Churches open for private prayer
Monday – Tarleton, 10am-2pm
Tuesday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
Wednesday – Tarleton, 10am-2pm
Thursday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
Friday – Tarleton, 11am-2pm
Saturday – Rufford, 10am-2pm
Sunday 7th February – The Second Sunday before Lent
✝️ Virtual worship only from 10.30am
The 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.
Old Testament – Proverbs 8.1, 22-31
8 1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice.
22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth — 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
New Testament – Colossians 1.15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him.
17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Gospel – John 1.1-14
1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Prayers
🙏🏼For the sick and those in need: Zena Ashcroft, Margaret Baxter, Margaret Bolton, Colin Brown, Pam Dutton, Bill Duggan, Wayne Jackett, Jimmy Johnstone, Elise Latham, Paddy MacDonagh, Tony Morgan, Ruth Middlesborough & Donald Sephton
🙏🏼 RIP Terence Porter & Kathleen Ward.
🙏🏼 Year’s mind: Herbert Barron, Nancy Beamish, Doris Margaret Buck, Richard Alban Burns, Edward Caunce, Elsie Alice Hey, Robert William Hughes, Frank Iddon, Thomas Marsh, Harold Hornby Parker, James Cookson Parkinson, James Edward Taylforth, Andrew John Thompson, Horace Albert Townsend, Eileen Mabel Turner, Mary Ward & Ian Michael Wilkinson.
🙏🏼We are not people of fear, but people of courage. We are not people who protect our own safety: we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety. We are not people of greed, we are people of generosity. We are your people God, giving and loving, wherever we are, whatever it costs, for as long as it takes, wherever you call us. Amen.
🙏🏼 We pray for clergy and parish officers and in our cycle of prayer we pray for those living in Byron Close.
Monday 8th February
Today’s readings – Genesis 1.1-19, Ps. 104.1,2,6-13,26 & Mark 6.53-end
🙏🏼 We pray for community workers in health and social care.
Tuesday 9th February
Today’s readings – Genesis 1.20-2,4a, Psalm 8 & Mark 7.1-13.
🙏🏼 We pray for relatives and friends of those who are sick.
Wednesday 10th February – Scholastica, Abbess, c543.
Today’s readings – Genesis 2.4b-9,15-17, Ps. 104.11-12,29-32 & Mark 7.14-23.
🙏🏼 We pray for those following the Benedictine rule and for those grieving the death of a loved one.
Thursday 11th February
Today’s readings – Genesis 2.18-end, Ps. 128 & Mark 7.24-30.
🙏🏼 We pray for local councils and councillors.
Friday 12th February
Today’s readings – Genesis 3.1-8, Ps. 32.1-8 & Mark 7.31-end.
🙏🏼 We pray for national government, the cabinet and civil servants.
Saturday 13th February
Today’s readings – Genesis 3.9-end, Ps. 90.1-12 & Mark 8.1-10.
🙏🏼 We pray for all who work in food production, food processing and distribution.
Next Sunday: Sunday 14th February – next before Lent.
✝️ Virtual worship only from 10.30am
Today’s readings – 2 Kings 2.1-12, Psalm 50.1-6, 2 Corinthians 4.3-6 & Mark 9.2-9.
🙏🏼 We pray for Bishops Julian, Philip & Jill, Archdeacons Mark & David and Dean Peter.
🙏🏼 In our cycle of prayer we pray for those living in Carr Lane.
