12/2/23
Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team
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Dates for your diary
Wed 22 Feb
10.30am - Ash Wednesday (ashing and communion), Ven Bede
Sat 18 Feb
10am St John's coffee morning in aid of the Turkey-Syria earthquake appeal.
Sat 4 March
Quiet day trip to Alnmouth Friary
Services this week
Sun 12 Feb
9.30am - St John's holy communion
11am - Ven Bede holy communion (Parish eucharist)
4pm - St Margaret's evening worship
News
Turkey-Syria Earthquake appeal
On Sunday we will be collecting for Time to Help UK, who are raising funds to provide much-needed aid to those impacted by the devastating earthquake. Several Turkish members of our community volunteer with Time to Help and some of their children they will be selling cakes they have baked.
On Saturday 18th Feb, St John's will host a coffee morning at 10am with proceeds all going to the earthquake appeal.
Quiet day at Alnmouth Friary
Sat 4 March
On Saturday 4th March we will be going on a trip for a restful day of quiet and reflection at the beautiful Alnmouth Friary on the Northumberland coast.
Please let us know if you would like to come so we can organise transport, please also let us know whether you can offer a lift to others.
We will put a sign up sheet at the back of church or you can send us an email. We will be asking for a donation towards travel and the Friary, but there will be free places for anyone who wants one.
We will aim to leave on Saturday morning and return late afternoon. There will be an opportunity to spend time in quiet and there are beautiful grounds and beach to explore, and we will join the brothers for midday prayer and holy communion.
Ash Wednesday
10.30am, 22 Feb at Ven bede
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. In this communion service we are signed with the cross in ash on our foreheads.
Ashing an ancient sign of penitence and the forgiveness freely given to all by Christ on the cross.
Lent groups
More details to follow, but we will be getting together in small groups once a week throughout Lent to discuss faith, scripture, and the world. If you are interested in joining a group let us know!
BBC documentary featuring our churches
We are incredibly proud of our community who feature in this documentary about the cost of living crisis. Though we believe this crisis should not be happening, the generosity and love that has been shown gives us real hope for humanity.
Watch on BBC iplayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001htyr/fighting-the-costofliving-crisis
Worship texts
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.
Amen.
Reading
Romans 8.18–25 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Gospel
Matthew 6.25–34 25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Sermon
by Revd Dominic
Intercessions
If you would like to add someone to the prayer list please email church@benwellscotswood.com
The name will stay on the list for 1 month unless requested to be long-term.
Prayers for others:
Shno, Dara, Hani and Yani
Lorraine Atkinson
Esther Kolie
Edith Hutchinson
Lyndsey Richardson
Christine, David, Philip, Neil and Steven
Elizabeth Taylor
Honar
Moe and Mary
Alison Campbell
John Taylor
Irene Foskett
John Nicholson
Alan Robson
Michelle Wilson
Joan Finley
George Snowden
Claire Mozaffari
Herbert Agbeko
Post Communion prayer
God our creator,
by your gift
the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise,
and the bread of life at the heart of your Church:
may we who have been nourished at your table on earth
be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross
and enjoy the delights of eternity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.