18th Sunday after Trinity, 30th September 2018
Watlington Benefice
Michael and all Angels 30th September 2018 Our Hymns today 336 Angel voices ever singing 478 Ye watchers and ye Holy ones
Collect Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order: grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth; 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. Amen.
Our readings today A reading from the Book of Genesis Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’. Genesis 28. 10-17 A reading from the Book of Revelation And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, Revelation 12.7-12 Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ John 1. 47-end Please include in your prayers Those in our prayer basket, those who are ill or housebound: Rebecca, Tony Marie, Philippa Jamieson, Mick Collins, John Harris, Dilys Garland, Anne Clarke, David Colby, Margaret Gardner, Samantha Clark, Lynne Watton, Frederick Ali, Josie, Ted Smith, Shaun Caley, Peter Tickle, Roger, Philip, Vi Kent, Carole, Jo, Rupert Family of Coral Burges whose funeral was on Monday 24th October Services * Thursday 4th October 10am Runcton Holme Lay led Morning Prayer
* Sunday 7th October 11am Harvest Festival Runcton Holme Canon Derek Brown
* Sunday 14th October 11am Tottenhill Canon William Burke
* Sunday 21st October 11.15am Watlington Reverend Martin Dale
* Sunday 28th October 11am Wormegay lay -led Morning Prayer
Mission Administrator: Louise Vigus has taken up her new role and Steve Waters (unpaid) Mission Development Officer (keep praying for all of us as we settle into new relationships and roles) The new office address is Church Office 27-29 Bridge Street Downham Market PE38 9DW.
Please continue to give to the King’s Lynn foodbank through the basket at the back of Watlington Church. Non-perishable items (food and toiletries) always wanted.
Diary Dates Harvest Supper Saturday October 6th 7pm Watlington Village Hall £6 (tickets available) List at back of Church for contributions to Food and Raffle Prizes Needed ! Retired) Canon Derek Brown writes:
You might not have heard of Greta Thunberg, she’s Swedish, she’s 15 – and she’s on strike! From the start of this school year Greta has gone out each day as usual, but instead of going to school she has spent the time outside the parliament building in Stockholm. She is protesting about pollution, which, she says, is putting her (and everyone else’s) future at risk. Sweden is actually quite good on conservation matters, but Greta says that it isn’t enough, and she makes the (good) point, as an example, that whilst people are diligent at recycling and so on, they don’t hesitate to fly off to New York, or wherever, which, she correctly says, is highly polluting. One of Greta’s teachers is now sitting with her, he has lost three week’s pay already and expects to lose his job, but he feels that she is right and should be supportive. And increasingly what she is doing is being noticed and valued, and others are beginning to add their support. All of us recognize – or we should! - that Greta is right, and we much welcome that her action is becoming quite widely known. And, bearing in mind that she is fifteen we should be grateful to find such courage coming from the young. It is a real sign of hope.
From John Murfitt’s Aunt
The Difference I got up early one morning And rushed right into the day I had so much to accomplish That I didn’t have time to pray Problems just tumbled about me And heavier came each task ‘Why doesn’t God help me?’ I wondered He said ‘But you didn’t ask’ I wanted to see Joy and Beauty But the day toiled on Grey and Bleak I wondered why God didn’t show me He said ‘But you didn’t seek’ I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys in the lock God gently and lovingly chided ‘My child you didn’t knock’ I woke up early this morning And paused before entering the day I had so much to accomplish That I had to take time to pray (author unknown) |