Prayer for the Week
Lent 3
Eternal God,
give us insight
to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Today
8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Parish Communion
12.00noon Christening Service for Theo Watts
4.00pm Church at 4
Diary – Week Commencing 15th March
Monday 16th March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
9.00am Morning Prayer – Chapel Deanery School
10.00am Bible Study Group – 11 St John Road
7.30pm PCC Meeting
Tuesday 17th March
The Parish Office will be closed today
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
7.30pm Lent Group – Church Hall
Wednesday 18th March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church Hall
10.00am The Let’s Group – Let’s Reboot
Thursday 19th March
8.30am Morning Prayer – Church
12.30pm Ladies who Lunch – The Barbury, Broad Hinton
7.30pm Choir Practice – Church
Filling Station – Paul & Hazel
Friday 20th March
8.45am Morning Prayer – Prospect Hospice
12noon Lent Lunch – St Josephs
7.00pm Bellringers Practice
Saturday 21st March
10.00am Healing on the Streets – Ellendune Centre
A Date for your Diary
Opportunities to join in
Easter Rocks – Tuesday 7th April
Duck Race – Friday 8th May
Sunday 22nd March 2020
Mothering Sunday / Lent 4
8.00am Holy Communion
Preacher: Martina Lewis
Sidespeople: Gillian Pitter and Sally Speller
10.00am Parish Communion
Preacher: Martina Lewis
Intercessions: John Henderson
Reading: Exodus 2. 1-10
Reader: Janet Henderson
Gospel: John 19. 25-27
Servers: Andrew Kirk and Gillian Pitter
Sidespeople: Rose Humphries and Pat Herring
4.00pm Church at 4 – Church Hall
Leader: Revd Phill Harrison
6.00pm Evensong (1st Sunday of the Month)
Our next Service will be Sunday 5th April
Thank You
Thank you to everyone for your prayers, cards, and support during Peter’s short illness and since his passing. The kindness and care shown has been overwhelming (in a good way!) It truly does help myself and the family at this difficult time. Peter’s funeral will take place in church at 12.45pm on Wednesday 18th March. Helena Thomas & family
Corona Virus (COVID 19)
The Christian faith is about hope, the hope of heaven and also hope that we will see lives transformed and changed by the love of Jesus in this world. A Christian response to the Corona Virus is therefore to take wise and sensible precautions, but not to allow ourselves to dwell on the fear of something that we have very little control over. In view of the developing situation in the UK, the Archbishop’s have asked us to:
- Offer Communion in one kind only (i.e. just the consecrated bread/wafer), with only the priest taking the wine.
- Suspend handshaking or other direct physical contact during the sharing of the peace.
- Suspend direct physical contact as part of blessing or ‘laying on of hands’.
- Suspend catering (teas, coffees etc.) where multiple people touch mugs, utensils and foodstuffs.
If you are attending a communion service please use the hand sanitiser provided. Priests and communion assistants will also use hand sanitiser. Please be assured that the fullness of the blessing that is available in Holy Communion is available equally whether you receive just the bread, just the wine or both.
The government is recommending that people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds – about the length of time that it takes to say The Lord’s Prayer. Why not pray whilst you wash?
PCC vacancies
A number of PCC places will become vacant at our APCM (Annual Parochial Church Council) meeting in April. Please prayerfully consider whether you might be able to support the mission of God in Wroughton and Wichelstowe by becoming a member of our church’s wider leadership team.
Lent Course – Talking Jesus
Did you know that two thirds of non-Christian adults in the UK say they know a practicing Christian and that a similar number would describe the Christian they know as friendly and caring. Around one in five describe Jesus as God in human form. What an opportunity! Non-Christians already know and like us, and a good number think that Jesus is God. So what holds us back from talking to them about our faith and how can we become more confident in sharing it naturally and helpfully with the people we know? We will be exploring these questions during our Lent Course this year. Sessions will be at 7:30pm in the Church Hall starting on Tuesday 3rd March for six weeks (24th March in Church).
Compline during Lent
Like last year, there will be a short said service of Compline each Tuesday evening during Lent. This will be at 9pm in the Church Hall (24th March in Church).
Lent Lunches
Lent lunches every Friday during Lent at St Joseph’s Parish Centre from 12 noon to 12.45pm. Donations for Christian Aid / Cafod.
This is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2020 ‘Saying Yes to Life’ by Ruth Valerio draws on the Days of Creation (Genesis 1) to relates themes of light, water, land, the seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath rest and resurrection hope to matters of environmental, ethical and social concern. This is available via all of the major booksellers. The C of E have also produced lent reflections inspired by this book that cover each of the 40 days in Lent entitled ‘#Live Lent Care for God’s Creation’ and costing £1.99 each. We can bulk order these for anyone who is interested. Samples to look at and a sign-up sheet are available at the back of church.
Ordination of Cheryl Hawkins
We are delighted to be able to confirm that Cheryl Hawkins will be ordained as a Deacon on 5th July this year. We have booked a coach to leave the Health Centre car park at 8.30am. The cost will be £10.00 per person. If you would like to book a place please speak to Jean Ford.
Electoral Roll Revision 2020
We are approaching the time of our annual Electoral Roll revision. If you completed a form last year you do not need to do anything. The roll is open to anyone over 16 years old who is either resident in the parish or who regularly attends our services. Being on the roll allows you to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting and, if you are not resident in the parish it gives you certain rights otherwise only given to residents. If you regularly attend our services and are not already on the roll, we would like to encourage you to join the electoral roll. If for any reason you attend our services, but do not feel able to be on the electoral roll please would you complete just page 1 and return the form so that we have your consent to hold your details so that we can keep in touch with you.
World Day of Prayer
Thank you to all who attended last Fridays service. We were able to send £115 to the WDP charity.
Lets Group – Wednesday 18th March
This week is Let’s Talk – Gardening ‘From the seed to the Table’, Speaker – Jeff Bolton
10:00 – 11:00 at The Deanery CE Academy – Community Room.
Ladies who Lunch
The next LADIES who LUNCH is on Thursday the 19th March at The Barbury at Broad Hinton at 12.30pm.
Please let Veronica know by the 17th if you are coming.
If you later have to cancel your booking after speaking to Veronica or me to indicate your acceptance please phone the Barbury yourself on 01793 731510. Gwen
March Green Resolution
We’ve all seen pictures of the awful floods that have affected parts of the country. Global heating means that rainfall is becoming more intense, and poor land management means water enters our rivers faster. One thing that gardeners can do to help prevent this situation getting worse is to avoid buying peat. Peatlands are important to keep carbon locked in the ground and to hold water. Before buying that bag of multipurpose compost or grow bag check the label! Unless it says “peat-free” it will be contributing to the destruction of peatlands, which will in turn contribute to the climate emergency. The Royal Horticultural Society says that using peat is unnecessary, so look for the alternatives.
Mission to Seafarers Knitting
This week I have sent off our first consignment for 2020 of 25 hats and 18 scarves to the Mission to Seafarers . These are given to seafarers who may have been recruited in warmer climes and then travel to colder areas. They are most grateful for our donations of hats, scarves and gloves. If you would like to get knitting there is wool and patterns in a box by the choir vestry. If you can’t knit but would like to help by donating wool (Double Knitting weight please) please put balls in this box. Finished articles should be left in the other box. Many thanks. Janet Henderson 525856.
This week please pray for:-
- Swindon Youth for Christ
- All health workers looking after those with the coronavirus
- Friends and family of Theo who will be christened this morning
- Our PCC as they meet this week
- We commend to God’s care and keeping those who have died recently especially Peter Thomas and Lilian Brittan. We pray for all who mourn the loss of loved ones.
The Parish Office, Priors Hill, Wroughton, SN4 0RT
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 1.30pm
01793 812050. office@wroughton.com
Revd Phill Harrison – 01793 812301 vicar@wroughton.com
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