The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster.
A vibrant inclusive worshipping community
20th May 2018
Welcome to Christ Church today, especially any visitors and those worshipping with us for the first time. We hope that within our worship everyone – regardless of age – will have a moment of highlight. This might be the music or a line from a hymn, something from the Bible readings or prayers or sermon. It might simply be worshipping in fellowship with other people. Please do stay for refreshments at the back of church.
Useful things to know about us:
- This building is fitted with an induction loop system – please put your hearing aid to the ‘T’ position.
- Magnifying sheets are available – please ask a steward.
- If you prefer not to receive the communion wine, eg if you are in recovery, please feel free to simply return to your seat having received the bread first.
- Mums are very welcome to breast feed babies anywhere in the church where they feel comfortable. Likewise babies can be bottle-fed anywhere. There is a baby-change area at the back of the church.
Please remember in your prayers:
Those who are ill: Hannah Warriner, Cath Jarvis, Hilda Westerman, Youngblood McCray, Jean Stanfield, Lesley Long, David Askew, Josephine Smith, baby Lucy, Reg Boss, Margaret and Graham Bullock, Anne and Ken Duncan
RIP Gwen Whiteside
Thought for the week
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. Seneca
Action for the week
Make an extra effort to appreciate the people around you .
CALENDAR
Sunday May 20th
8.30 am – Said Eucharist
10.30 am – Parish Eucharist and Parade service
12 pm – Jacobs Join in the Church Hall
6 pm – Said Eucharist
Tuesday
9.30 am – Church cleaning – volunteers welcome
6 pm – Vestry – wedding and baptism bookings
Wednesday
5.30 pm Meditation and 6 pm Evening prayer
Friday
9.30 am – Said Eucharist
10-30 am – Tiddlers (Pre-School group)
Saturday 1pm – Wedding of Stephen and Stephanie
Sunday May 27th
8.30 am – Said Eucharist
10.30 am – Parish Eucharist
6 pm – Said Eucharist
Friday 25th May, 7pm – Family Ceilidh At The Centre@Halton to raise funds for FOCC. Tickets £10 or £30 per family. Call 07854597185 to reserve your tickets.
SUSAN’S MINISTRY DATES Susan is leaving us to become the Vicar of Slyne, Halton and Aughton. She will be instituted and inducted on Thursday 14th June at 7-30pm at Halton church. Her last Sunday here will is TODAY a Jacob’s Join following the 10-30 service.
VISION MAPPING AND FUTURE PLANNING Thank you Rev Dr Richard Impey who preached last week and led the workshops before and after the 10-30 service. We look forward to welcoming him back on Sunday 10th June to work with us as we plan out the future life of our church. He is leading exciting workshops and discussion groups from 9-15 until 10-15, and then from 12-00 to 1-00. These are open to everyone! Please put this date in your diary and make sure you attend. It’s helpful if you can sign up so that we can get the right amount of refreshments.
TIDDLERS This group for pre-school children and their parents and carers meets on Fridays at 10.30 am. There is space to play, a craft table and a time of singing children’s action songs. A simple lunch is available for those who wish to stay for something to eat.
PRAYER REQUESTS You can send requests for prayer by text to 07980 351855. If you would like to join the prayer group who respond to these requests, or you would like to know more, then talk to Pat.
The Bible readings for today …
Ezekiel 37 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ 4Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’
Acts 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking from Galilee? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9We are from every country in the area including Judea, Egypt and parts of Libya, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles —in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with wine.’ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
John 16 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.