Services this Sunday for The Alde Sandlings Benefice
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Aldeburgh |
8.00am |
Holy Communion |
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Aldringham |
11.00am |
Holy Communion |
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Knodishall |
9.00am |
Holy Communion |
Message from Revd James Marston
Dear Everyone,
As we continue to pray for a new priest, our period of pause and reflection continues as well. Yet alongside this our churches continue to adjust to the relaxation of restrictions as we move towards spring.
With this in mind please note the following:
Communion
Following discussions with my fellow priests, from March onwards we will be administering the sacrament from the communion rail, communion wine from the common cup will be offered to those that wish to receive it. The Church of England’s policy of no intinction – dipping the bread into the communion chalice – remains in place and is unlikely to change.
Bread only remains a valid option for those still nervous about the common cup. There is no pressure to take communion.
Masks
Just to clarify mask wearing is optional in church services.
Lent
We are planning to study and reflect on the passion of the Christ according to St Mark in our Lent course, details to follow.
Regards
James
Collect
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth
and made us in your own image:
teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and your likeness in all your children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things,
now and for ever.
First Reading
Genesis 2.4b-9, 15-end
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’ Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Second Reading
Revelation 4
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal. Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’
Gospel Reading
Luke 8.22-25
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’
Post Communion
God our creator, by your gift
the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise,
and the bread of life at the heart of your Church:
may we who have been nourished at your table on earth
be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross
and enjoy the delights of eternity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Next Week
Sunday 27th February
Sunday next before Lent
Sermon preached by The Revd Sheila Murray at
Friston 13th February 2022
Jeremiah 17:5-10 1 Cor 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26 Proper 2 13.2.22
Woe betide you! This is a phrase which is very rarely used nowadays, if at all. But when I was younger, and I suspect for some of you sitting here today, it was used quite a lot at school. Our Headmistress used to stand in front of us all in Assembly, with her glasses perched on the end of her nose, she looked down on us all, as we sat crossed legged on the splintery floor, and wagging her finger she would say very quietly “Woe betide you if…..” it could be something along the lines of woe betide you if you have not revised for your exams; woe betide you if you are ever seen pushing another child over or out of the way in a queue; or woe betide you if you are rude to a member of staff and so on. And what woes would betide us? Writing lines, litter picking, milk bottle duties, detention, or the worst phoning your parents summoning them to her study. I often thought our parents were more scared of her than we were! And why did she threaten us with her “woes” – because she had standards, school rules, and she expected us all to live to those standards when we were on the school premises.
And here in today’s gospel reading we also have standards, standards Jesus expected and still expects his followers to follow, standards of conduct which contrast with worldly standards or values. These verses are called the Beatitudes, from the Latin meaning blessing. We are more used to hearing or reading the Beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel as part of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Some say that this is Luke’s version of that event, others say that he preached a similar message on many different occasions. Whichever is the case, Christ’s message is very similar.
The Bishop of Ripon, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley says this: “This gospel passage comes from Luke’s sermon on the plain, which takes its name from the level place on which Jesus stood. In Matthew’s Gospel this appears as the Sermon on the Mount and is much longer. The context for Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ teachings is important. Jesus, who has spent the previous night in prayer before choosing his disciples, now addresses them, but in the hearing of a great crowd.” Bishop Helen-Ann goes on to say “The Beatitudes are meant for everyone, not just the chosen few. If we weep and are hated, well we are blessed; if we are rich or full, well that’s bad news; if we laugh or if people speak good of us, that won’t do either. But is it as stark or black or white as this? Surely laughter is a good thing.”
Luke’s Gospel is rich with the imagery of roles reversed; Luke is saying something about the gospel message that is deeply unsettling and challenging. He is not saying that the differences between rich and poor, happy, and sad will be eradicated; he is saying that everyone, whatever their state in life, will find their lives turned upside down by the power of a gospel proclaimed by God who became incarnate, one of us, in the powerlessness of a baby, and who picked as his closest companions a group of ordinary men and women.
So when Jesus blesses the poor and hungry, the sorrowful and the ridiculed, he isn’t saying that we should all aspire to poverty, hunger, sorrow, or being verbally abused. He is saying that God is present with us, even when the world has abandoned us, that God loves us, even when everyone else hates us.
Woe to them! Jesus’ agenda is designed to shock; nothing less will jolt devious hearts into thinking straight about what really matters.
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When Jesus announces woe to those who are rich, to those who eat well, and to those who enjoy fame and admiration from people, he isn’t saying that wealth, good food, and popularity are bad things. He is saying that when we are focused on satisfying our own appetites, we have turned our attention away from God, and our self-centeredness will be our spiritual doom. And it’s not just about physical things, I think Christ is also saying it relates to our emotional and spiritual lives too. When we seek God, we feel the pain and sorrow God feels for people who are hurting. How did you feel when you heard the news a few weeks ago at the loss of lives when one of the many inflatable boats sank in the |
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Channel packed to the gills with asylum seekers including children? We need to stand up to injustice. We affirm that every human being is worthy of love in God’s sight. And God wants every person on earth to know him and love him. Amen |
NOTICES
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World Day of Prayer |
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Weekly Benefice Newsletter If you would like something added to the weekly newsletter that is relevant to the Benefice, please do let Claire know and we will do our best to include it the following week. All requests by 4pm on Thursday please |
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Food Banks at the East of England Co-op Foodbanks provide a valuable service to those in need in our communities. The Aldeburgh Co-op and Solar in Leiston are doing a grand job in collecting food donations, which are collected regularly and distributed. So please look out for the various collection baskets. The Trussel Trust Organisation Food banks in our network have seen an increase in the number of food parcels given out over the last year due to Coronavirus, so any donations are much appreciated. You can find out which items your local food bank is most in need of by entering your postcode here – https://www.trusselltrust.org/give-food/ |
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Pilgrims Together on Wednesdays The Pilgrims worship together every Wednesday. Saturday 26th February – Zoom Pilgrim Fun Quiz 7pm |
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A message from Adrian Brown – Would you like to donate to our Church? We hugely rely on regular donations to enable us to open our doors daily for people to visit and worship in our beautiful church. Can you help, but haven’t got the cash on you? We now have a contactless terminal next to the sidespeople handing out service booklets so donations may be made before or after a service, or why not sign up to the Parish Giving Scheme and donate as often as you want. Ask a Church warden or sidesperson for more information. |
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✟ Church of England and Diocese Online Worship ✟ There are many online services you can view from the Church of England and our cathedral. Here are some links below. Church of England website https://www.churchofengland.org/ Church of England Facebook page Church of England YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/ St Edmundsbury Cathedral Facebook Page |
