm) Tickets £5 from Ian 781721 (please book before ) Proceeds to Friends of St Peter's

If you would like to sponsor the Easter Flowers at St Peter's Church in memory of a loved one, please speak to Gail in church or phone 781721

Sharnbrook Churches Together rep needed for the Benefice—please talk to Marion if you could do this role

Intercessions The sick and in need: Stuart, Pam, Barbara, Sally, Pam, Martin, Marjorie, Doreen, Conrad, Roger & Cynthia The Departed: none Send the names of people who have asked to be remembered in our parish intercessions to the Rector Thanksgiving for a good Lenten retreat at Launde Abey Pray for leaders to emerge as Churchwardens at St Peters Pray for the police service dealing with the Salsbury incident Pray for our PCC secretaries as they get ready for APCMs & AGMs

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: Roland Carpenter 01234 781551 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 Stuart’s healing and recovery and for those looking after him 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)

This Weekend and next…… Starting on Friday 1 Dec—CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL all weekend ending with Christmas Tree Festival Concert at 1500hrs in St Peters with music for Advent & Christmas by Ouse Valley Singers & Sunday 10 Dec CHRISTINGLE service at 4pm at St Peters in aid of Children’s Society & bring Christmas Gifts for ‘The Salvation Army Christmas Gift Appeal’

Please bring food to share for our Epiphany Pot Luck Bring ‘n Share lunch—no lists just bring something to add to the table

Sanctuary Cleaning Rota Can you spare an hour on a regular basis and become a member of the Sanctuary Cleaning Rota? Several folk have retired, in particular I would like to thank Marion and John Tyler for many years of service. If you can help, speak to Kate Ritchie (ph 781155)

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 & Please Add you name to the list in church so we know who has decided to sign up.

STOP PRESS– Grenfell Tower collection after each service today. If you would like to contribute to the relief help which has been offered to the Grenfell Tower survivors please put your contribution in the box/plate after the services today

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

The OT Apocrapha books can be found online at http://bible.oremus.org
There are 14 books in the OT Apocrapha which the Church o England uses in the lectionary and they are used to edify the people but not derive doctrine.

Launde Abbey 2018 Retreat Programmes now in church to take the LENT retreat: Be Radiant is NOW FULL

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.