Bowland Benefice Pews News 21 June 2026 Third Sunday of Trinity - Collect Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; 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. This week in the Benefice Sunday 21 June 11.00am Benefice Holy Communion in Peopleton Saturday 27 June 2.00pm to 4.30pm Village Fete in White Ladies Aston Sunday 28 June Trinity 4 9.30am Holy Communion in White Ladies Aston 10.30am Songs of Praise in Upton Snodsbury 3.00pm Pet Service in Peopleton Next Saturday, 27th is the summer event for which so many people work so hard throughout the year – the White Ladies Aston with Churchill & Spetchley Fete from 2.00pm to 4.30pm at Redfern House just behind the church in WLA. Do go along, meet friends and neighbours, support those who work so hard to create a wonderful fun-filled afternoon. A traditional English Summer Fete with delicious teas on offer, a variety of interesting stalls and games for young and old. On the following day 28th, you and your pets are invited to a Pet Service taking place in the barn at Jim Crow Corner, Norchard Lane, Peopleton. An occasion for celebrating our pets and animals for all they mean to us and bring to our lives. The short service will be followed by home-made cakes, coffee and tea. Everyone and every pet welcome! A prayer for our pets…… Heavenly Father, thank You for the precious gift of our pets. They bring so much joy, laughter, and unconditional love into our homes. Please bless them with good health, keep them safe, and help us all to be responsible and loving owners and carers for our pets and for all the wonderful creatures living in our amazing and diverse natural world. Amen. This Sunday is Fathers’ Day! Today is recognised across a lot of the world as Fathers’ Day. It has been claimed by archaeologists that Fathers’ Day is not some twentieth century phenomenon. Rather, they say that Fathers’ Day is referenced in ancient Babylonian ruins. The archaeologists recorded that a dutiful young boy by the name of Elmesu carved a Father’s Day message on an ancient clay cuniform tablet around 4,000 years ago! It depicted a wish for his father to have good health and a long life. The modern Fathers’ Day finds its origin in the USA in two different events. According to some accounts, the first Fathers’ Day was celebrated in July 1908 for a group of 361 men in West Virginia, all of whom were fathers. The story goes that they were all killed in a mining explosion in December 1907, which people call the Monongah Mine Disaster. Touched by the devastated families and concerned about the more than 1,000 children who lost a father, Grace Golden Clayton suggested that a service be held to celebrate the lives of the men. Another event that inspired Fathers’ Day was held in Spokane, Washington on 19 June, 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd believed that her father, a widower with six children, deserved the same praise and appreciation as mothers were shown. William Smart was a Civil War veteran who unusually raised his children on his own after his wife died during childbirth. Fathers’ Day is not just an opportunity for the card manufacturers as it can be an opportunity for us all express our love and gratitude and maybe understanding and forgiveness too. God, we thank you for all the fathers in the world. Bless them, guide them to be good role models and loving to all their children. Help them to be a father like You are. Give them grace and patience to handle situations in a loving way. Amen. Fathers’ Day give us the opportunity to remember what being a dad can mean for a lot of men. To think of those striving against all the odds to protect and provide for their children in countries torn apart by the constant and senseless destruction of war. Heavenly Father, we lift up to you all the fathers who are carrying heavy burdens and working tirelessly to provide for their families. When the days are long and the obstacles feel insurmountable, grant them the strength to persevere. Renew their energy, calm their anxieties, and remind them that they do not have to carry this weight alone. In moments of exhaustion, be their refuge and their ever-present help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.