Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.Colossians 3 : 12 - 13Bible reading : Colossians 3 : 12 – 17Thought of the weekMothering Sunday dates back several centuries. As well as a day to give thanks for motherhood and our mothers, it has always been wider, perhaps to reflect how the day is often poignant, complex, hard for some.There has been the tradition of looking to the role of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Also of Christians returning to the church where they were baptised. It is also a respite in Lent, known as ‘refreshment Sunday’.At its heart it is an acknowledgement that as people we each need nurturing, encouragement, and others in our life we can be safe with, who will create a place we can be ourselves and can grow, whether that is our own mothers or family, or other significant people in our lives, or the church itself, and of course it is a celebration of God’s abiding and faithful love to us.Maybe this year Mothering Sunday is a time of looking forward. To celebrate motherhood certainly, but also to acknowledge one another’s needs, with all we’re still going through with the Pandemic. To be careful with one another, and to follow Jesus’ example of compassion, forgiveness and love. Rev PaulPrayer for this weekMerciful 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.
St Edmund’s Taverham and St Peter’s Ringland – Prayer Hub for 14th March 2021The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. There is no law against such things. Galatians 5: 22-23.This week our prayer suggestions will be focussed on the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we surrender our lives to God the Holy Spirit graciously helps us to become the people God made us to be. As we consent to God’s presence we are equipped to better love and serve God and our neighbour. Here is a prayer that you may like to use at the beginning of each day as a sign of your willingness to God’s presence in your life.Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen. From Lectio365Sunday: Today is Mothering Sunday, a day of joy for many, a day of pain for others. Give thanks for God’s unfailing love, faithfulness and care for us. Pray for those who will struggle today.Monday: Pray for our churches, St Ed’s and St Peter’s as we look to the future. Pray for the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that everything we do may bring honour to God and reflect the love of Jesus.Tuesday: Take some time to pray for yourself today, asking God to fill you with the Holy Spirit, assuring you of God’s presence.Wednesday: Continue to pray for the front line workers.Thursday: Pray for the ongoing COVAX programme, taking the vaccine to poorer countries.Friday: Pray for the areas of the world where there is unrest, hatred and injustice that the Holy Spirit would bring unity, peace and love - that God’s Kingdom will be present.Saturday: As we prepare to worship tomorrow, ask the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts to give to God our praise and to hear what God might say to us.Please join us at 8am each day on Facebook for our Bitesized Prayer. Also, you may like to pause each day at 12pm with Christians all around the world who pray the Lord’s Prayer at their 12pm!! This is an ancient practice that unites us wherever we are in our unity in ChristAttached is a sheet of the above in case you prefer to print a copy for reference
The livestreams are continuing with the following services being made available via the St Ed's Facebook page:Sunday 14th March 9:30 am Spiritual Communion, Rev Phil/Rev Paul Sunday 14th March 11:15am Rev Paul (service sheet attached)Sunday 14th March evening 6.30pm with Rachel (for Sunday Club and the young at heart)Tuesday 16th March 10am Tiny Tunes (music for all young people)Wednesday 17th March 10.30am Rev Phil/Rev PaulWednesday 17th March 5.00pm Evening Prayer Additionally at 8am daily (Monday to Saturday) we will be posting a ‘Daily bitesize prayer’ on the St Ed's Facebook pageWatch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyHoly Week resources. Coming soon we will have baskets in the St Ed's church porch with Palm Crosses, a Lifewords booklet with readings called ‘The Easter Journey’, and our prayer themes sheet. Please come along and help yourself to these resources for the approach to Holy Week.At present we can confirm we will have livestreams for Holy Week including Palm Sunday, Wednesday in Holy Week, Maundy Thursday evening and Good Friday. Details of all these will follow.Easter services We will plan for services as soon as we can, but this is not likely to be confirmed until the week before Easter, as we await for advice on what we are able to organise. It also depends on the weather for outdoor services!St Peter’s Appeal A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to the appeal. Please pray for the ministry of St Peter’s at this exciting time. The appeal will continue until the end of March, as we explore the installation of a composting lavatory and running water. Any donations may be made by cash or by cheque payable to St Peter’s PCC Ringland and passed to Rev Paul. Thank you so much for your support.Prayers together in LentPlease join us at 8.00 each day on Facebook for our sixty second Bitesized Prayer. A different location at St Ed’s each day! If you would like to, please take a moment each day at 12.00 noon to join with Christians around the world to say The Lord’s Prayer. We also have thoughts and ideas for prayers and intercessions each day on our Prayer hub (see separate webpage).
The Jewish authorities came back at him with a question, “What miracle can you perform to show us that you have the right to do this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again.” But the temple Jesus was speaking about was his body. John 2 : 18 – 19, 21Bible reading : John 2 : 13 - 22Thought of the weekAs we continue our journey through Lent we are confronted by our Gospel reading today of Jesus casting out the animals reserved for sacrifice, and overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple. It is a dramatic scene. We might think it’s even uncharacteristic of Jesus. The problem here is that the Temple authorities had invented a system for people to come and worship. They could only buy the animals provided. And they could only use the money they had invented. Ordinary, poorer people were being excluded from worship and the Temple authorities were getting richer in the process.It is about worship. About the huge privilege of coming before our heavenly Father with our prayers and praises. About a relationship that is so precious and life – sustaining that every human being has the right to it. It is about discovering more and more of the Lord’s love amidst the ordinariness and messiness of our lives.What do we need to free ourselves from this Lent in order to worship more fully? Can we discover a greater depth of worship, a deeper faith through a renewed relationship with the Lord? We only need to ask, and to receive. Rev PaulPrayer for this week - A prayer of blessingMay Jesus, who overturned the tables in the temple, bless us with the overturning of our lives that our sights may be set on him always. May Jesus, who reminded people of the call to pray, teach us to pray.May Jesus, whose desire was to do the Father’s will enable us, by the Spirit, to live God’s way.And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon us today and evermore. Amen.
