(Note: the Newsletter can also be downloaded as a PDF.)
The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster
A vibrant inclusive worshipping community
Sunday 13th February 2022
Third Sunday before Lent
Collect
Eternal God,
whose Son went among the crowds
and brought healing with his touch:
help us to show his love,
in your Church as we gather together,
and by our lives as they are transformed
into the image of Christ our Lord. Amen
Readings
Jeremiah 17.5-10
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart,to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Psalm 1
Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.
1 Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither,
whatever they do, it shall prosper.
The Lord knows the way of the righteous.
4 As for the wicked, it is not so with them;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement,
nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.
The Lord knows the way of the righteous.
1 Corinthians 15.12-20
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (6.17-26). Glory to you, O Lord.
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ
Post Communion:
Merciful Father,
who gave Jesus Christ to be for us the bread of life,
that those who come to him should never hunger:
draw us to the Lord in faith and love,
that we may eat and drink with him
at his table in the kingdom,
where he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
Prayers
Please remember in your prayers:
Those who are sick: Olive Niccolls, Youngblood McCray, Ernie Wilson, Ivy Buckley, Stephen Gardner, Ann Gilbride, Thea Harris-Ellis, Thomas Platt, Janet Ball, Dorothy Eidsforth, Sitar Rose, Heather McFadden, Maddison Crompton, Irene Forrester, Bishop Julian Henderson, Jacqueline Stamper
Those who have died recently: Verity Barker, Richard Wicks, Stephen Mallon, Jean Briggs
Parish Cycle of Prayer:
Those who live and work in our parish: Lyth Road, Cartmel Road; and for our neighbours at Lancaster Priory, St T’s, St Pauls and St Luke’s.
Also for Isaac Bousfield, on his Christening today.
And for Emily Winter and Stephen Middlehurst as their Banns are read.
Prayer and Worship this week:
Sunday 13th February – Third Sunday before Lent
8:30 am Holy Communion (Lady Chapel)
10.30 am Christ Church All Together Service
12:30 pm Christening
6 pm Evening Prayer (Lady Chapel)
Wednesday
5:30 pm Meditation, followed by
6 pm Evening Prayer (Storey Chapel)
Friday
9:30 am Holy Communion (Lady Chapel)
Sunday 20th February – Second Sunday before Lent
8:30 am Holy Communion (Lady Chapel)
10.30 am Parish Eucharist (in church, then uploaded to YouTube)
6 pm Evening Prayer (Lady Chapel)
*The Christ Church YouTube channel is at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPoAvGj4K9085RV8zo0ZS9Q
Zoom Prayer
Tuesday, 22nd February is the next meeting of Prayer4 – 30 minutes of prayer, at 4pm every fortnight. There’ll be a short Bible reading, some music, some stillness, and space to pray for the people and places on your heart – all from the comfort of your own sofa. Zoom details: https://zoom.us/j/8069459310?pwd=TlV6QUQ5UVdiK0p1M0Q0cE0vRXIvUT09 Meeting ID: 806 945 9310 Password: ChristChch. Dial in: 0208 080 6591 Meeting ID: 806 945 9310 Password: 310771 (Any queries see Rev Carol.)
Festival of Faith in Daily Life
There will be a Festival of Faith in Daily Life at Blackburn Cathedral on Saturday, March 19. Rev’d Carol is going – so if you’d like a lift, please let her know!
It will be a time to reflect on how we can all be confident disciples, witnesses and leaders for Jesus Christ in our homes, workplaces and communities. Bishop Philip will preside at a Eucharist sung by the Cathedral Youth Choir; there will be a keynote address from Lord David Alton of Liverpool about how faith has affected his working life of public service, and a variety of workshops with some practical ideas for faith at home, faith at work and living alongside people of other faiths. There will also be an introduction to The Vine Community, which is a simple and flexible framework for living out a Christian life, sometimes called a ‘rule of life’.
The Festival is free, but places need to be booked in advance so that the Cathedral can manage workshop numbers.For more information and to book a place, please email Jean Duerden on conference@blackburn.anglican.org
Sponsored Sundays
If you would like to Sponsor a Sunday hymn (perhaps in memory of a loved one), please fill in one of the blue forms from the noticeboard at the back of church, and give it to Rev’d Carol with at least a month’s notice before the Sunday you’d to sponsor. You can nominate a hymn if you wish. Please place your donation in an envelope labelled ‘Sponsored Sundays’, and place it in the offertory box. It is up to you how much you wish to give!
PCC
The next PCC meeting will be on 23rd February – if there are aspects of church life which you’d like discussed, please speak to Rev’d Carol or Julie Buckley.
70 trees for the Treebilee – Platinum Jubilee update!
On 6th February it was 70 years since Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne. Christ Church has been sponsoring or planting trees to contribute to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and Her Majesty’s Green Canopy initiative.
If anyone still wants to plant a tree, sponsor a charity, or put £5 in the box for the church to do so on your behalf please do it this month if possible. Don’t forget to add a leaf to the tree so your gift can be counted. A big thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our Jubilee Tree. Our 70-tree target is in sight.
Christ Church Crafting:
… will meet next this Tuesday 8th February at 11:30am in the Hall – all welcome! Bring your own craft project, or make a pennant for the community bunting. Future meetings will be on the second Tuesday of the month at the same time. Contact Marion Cowan for further details.
Church Giving
Thank you to everyone who nominated local and national causes for Christ Church to support in the coming year – 14 in all! How we respond will be discussed at the Fundraising meeting (see below) – but if you have ideas (e.g. cake sale, sponsored walk, inviting a speaker) please let Rev’d Carol know.
Haffner Orchestra Concert 5th March
Saturday 5th March at 7.30pm in Lancaster University Great Hall. Music by Vaughan Williams, Ravel and Beethoven. Tickets available from www.haffnerorchestra.org
9th March 2 pm – Can you help?
Year 11 students from Jamea al Kauthar Islamic College are visiting Christ Church to learn more about Christian worship, and what the Eucharist means to us. Please can you spare an hour to help welcome them, and serve refreshments? See Rev’d Carol.
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PLEAS OF THE WEEK
Spring Raffle
£3 per ticket, or 4 tickets for £10 – choose your number from the list in church. A hamper and a L’Occitane gift set are among the prizes! The draw will be made on 27th March. Please contact Julie Buckley if you’d like a ticket.
The Olive Branch needs volunteers!
In particular, if you are over 18, available between 11am and 4pm on a weekday, and would be interested in volunteering as a packer on a Thursday, or in the office on a Friday, please get in touch by going to their website: https://the-olivebranch.org.uk
then ‘Support us’ and ‘Register interest with us’.
The Olive Branch Foodbank
… is in particular need of tins – including meat, fish, vegetables and pies., as well as donations of rice (not pasta or baked beans). All other items, including toiletries, are also gratefully received!
Or you can give money for them to buy what is needed: https://www.the-olivebranch.org.uk/donate/
Supporting Christ Church – One-off Gifts
If you would like to make a one-off donation to the church as an offering, to pay a fee, or as a gift to regular funds, you can give through our ‘Give a little’ page: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/f63a0655-b270-4d05-bf35-3994747785d0
This will also give you the option to Gift Aid your donation (if you pay tax in the UK), enabling the church to get an extra 25p back from the taxman for every £1 you give.
Supporting Christ Church – Regularly
If you would like to support Christ Church’s work and worship regularly, or you already do – please consider giving by Direct Debit. Christ Church is now taking part in the Parish Giving Scheme, which allows us to offer direct debit as an option. This national Scheme takes a lot of hassle out of claiming gift aid, and ensures that any donation is covered by guarantees. It also allows you to easily review how much you give depending on circumstances. There are no costs or overheads to the parish. For more information, the QR code takes you to our page on the scheme:
Online at www.parishgiving.org.uk Or by telephone 0333 002 1271 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Postal forms available on request. For any of these methods our PGS code 030603240 ensures that your gift goes to our church.
Church Repair Fund
Our Church Repair Fund helps keep our buildings in good condition so that they can continue to be used for ministry and outreach in the years to come. There are several big projects on the Porch, East Wall, and Hall, which are in need of urgent work. If you’d like more details about what is going on, please pick up a leaflet – and if you are able to make a donation, there are envelopes available. If you’re able to give of your time and talents to plan or help with some fundraising events – please keep an eye on the notices for more details!
You can also contribute online via the Give a Little website: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/1c7889a9-7ef8-4730-a84a-2d434726c909
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Giggle (or Groan) of the week – suggestions welcome!
Love watching running water on the internet. Was watching a live stream.
Thought for the week
Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissaro
Eco-Group Thought/Action for the Week
Don’t just hope that the world will be saved, real hope needs action. Hope Is contagious so do something however small to inspire others.
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Meeting up
The clergy are available for pastoral support and spiritual direction, please don’t hesitate to be in in contact. If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time or is seriously ill, please let us know as soon as possible, to arrange prayers, home communion, a hospital visit, or anointing of the sick.
Prayers & our Newsletter
If you, or someone you know would like to receive this newsletter, either electronically or a paper version – do let Jacqueline/Rev Carol know and we will endeavour to keep in contact with people.
We will be praying daily for all who are suffering in the current crisis. If you would like us to pray for you, or for someone you know, for any reason, please email your request to prayer@christchurchlancaster.org.uk or text the Prayer Chain on 07980 351855. Please ask the person’s permission if you’d like them included in the weekly notices.
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Key contacts:
Vicar: Revd Carol Backhouse 942105 revcarolbackhouse@gmail.com
1 East Road, Lancaster, LA1 3EE
Lay Reader: Dr Pat Allen 39552 reader@christchurchlancaster.org.uk.
Churchwarden: Ms Jacqueline Stamper 64083 churchwarden@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Ms Jane Lippitt 07930 979503 safeguarding@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Children, Youth & Families Coordinator: Mrs Julie Tinnion 07749 489623 children@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Parish Secretary: Mrs Julie Buckley buckleys@live.co.uk 01524 37229
Hall Bookings: hall@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
07890 351855
Nightshelter Co-ordinator: Ms Jan Norbury 07547 717 060 coordinator.nightshelter@gmail.com
Christ Church School Ms Emma Simpson 60955
COVID-19 – latest update from Rev’d Carol, 27 Jan.
Now that national covid rules have changed, the guidance for churches has been amended. It is the discretion of each Vicar how each church responds, so if you have any queries or concerns please contact Rev’d Carol. Given that case rates are still high locally, I ask that people still consider wearing a face covering (especially for sung services) and remain at a sociable distance apart. I also ask that people don’t return to the practice of intincting their wafer – if you prefer not to receive the common cup that is fine. I continue to encourage people to use hand gel on arrival and before receiving communion, and to sign in – just in case we need to trace an outbreak. As a church, we seek to be a safe place for all, especially those who feel vulnerable for any reason. We’re called to be one body united by diverse opinions and experiences, and so we respect that some will feel comfortable with more and others with fewer personal precautions in place. There are a range of quieter and busier services for those who wish. We continue to pray for healing for the effects off covid on individuals, communities and our world, and lift up those who are grieving, exhausted or lonely at this time.