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The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster

A vibrant inclusive worshipping community

Sunday 13^th June 2021

Third Sunday after Trinity

We are delighted to welcome the Rev’d Alex Logan to our 8:30 Holy Communion service and the Rev’d Dr Gary Bowness to our 10:30 Parish Eucharist.  Thank you both for joining us to lead our worship.

Collect

Lord, you have taught us

that all our doings without love are nothing worth:

send your Holy Spirit

and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,

the true bond of peace and of all virtues,

without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.

Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Readings 

Ezekiel 17.22-24 

Thus says the Lord God:

I myself will take a sprig

   from the lofty top of a cedar;

   I will set it out.

I will break off a tender one

   from the topmost of its young twigs;

I myself will plant it

   on a high and lofty mountain. 

On the mountain height of Israel

   I will plant it,

in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,

   and become a noble cedar.

Under it every kind of bird will live;

   in the shade of its branches will nest

   winged creatures of every kind. 

All the trees of the field shall know

   that I am the Lord.

I bring low the high tree,

   I make high the low tree;

I dry up the green tree

   and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken;

   I will accomplish it.

This is the word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm 92.1-4,12-15

Refrain:    You, O Lord, shall be exalted for evermore.

¹    It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord  

and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

²    To tell of your love early in the morning  

and of your faithfulness in the night-time,

³    Upon the ten-stringed instrument, upon the harp,  

and to the melody of the lyre.

⁴    For you, Lord, have made me glad by your acts,  

and I sing aloud at the works of your hands.

You, O Lord, shall be exalted for evermore.

¹²  The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,  

and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.

¹³  Such as are planted in the house of the Lord  

shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴  They shall still bear fruit in old age;  

they shall be vigorous and in full leaf;

¹⁵  That they may show that the Lord is true;  

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

You, O Lord, shall be exalted for evermore.

2 Corinthians 5.6-10,14-17

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

This is the word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia.  Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark (4.26-34)    Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ

Post Communion: 

Loving Father,

we thank you for feeding us at the supper of your Son:

sustain us with your Spirit,

that we may serve you here on earth

until our joy is complete in heaven,

and we share in the eternal banquet

with Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Prayers                         

Please remember in your prayers:

Those who are sick:  Olive Niccolls, Youngblood McCray, Ernie Wilson, Pat Brooks, Ivy Buckley, Stephen Gardner, Ann Gilbride, Thea Harris-Ellis, Thomas Platt, Janet Ball, Stephen Taylor, Dorothy Eidsforth, Jenny Lawrence.

RIP:  Baby George Hinds, Kallum Watkinson, Jane Howson

Parish Cycle of Prayer:  

Those who live and work in Langdale Place, Melrose Street; and for the work of St John’s Hospice.

Also: Jack Richards and Jasmin Owen, Thomas Robinson and Janine Hicks, Dominic Lane and Bryanni-May Cartledge as their Banns are read and they prepare for their wedding days.

Some suggested hymns you may like to follow at home:

• Great is thy faithfulness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4ox4es1jo8
• Love divine, all loves excelling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGcqhKShQ8It
• Come, ye thankful people, come  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FqdCskC0QE

Prayer and Worship this week: 

Sunday 20^th June Third Sunday after Trinity

8.30am Holy Communion (Lady Chapel)

10.30am Parish Eucharist (in church, then uploaded to YouTube*)

6pm 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)

Saturday  9pm: Compline (YouTube*)

Sunday 27^th June Fourth Sunday after Trinity

8.30am Holy Communion (Lady Chapel)

10.30am Parish Eucharist (in church, then uploaded to YouTube*)

6pm Evening Prayer (Lady Chapel)

*The Christ Church YouTube channel is at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPoAvGj4K9085RV8zo0ZS9Q

If you would like to book in for the Sunday Eucharists, please use these Eventbrite links:

Sundays: 8:30 am https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/144628127623

Sundays: 10:30 am

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/112092136598

Also this week

Zoom Prayer

Tuesday 15^th June 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)

Christmas Tree Festival Planning meeting 

…. Tuesday 15th at 7.30pm in church, all welcome

Next PCC …

… meets on Wednesday 16th June.  If there are issues/ideas/questions on any aspect of church life which you’d like council to discuss, please let Rev Carol/Julie Buckley know.

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Save the date – Pet Blessing Service 11^th July!

On Sunday 11^th July at 3pm, there will be a Pet Blessing Service: a time to give thanks, remember and bless our pets. All welcome – please bring your pet on a lead/in a suitable container (or a photo instead) – and please let Rev Carol know if you’re bringing anything larger than a Great Dane! 

Living in Love and Faith – a process of discernment

This Monday 14th June, we are starting to join in the national time of discernment, Living in Love and Faith. Thisencourages us to listen to a rich breadth of stories and experiences of relationships and faith, and to reflect on what Scripture and the Holy Spirit are saying to us about what that means for the future. Across the Church of England groups are sharing in these five sessions, as part of a national discernment of how the church will teach about relationships in future, and what prayer and blessing for couples will look like in years to come. All are welcome to join these sessions – we want your voice to feed into this listening exercise on these issues, which we pray will affect how the Church moves forward together in love and faith. 

Online: starting Monday 14th June at 7pm  

https://zoom.us/j/98449131608?pwd=Y0RNQ3VUckh1aGJYQmt1dEpLbW13dz09

Meeting ID: 984 4913 1608, Passcode: 342669

In person: (restrictions permitting) after the 10:30 Eucharist Service from 27^th June in the Hall.

Meeting up

Now that lockdown rules are slowly lifting, I’m able to meet more people in the parish again, and get to know folks. If you’d like to go for a walk, or arrange a garden visit – it would be lovely to meet and chat, please let me know when’s convenient! Rev’d Carol.

Children’s Corner

Read today’s Gospel story (above)

Look at some maps together of your local area. Try to include some which show your church. Ask the children to draw maps of the area around where they live. Discuss where they walk, places they visit, hidden routes they know, etc. Encourage everyone to share. Then talk about where on your journeys you could plant seeds for God. 

Discuss what it means to be ‘green- fingered’. Share your experiences of growing things. 

Have you ever scattered the seeds of the gospel (told people about Jesus) but not seen any result? How did it feel? 

Pray together: 

Father God, we sometimes think we are too small to be important in the Kingdom of God. Help us to remember the parable of the mustard seed and that we can all have a part in growing your Kingdom. Amen 

Giggle (or Groan) of the week – suggestions welcome!

I tried to navigate the farmer’s field…

But it was a maize.

Tiddlers – babies, toddlers and parents/carers

We would really like to reopen our group for babies and toddlers with their parents and carers.                                                                                                                                                     The group will meet at 10am in the Church Hall on Fridays. The session will finish at 11.30 for now, although in the future we would like to provide a simple lunch at 12noon.  If you could help us with: setting up at 9:30 am; or welcoming people at 10 am; or making teas and coffees; or chatting to parents/doing song time with the children; or tidying up at the end of the session; please contact Jane Lippitt on lippittjane@gmail.com or on 07930 979503. 

Restarting Children’s Church!!

Now that lockdown restrictions are lifting, we’re aiming to restart Children’s Church after half term. Thanks to Julie Tinnion for helping with this! To make this possible, we need a minimum of two adults in the Hall. If you can help (whether every week, every month – every little helps!), please have a chat with Rev Carol or Julie Tinnion. 

Changes to Marriage Registration

You may be aware that there are national changes to the way marriages are registered. Firstly, that mothers’ names (and also the names of step- or adoptive parents) can be listed on the marriage certificate – and also more witnesses can sign. 

Secondly, that we no longer hold the green register books or issue replacement certificates if these are lost. This is because there’s now a national, electronic register. If you need a replacement marriage certificate, this will be issued by the Registry Office in Queen’s Square.  Please speak to Rev Carol for advice.

New Paschal Candlestick

With grateful thanks to a generous donor, we will shortly have a new Paschal candlestick beside the font. The old one was becoming dangerous, so a faculty (church planning permission) has been obtained for a new one. It holds the light of Christ throughout our Easter services, and when we welcome new members of the church family at baptisms – we hope you like the new design!

Sidespeople/welcomers

Welcoming people to the services at Christ Church is a really valuable role.  If you would like to join the rota of sidespeople, either at the 8.30 or 10.30 services, or if you would like to know more about this role, please contact Jane Lippitt on lippittjane@gmail.com or on 07930 979503. 

New Music for the Eucharist

We look forward to receiving news that the restrictions on singing can lift. Once this happens, we’ll begin singing Peter Nardone’s Mass of St Cedd  (music for the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei) within our Eucharist. You can listen to a recording here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Ose65Z9CA

Thanks to our Choir and musicians for leading us! 

Choir

Singers of all ages and abilities/experience are very welcome to come to choir practices every Thursday 7:15 -8:15 pm in church. Please contact Jacqueline for more details.

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PLEAS OF THE WEEK   

Church Repair Fund

Two weeks ago week, we launched our Church Repair Fund to help 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!

Fundraising Group

If you’d like to help plan some fun social events and fundraisers for the church in coming months (or would like to help on the day) – please contact Julie Buckley.

Summer Garden Party – 3^rd July

Thanks to Harris Tinnion for the stunning poster he’s designed for our Summer Garden Party on 3^rd July, 2:30-4:30 pm. If you’d like a copy to display, there are some spares at the back of church.  Please think about who you’d like to invite!  There’s also a list for people to sign up for items they’re able to contribute as prizes or for the refreshments or to volunteer to help.

Looking ahead – Christmas Tree Festival!

On 3^rd December, we’ll be holding the first ever three-day Christ Church Christmas Tree Festival! The church will be filled with trees, which will be decorated by local groups to represent and celebrate our community. There’ll be music, refreshments – and we look forward to welcoming lots of people over the weekend.  If you can help – with planning, publicity, community links, or nearer the time – please let Julie Buckley know – or come along to Tuesday’s meeting.

Squares for Syria

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing knitted squares to be sent to Syria – we have made up several blankets – and also to those who have supplied the crocheted squares which have been made into lovely baby blankets.  Margaret Lyth has been given a large quantity of wool to be used for knitting/crocheting more squares, so if you’re able to make more squares – or would like to start helping – please contact her on 60387. 

The Olive Branch Foodbank

Donations of tinned pies, curry, meatballs and hotpot especially needed. Thank you for all the donations in recent weeks  –  they gave out 300 parcels last month alone!   Or you can give money for them to buy what is needed: https://www.the-olivebranch.org.uk/donate/

Vaccinaid – Give the world a shot!

Our church leaders are encouraging us to play our part in helping UNICEF deliver 2 billion vaccines around the world by the end of this year, to bring this world-wide epidemic to an end.  Keeping one another safe from COVID is part of living out Christ’s call to love our neighbour.  By contributing to crowdfunding this project on  https://www.vaccinaid.org  we can help the whole world get the protection many of us already have through our easy access to healthcare. 

The Christ Church Cookbook: contributions invited

The Eco Church Group has been promoting reducing our carbon footprint by eating less meat.  Reducing meat consumption, especially meat from intensive farming, has benefits for both the climate and animal welfare.  We’re producing a cookbook of our favourite vegetarian and vegan dishes that could tempt even carnivores. Contributions of your favourite tried and tested veggie and vegan recipes are invited (metric measurements). Sales l raise money for Christ Church funds.  The size of the booklet means finding a balance of starters, mains and puddings, vegan/non-vegan recipes, but all contributions are welcome, even if they can’t all be included. Please send to: reader@christchurchlancaster.org.uk.

Recycling 

On the first Sunday of each month (next: 4^th July), clean blister packs, plastic bottle tops, dental products (toothpaste tubes, plastic toothbrushes, used heads from electric toothbrushes and dental floss containers) can be placed (loose) in boxes at the back of church. They’ll then be taken for recycling. The box will be there on the first Sunday only – if you miss that Sunday, please hold onto them until the following month. Blister packs can also be taken for recycling to the Superdrug Pharmacy in town.  

Cross Bay Walk

Thank you to everyone who sponsored Rev Carol and Lizzy for their sponsored walk across Morecambe Bay Sands on 5^th June!  Over £300 raised for the Church Repair Fund so far!  If you’d like to give online, there is a crowdfunding page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/christ-church-repair-fund

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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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Thought for the week

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

Saint Basil

Eco-Group Action for the Week:  

Plastic pollution continues to be one of the most visible symptoms of the environmental crisis we’re currently facing. Support the efforts of supermarkets such as Morrison, Tesco and Coop who are taking serious steps to reduce plastic packaging and sale of bags for life.

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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.

Churchwarden: Dr Paul Thompson 34949

Churchwarden: Mrs Jacqueline Stamper 64083 churchwarden@christchurchlancaster.org.uk

Parish Safeguarding Officer:  Ms Jane Lippitt 07930 979503 safeguarding@christchurchlancaster.org.uk

Nightshelter Co-ordinator: Ms Jan Norbury 07547 717 060   coordinator.nightshelter@gmail.com

Hall Bookings: hallchristchurch@btinternet.com 07890 351855

Christ Church School  Ms Emma Simpson 60955

The national prayer for this outbreak:

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy.  Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.