Latest News / Posts

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Pew Sheet - 22nd March 2015


He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53: 5

Pray 


Transforming God, turning our sorrow to joy,
doubt to faith, despair to hope,
and death to life, put your hand upon us,
and through this time set apart for you
continue to make us new.
Turn our weakness into strength,
our pride into humility, our anxiety into trust,
and our faithfulness into obedience.
Take what we are, and, by your resurrection power,
shape what we shall be, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; 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    in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen

Readings for Today:                        
Introduction
Jeremiah knew that God would forgive the people and forget their violations of the old covenant. Jeremiah knew that God loves humankind so much that he would try again and again to show his love. Jeremiah did not know exactly when or how God would enact a new covenant, he simply knew with absolute certainty that God would bring them new hope.
The new covenant established by Jesus is the ultimate and final covenant between God and human beings.

On God's side of the contract, he promises to love us, forgive us, and guarantee us the hope of eternal life. On our side of the covenant, we are expected to put our faith and trust in Jesus. We are called to affirm our faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that
 his life and teaching and death and resurrection provides ultimate meaning for our lives and salvation for our souls

Old Testament.    Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

New Testament Reading: Hebrew 5: 5 – 10
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you’;
as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest for ever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.’

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading:  John 12: 20 – 33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder.

Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Post Communion Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others
as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen. 

THIS WEEK: TAIZÉ SERVICE
for Passiontide
Wednesday, March 25th  8.00 pm
St. Mary’s Long Crendon

TaizĂ© worship is simple, uses a lot of silence, short biblical readings for meditation, short meditative prayers and prayerful chants that are easy to sing but penetrate deep into the soul. 


A Devotional Service on Palm Sunday
A Service of Choral Music, Readings and Hymns.
Featuring the music of Byrd, Bach, Mozart and Walford-Davies.
The United Benefice Choir
St. Mary’s Church, Long Crendon, 6pm Sunday 29th March.
Everyone welcome, retiring collection.

Annual Parochial Church Meetings

Sunday      March 29th 11.00am       Chearsley
Sunday,     April 26th   12.00pm       Long Crendon
Sunday      April 26th     6.00pm       Nether W

Soul of Christ, sanctify us; Body of Christ, save us; Blood of Christ, refresh us; Water from the side of Christ, wash us; Passion of Christ, strengthen us; O good Jesus hear us; Within your arms, hide us; From the power of darkness defend us. Bid us come to you that with your saints we may praise you. Amen From the Anima Christi c 1300

O Christ, the Master Carpenter of Nazareth,
on a cross through wood and nails
you have wrought man’s salvation;
wield well your tools in the workshop of your world,
so that we, who come to you rough-hewn,
may by you be fashioned according to your will;
for the sake of your tender mercy.

“Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it.”  Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart

A Thought
A pig was lamenting his lack of popularity he complained to the cow that  people always talking about the cows gentleness and kind eyes where his name was used as an insult. The pig admitted that the cow milk and cream, but maintained the pics gave more. Why the animal complained, complain we pigs give bacon and ham and bristles and people even pickle our feet. I don't see why you cows are esteemed so much more. The cow thought for a while and said gently ‘maybe it's because we give while we are still living’.