Sunday 23th January – Epiphany 3 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
8am Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
9.15am Sung Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.45am Sung Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton, then refreshments
3.00pm Combined service for the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity at Holy Trinity, Tarleton
The Collect
Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
First Reading: Nehemiah 8.1-3,5-6,8-10
8 1 All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 8 So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Psalm: 18: Refrain: Your words are spirit, Lord and they are my life.
NT Reading: 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a
12.12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts.
Gospel: Luke 4.14-21
4.14 Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
Prayer intentions: UP↑ and ←OUT→
🙏🏼 For the sick and those in need: Zena Ashcroft, Margaret Baxter, Sheila Bryan, Colin Brown, Henry Forshaw, Andy Glanville, Rt Rev Julian Henderson, Val Huddart, Wayne Jackett, Mark Kinley, Alison Marshall, Susan Mahoney, Donald and Mary Sephton, Lavinia Sephton & Amanda Soady
🙏🏼 Years mind: Trevor Porter, Margaret Ashcroft, Joan Colling, Hugh Cross, Frank Holden, Simon Edward Lewis, Helen Lowe, Margaretha Helen Mayor, Sylvester Midgley, John Simms Mitchel, James Moss, Winifred Murray, Stephen Spiller Philips, George Robert Railson, Bill Ramage, James Sephton, Robert Thompson, Marjorie Vickers, Albert White, Henry Alty Yates & William Yates
🙏🏼 Give thanks for our fellow Christians and pray for those living in Barronwood Court and Beech Close
Monday 24th January: Francis de Sales, Bishop, 1622
2 Samuel 5.1-7,10, Psalm 89.19-27, 16-17,24 & Mark3 22-30
🙏🏼 Pray for Christians in Geneva
Tuesday 25th January: Conversion of Paul
7pm: Eucharist Holy Trinity, Tarleton; then Choir Practice
Acts 9.1-22, Psalm 67 & Matthew 19.27-end
🙏🏼 Pray for practical Unity and joint Christian action
Wednesday 26th January: Timothy and Titus, companions of Paul
10am Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Isaiah 61.1-3a, Psalm 100 & Titus 1.1-5
🙏🏼 Pray for strength to follow the faith as Timothy and Titus did
Thursday 27th January
Holocaust Memorial Day 10.30am: Act of worship, Holy Trinity, Tarleton, all welcome.
7pm Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
2 Samuel 7.18-19,24-end, Psalm 132.1-5,11-15 & Mark 4.21-25
🙏🏼 Pray for political leaders and their advisors
Friday 28th January: Thomas Aquinas, teacher of the faith, 1274
10am-12noon: Coffee & Chat: Parish Room, Tarleton: all welcome
2 Samuel 11.1-10,13-17, Psalm 51.1-69 & Mark 4.26-34
🙏🏼 Pray for teachers of the faith in our time
Saturday 29th January
2 Samuel 12.1-7,10-17, Psalm 51.11-16 & Mark 4.35-end
🙏🏼 Pray for those leading worship tomorrow
Next Sunday 30th January: Epiphany 4, Leprosy Mission Sunday
8am Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton
9.15am Sung Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.45am Sung Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton, then refreshments
Ezekiel 43.27-44.4, Psalm 48, 1 Cor. 13 & Luke 2.22-40
🙏🏼 Pray for the Research work at Anandaban in Nepal and for those living in Blackgate Lane.
