Churches open for private prayer
Monday: Tarleton, 10am-2pm
Tuesday: Rufford, 10am-2pm
Wednesday: Tarleton, 11am-2pm
Thursday: Rufford, 10am-2pm
(No Friday or Saturday)
! All services need to be booked in advance !
For worship at Rufford, please ring Roy on (01704) 821464; for Tarleton, Neil on (01772) 816390.
Sunday 20th December – Advent 4
8am Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
10.30am Eucharist, St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
5pm Village Carols from Holy Trinity Church on Facebook, click: https://www.facebook.com/1070980006334623/posts/3436423736456893/
The Collect
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Old Testament – 2 Samuel 7.1-11,16
11 1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. 3 David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, ‘This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ 4 So David sent messengers to fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’ 6 So David sent word to Joab, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite.’ And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house, and wash your feet.’ Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, ‘Uriah did not go down to his house’, David said to Uriah, ‘You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?’ 11 Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.’
16 As Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors.
Psalm – 89.1-8
Refrain: Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing
New Testament – Romans 16.25-27
25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.
Gospel – Luke 1.26-38
1 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34 Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Prayer intentions
🙏🏼 O Key of David, Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house. We pray for those with no permanent home
🙏🏼 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 & Matthew Sutter.
🙏🏼 Year’s mind: (including last weeks) Peter Culshaw, Ethel Ashcroft, Gladys Mary Barron, Hilda May Botel, John Burns, Annie Susannah Bromilow, Kathleen Caunce, Robert Ashcroft Chadwick, Louise Maud Crawford, Marjorie Gibbons, Fanny Gregson, Alice Howard, Gilbert Marsden, Alice Martland, Joseph Molyneux, Philip James Stubbs & Grace Wignall.
🙏🏼 In our cycle of prayer, we pray for those who live in Wilson Close and Windgate Fold;
Monday 21st December
Today’s readings – Zephaniah 3.14-18, Ps.33.1-4,11-12,20-end & Luke 1.39-45.
🙏🏼 O Morning Star, Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness. We pray for the economy of our nation.
Tuesday 22nd December
Today’s readings – 1 Samuel 1.24-end, Ps. 113 & Luke 1.46-56.
🙏🏼 O King of the nations, Come and save the human race. We pray for those who live in fear of death.
Wednesday 23rd December
10.00am Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – Malachi 3.1-4 & 4.5-end, Ps.25.3-9 & Luke 1.57-77.
🙏🏼 O Emmanuel, Come and save us; pray for families and for family life.
Thursday 24th December – CHRISTMAS EVE
8.00pm – Eucharist, St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
11.30pm – Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – 2 Samuel 7.1-5,8-11,16, Psalm 89.2,19-27 & Matthew 1.1-17.
🙏🏼We pray for churches with live and virtual worship over Christmas.
Friday 25th December – CHRISTMAS DAY
8am Eucharist, St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.30am Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – Isaiah 52.7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1.1-4 & John 1.1-14.
🙏🏼We pray that all may know the peace and joy of the child at Bethlehem.
Saturday 26th December – Stephen, Deacon, first martyr
Today’s readings – Acts 7.51-end, Psalm 119.161-168, Galatians 2.16b-20 & Mathew 10.17-22.
🙏🏼 We pray for those who stand up for their faith.
Sunday 27th December – JOHN, APOSTLE & EVANGELIST
8am Eucharist, St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.30am Eucharist, Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – Exodus 33.7-11a, Psalm 117, 1 John 1 & John 21.19b-end
🙏🏼We pray for all parish clergy and office holders; especially for those struggling with family problems and those standing in to give them time off.
🙏🏼 In our cycle of prayer, we pray for all who live outside the parish and worship with us.
