Churches open for private prayer
Monday – Tarleton, 10am-2pm
Tuesday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
Wednesday – Tarleton, 11am-2pm
Thursday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
Friday – Tarleton, 10am-2pm
Saturday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
All services need to be booked in advance.
For worship at Rufford, please ring Roy on (01704) 821464 and for Tarleton, Neil on (01772) 816390.
The week in Bible reading and prayer
Sunday 6th December – Advent 2
8am Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
10.30am Eucharist, St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
Today’s readings – Isaiah 64.1-96, Psalm 80.1-8, 1 Corinthians 1.3-9 & Mark 13.24-end
The Collect
O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Old Testament – Isaiah 40.1-11
1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ 6 A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.
9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’
10 See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
Psalm 85.8-end
Refrain: Show us your mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
New Testament 2 Peter 3.8-15a
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a] 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Gospel – Mark 1.1-8
1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”’.
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
Prayer intentions
🙏🏼We pray for all those who exercise lay leadership in our churches and for those who witness to their faith in the workplace.
🙏🏼In our cycle of prayer, we pray for those who live in Trinity Walks.
🙏🏼 For the sick and those in need: Zena Ashcroft, Margaret Baxter, Margaret Bolton, Colin Brown, Jack Dalton, Bill Duggan, Wayne Jackett, Jimmy Johnstone, Paddy MacDonagh, Tony Morgan, Ruth Middlesborough & Donald Sephton.
🙏🏼 Year’s mind: Robert Bridge, Peter Culshaw, Paul Dutton, Elsie Furmiston, Harriet Moss, Ellen Parkinson, Alice Southworth, Susan Thomasson & Margaret Vickers. May they Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory.
🙏🏼 A prayer for use any day in Advent – Eternal God, as Mary waited for the birth of your Son, so we wait for his coming in glory; bring us through the birth pangs of this present age to see, with her, our great salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday 7th December – Ambrose, Bishop, Teacher of the faith, 397
Today’s readings – Isaiah 35, Psalm 85.7-end & Luke 5.17-26.
🙏🏼 We pray for those who live and work in care homes or sheltered housing.
Tuesday 8th December – Conception of the BVM
Today’s readings – Isaiah 40.1-11, Ps. 96.1, 10-end & Matthew 18.12-14.
🙏🏼 We pray for schools across the diocese and for our schools.
Wednesday 9th December – Ember Day
10.00am Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – Isaiah 40.25-end, Ps. 103.8-13 & Matthew 11.28-end.
🙏🏼 We give thanks and pray for all research & laboratory staff, also for the ministry of all Christian people.
Thursday 10th December
7.00pm Eucharist – St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
Today’s readings – Isaiah 41.13-20, Ps. 145.1,8-13 & Matthew 11.11-15.
🙏🏼We pray for those developing and testing vaccines.
Friday 11th December – Ember Day
Today’s readings – Isaiah 48.17-19, Ps. 1 & Matthew 11.16-19.
🙏🏼 We pray for public health professionals and for vocations to ordained & lay ministries.
Saturday 12th December – Ember Day
Today’s readings – 2 Kings 2.9-12, Ps. 80.1-4,18-19 & Matthew 17.10-13.
🙏🏼 We pray for those starting new ministries, for those who work in food production & distribution and for food banks.
Next Sunday 13th December – Advent 3
8am Eucharist – St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.30am Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton (live streaming to Facebook)
Today’s readings – Isaiah 16.1,8-end, The Magnificat, 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 & John 1.6-8,19-28.
🙏🏼 We give thanks for those whose talents inspire our worship.
🙏🏼 In our cycle of prayer, we pray for those who live in Waverley Drive and Willow Hey.
Fr Mark: Phone: 01772 814431
Mobile: 07968 753978
Check us out on Facebook
@ruffordstmarysandtarletonholytrinitychurch
