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Sunday 13th July                                                                               Trinity 4

Welcome to our newsletter
walk through trees WM

Hope in the future, bearing fruit now…

This is what St Paul saw in the people of Colossae.

That is our calling today. Come, worship the giver of this and be fed in such a hope. Share it.
The Collect, the prayer for the week.
    O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
    without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
    increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
    that with you as our ruler and guide
    we may so pass through things temporal
    that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
    grant this, heavenly Father,
    for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
    who is alive and reigns with you,
    in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, now and for ever.
Readings for this Sunday: Col. 1: 1-14, Psalm 25: 1-10 and Luke 10: 25-37.

This Sunday
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Family service at St Mary’s
11:15am      BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
5:00pm        Discoverers
7:00pm        Organ recital by Bryan Almond at St Thomas’
Prayer Breakfast, this Saturday, 12th July
CoffeeAndCroissant

Please come and pray for the life of our parishes. The prayer breakfast will take place in the Canterbury Room at St Thomas’. Coffee and croissants from 8:15am, followed by prayer for the life of our churches. Finished by 9.30am.
Please do join us.

Upcoming service dates 
The funeral of Michael Anderson will take place on Monday 14th July at 2:30pm.
A service of thanksgiving for the life of Sebastian Hawkey will be on Tuesday 15th July at noon.
A service of thanksgiving for the life of Briony Cooke will take place on Monday 21st July at 2pm. All of these services are at St Thomas’.

News from Honduras
We have received a newsletter from Steve and Lindsey Poulson updating us about their work for CMS in Honduras. Their daughter, Elizabeth, is already 3 months old and smiling and cooing. Elizabeth’s grandparents have visited Honduras to meet her and help with the new arrival.
Steve & Lindsey 24.03 CMS
Meanwhile Proyecto Alas will welcome 3 mission groups from the USA over the summer to help out in various ways. They ask for your prayers for this, for Lorena, the family co-ordinator, who has been working with local mothers, for Steve as he undertakes the necessary tasks associated with registering Proyecto Alas as a recognised charity in Honduras and for
Jorge and Alonzo who are starting university classes with scholarships from the project. Please click here to read more (and for pictures of Elizabeth!).
Copies of their newsletter are also in our churches.
 
Organ recital by Bryan Almond, this Sunday, 13th July, 7pm
Brian Almond

Bryan Almond is St Thomas’ Organist Emeritus as well as holding the post of Organist and Assistant Director of Music at St Mary’s Church, Primrose Hill, London. Enjoy an hour of music, hearing the many varied different colours of the organ as Bryan plays pieces by a variety of composers including Gibbons, Bach, Briggs and Willan on the organ at St Thomas’.
The recital is free with a retiring collection towards the ongoing Music Outreach at St Thomas’ Church.

PAF July 25
Pick-a-Flick, Thursday 17th July, 10:30am
This month Pick-a-Flick will be screening the now controversial film, “The Salt Path”! As usual, there will be coffee before the film and a light lunch afterwards and we ask for a contribution of £5 towards this.
Pre-booking is required so please contact Sarah via the Vicarage on 875651 to book in and to ask for transport if you require it. 

Piano Concert, “Take a Peaceful Moment”, at St Mary’s
Very sadly Janet Pound is unable to play at this concert on Sunday July 20th at 4pm however we have been very fortunate in that virtuoso pianist Rachel Neiger from Oxford has volunteered to step up and play instead.

Rachel Neiger head and shoulde

This will be a recital of peaceful piano pieces including works by Beethoven, Schumann, Elgar and Satie along with poetry about peace.
Tickets are £10 full, £9 concessions on the door only and please bring cash not cards! Tea and cakes will be provided by the Friends of St Mary’s in the Morrell Room after the concert.
Any enquiries please text to 0776 233 9853.

This week we are asked to pray for: 

  • The meal for parents on Monday to be a blessing and encouragement.
  • For people struggling with heat. For neighbourly care. And action from us all to reduce our demands on the delicate planet.
  • For law makers and interpreters, to keep the law serving the vulnerable not the powerful or aggressive.
  • For our farmers and the need for gentle rain and wise water use.
  • For humanity, medicine and aid to reach the people in Gaza.
Diary for the week
Monday 14th July
2:30pm        Funeral of Michael Anderson at St Thomas’
7:30pm        Meal for parents in the Canterbury Room


Tuesday 15th July
Noon             Thanksgiving Service for Sebastian Hawkey at St Thomas’

Wednesday 16th July
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Exod. 3. 1-6, 9-12, Ps. 103. 1-7 and Matt. 11. 25-27.


Thursday 17th July
10:30am      Pick-a-Flick in the Canterbury Room
Noon            Marriage of Alex and Isobelle at St Mary’s
7:00pm        Goring Primary School leavers’ service at St Thomas'


Friday 18th July
9:00am        South Stoke Primary School leavers’ assembly


Sunday 20th July  
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am        Good News service at St Thomas’
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Good News service at St Andrew’s
11:45am      Friends of St Mary’s AGM at St Mary’s
3:00pm        Bereavement café in the Canterbury Room
4:00pm        Piano recital at St Mary’s

Prayers for the week
Thank you to Simon for this week’s prayers.

Father God, help us to still our hearts and centre ourselves on your saving grace.

As the Psalmist says, we thank you that we are held in the palm of your hand, loved and protected individually by your saving Grace.

As we come before you, against a backdrop of so much pain and suffering in the world, we are compelled to pray for those in mortal danger and distress. We remember and ask for your protection over the people in Gaza and Ukraine, as the conflicts appear to be intensifying, with ever more damage and casualties.  May you give the stakeholders and leaders involved wisdom and patience that we may quickly see an end to the fighting, and a pathway towards peace and rebuilding after the devastation and loss of recent years.

In this time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty on the international stage, we pray for the calmer voices of diplomacy to prevail; that we might see a return to peace and stability in the global economy as well as areas of conflict.
Here at home, we lift before you our monarch - King Charles.  We pray for his health and continued recovery from illness, as well as blessing for his family.  Be close to the Ministers that lead his government, especially as they face difficult policy choices ahead.  Inspire those in positions of influence and responsibility as decisions are made.

In our Benefice, we ask that you would bless the leaders at our churches - Gavin our Bishop, Ben and the entire ministry team.  May we both support them practically and, in our prayers, as they lead the devotional life of the Benefice and especially as they prepare for a change of rhythm over the summertime.

We pray for our congregations, for health and wellbeing and for the depth of our spiritual journey together. Thank you for the joy of the summer months, and we remember parents and families together again for the long break.  May it be a refreshment for us all, and we ask your blessing as we relax and recharge.

Finally, Lord, thank you that you are with us in times of grief and distress. Please comfort their families and friends and any others who are ill or in suffering at this time.

We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God our Lord and Father.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 14th July
Monday am: Ps 80 Job ch. 33 Rom. 14. 13-end pm: Ps 85 Luke 17. 20-end
Tuesday am: Ps 89. 1-18 Job ch. 38 Rom. 15. 1-13 pm: Ps 89. 19-end Luke 18. 1-14
Wednesday am: Ps 119. 105-128 Job ch. 39 Rom. 15. 14-21 pm: Ps 91 Luke 18. 15-30
Thursday am: Ps 92 Job ch. 40 Rom. 15. 22-end pm: Ps 94 Luke 18. 31-end
Friday am: Ps 88 Job ch. 41 Rom. 16. 1-16 pm: Ps 102 Luke 19. 1-10
Saturday am: Ps 97 Job ch. 42 Rom. 16. 17-end pm: Ps 104 Luke 19. 11-27
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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