‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5 : 9 - 10Readings this week Jonah 3 : 1 – 5, 10; Hebrews 9 : 24 - end; Mark 1 : 14 - 20Thought for this weekPeace is precious. Something we hope for in our lives. Freedom to live as we want to each day. Freedom to choose. The peace that comes from being independent. Looked after. Loved. Left to be who we are.Yet so many do not have this peace. The Anglican Collects speak of the church being able to flourish in peace. For us as believers being able to worship in peace and grow in Christ in freedom. Yet war brings so much disruption and suffering. War brings out the best and worst of ourselves. I cannot imagine what it is like to be desperately hungry, or desperately afraid each day, or devastated by grief on a multiple scale. Similarly war brings communities together, brings hope through love and sacrifice.This Remembrance Sunday we have so much suffering in the news this year. Yet we are so far removed from it in many ways. Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers”. If we can make peace with our neighbours, our friends, within our families, we are going a long way to make this a better world.What peace can we make so that others can thrive? What peace can we bring into our lives and the world? Rev PaulPrayer for this weekAlmighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AmenGod, our refuge and strength, bring near the day when wars shall cease and poverty and pain shall end, that earth may know the peace of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenPeople to pray forThose in the armed forces throughout the worldThose caught in war situations todayFor those working for peaceFor young people – that their voices may be heard
The following services will be available via the St Ed's Facebook page or by attendance (as stated below). Sunday 10th November 8:00am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s)Sunday 10th November 9:30am Mustard Tree breakfast– informal time for families and children. (at St Ed’s)Sunday 10th November 10:30 am Holy Communion (at Sr Peter’s)Sunday 10th November 10:30 am Remembrance Service (at St Ed’s)Sunday 10th November 10:45 am Online Sunday service (livestream) Monday 11th November 5.00 pm Evening prayers (at St Ed’s)Monday 11th November 7.30 pm PCC (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 12th November 10:00 am til 12 noon Community Café with activities for tots (at St Ed’s),Tuesday 12th November 11:00 Shoebox pick up (at St Ed’s),Tuesday 12th November 6:00 pm Rspace (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 13th November 10:30 am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 13th November 5:00 pm Evening Prayer (at St Ed’s)Thursday 14th November 8.30am Church caretaking team (at St Ed’s )Thursday 14th November 7.00pm Compline with meditation (at St Ed’s and livestream) Friday 15th November 9:30 am to12.00 noon Arts and Craft Group , - bring anything – art or craft - you fancy doing and coffee and tea are provided. (at Trinity church)Also Sunday 17th November, Safeguarding Sunday. At St Ed’s 9:30 am Mustard Tree breakfast, 11:15 am, Plus online 11:15am Informal Service. For on-line services, watch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyRingland: future services/events for Ringland St Peter’s: November 10th 10.30am Remembrance serviceDecember 8th 10:30am Holy Communion (at Ringland Village Hall)Remembrance Sunday is on 10th November. At St Ed’s There will be an 8.00am service of Holy Communion, a Mustard Tree breakfast at 9.30am, and a Remembrance service with the Taverham Band from 10.30am. There will be a 10.30am service at St Peter’s Shoeboxes will be collected on Tuesday 12th November at 11.00am from St Ed’s. We have gathered an amazing 95 shoeboxes. Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part. We will also be receiving shoeboxes from Ghost Hill and the Junior School. Thank you!Open Doors petition over 16 million Christians are being displaced by violence and conflict across Africa, yet this is rarely reported in the news. Please consider signing the Open doors petition for those under persecution. Visit the Open doors website here. Safeguarding Sunday is next Sunday (17th). We will be highlighting the importance of Safeguarding in our services next week.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Psalm 24 : 3 - 5Readings this week : Mark 12 : 28 - 34For All Saints Psalm 24 : 1 – 6; Isaiah 25 : 6 - 9; John 11 : 32 - 44Thought for this weekThis season of All Saints reminds us how we are connected through faith not only to all those who believe in Jesus in the world today, but also to those who have gone before us. We give thanks for their faith, their example, and in our worship we are gathered as Christ’s people with the whole of heaven!Yet this challenges and hopefully encourages us in our lives as Christ’s people today. We are called to pray for each other across the world, and support each other. At the moment we have the Open doors petition in church for our brothers in sisters in Africa who are being displaced and persecuted.We are also called to be a beacon and a witness to Jesus. We have the ministry of all the Christians of the past to build on. At St Ed’s and St Peter’s we have visible signs of that witness. And we are called to bring Jesus’ hope to our world. We’re giving the shoeboxes to people who we will never meet, whose lives and poverty we can barely imagine, yet they will pass from our hands to theirs, and we pray will bring light and hope. All Saints reminds us Jesus calls us together to be His people for the world. Let’s celebrate all we are able to be for Him in our time, and for those who will come after us. Rev PaulPrayer for this weekAlmighty and eternal God, you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints: grant to us the same faith and power of love, that, as we rejoice in their triumphs, we may be sustained by their example and fellowship; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, AmenA Prayer for NeighboursWe thank you, God, for coming to us as a neighbour, a stranger, a refugee, binding our wounds and carrying us to safety, so that we might love you with all our heart, soul, and mind, and welcome the stranger, loving our neighbour as ourselves.Adapted from Nathan Nettleton’s “Short Preface,” www.laughingbird.net/LectionTexts/CP10.html Posted on Acts of Faith. People to pray forThose who will receive the shoeboxesThe church across the world
The following services will be available via the St Ed's Facebook page or by attendance (as stated below). Sunday 3rd November 9:30am Shoebox service - Mustard Tree– informal service for families and children. (at St Ed’s)Sunday 3rd November 11:15 am Shoebox service - Holy Communion (at St Ed’s)Monday 4th November 2.00 pm Burial in churchyard (at St Ed’s)Monday 4th November 5.00 pm Evening prayers (at St Ed’s)Monday 4th November 6.00 pm Beavers in church (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 5th November 10:00 am Tiny Tunes (music for all young people) (at St Ed’s), refreshments10am til12 noonTuesday 5th November 6:00 pm Rspace (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 6th November 10:30 am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 6th November 5:00 pm Evening Prayer (at St Ed’s)Thursday 7th November 8.30am Church caretaking team (at St Ed’s )Thursday 7th November 7.00pm Compline with meditation (at St Ed’s and livestream) Friday 8th November 9:30 am to12.00 noon Arts and Craft Group , - bring anything – art or craft - you fancy doing and coffee and tea are provided. (at Trinity church)Friday 8th November 10.00 am Langley Remembrance Service (at St Ed’s )Friday 8th November 6.00 pm Remembrance Rehearsal (at St Ed’s )Also Sunday 10th November, Remembrance Sunday At St Ed’s 8 am Holy Communion 9:30 am Mustard Tree breakfast, 10:30 am Remembrance service with Taverham band, plus online 11:15 Remembrance service Also in Ringland St Peter’s 10:30 am Remembrance ServiceFor on-line services, watch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyRingland: future services/events for Ringland St Peter’s: November 10th 10.30am Remembrance serviceDecember 8th 10:30am Holy Communion (at Ringland Village Hall)Shoeboxes Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the shoeboxes, and all those who came this week to fill shoeboxes. It is great to see so many. There is still another week if you would still like to contribute.Open Doors petition over 16 million Christians are being displaced by violence and conflict across Africa, yet this is rarely reported in the news. Please consider signing the Open doors petition for those under persecution. Visit the Open doors website here. Sad news we were so sorry to hear that Ann Moules, and Tony Dryden have died. Our love and prayers are with David, and with Jane and their families. Ann’s funeral will be at St Ed’s on Wednesday 20th November at 1.00pm.Remembrance Sunday is on 10th November. At St Ed’s There will be an 8.00am service of Holy Communion, a Mustard Tree breakfast at 9.30am, and a Remembrance service with the Taverham Band from 10.30am. There will be a 10.30am service at St Peter’s The Glebe, at St Ed's, will be closed for parking from 11th November onwards as we approach the winter months to protect the surface. There are spaces in the church drive. Alternative parking will be on the field side of the Junior School and on the lay –by opposite the school.Bibles for the Junior School we are hoping to present Bibles to the Year 3’s again this year just before Christmas. They are £5.50 each and are always greatly appreciated. If you would like to make a donation there is an envelope in the vestry at St Eds.