27/2/22
News from the Benwell & Scotswood Team
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Pieter Brueghel the Elder, The Fight Between Carnival and Lent, 1559
Oil on wood, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Dates for your diary
Sun 27 Feb - 'Carnival' experimental service
11am at Venerable Bede
Wed 2 Mar - Ash Wednesday
10.30am at Venerable Bede
Thurs 3 Mar - St John's weekday service followed by DCC
10.30am at St John's
Sun 6 Mar - Altar server training/taster session
Directly after the morning service
Wed 9 Mar - Living in Love & Faith, evening Lent course
7pm at St James
Fri 11 Mar - Living in Love & Faith, morning Lent course
11am at St Margaret
Sun 27 Mar - Mothering Sunday celebration service
11am at Venerable Bede
Holy week 10 - 16 April
Palm Sunday, 10 Apr - 11am at Venerable Bede
Maundy Thursday, 14 Apr - 7.30pm at St John's
Good Friday, 15 Apr - 2pm at St Margaret's
The Easter vigil, Sat 16 Apr - 8.30pm at St James'
Sun 1 May - Hub service moves to St James
11am at St James'
News
Carnival this Sunday 27th Feb!
The last days before Lent have been the time for Carnivals/Mardi Gras/Pancake day and all sorts of other great traditions!
So join us this Sunday for a last hurrah before Lent with a Carnival themed service! 11am at the Venerable Bede
Follow the slideshow during the service here:
A call to prayer for Ukraine from Bishop Mark
Dear brothers and sisters,
The news this week that Russia has invaded Ukraine is devastating for the people of Ukraine, and a threat to peaceful relationships between nations across the world. The destruction of Ukraine and the suffering of its people in the war as it unfolds will be the result of an appalling act of aggression and an abuse of power. I encourage you to join with me in responding to the Archbishops’ call to prayer for an urgent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces, and to make Sunday 27 February a special day of prayer for Ukraine, Russia, and for peace. The Archbishops have also supported the call from Pope Francis for a global day of prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday, 2 March.
Grace and peace,
+ Mark
Please also read the letter released by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.
Ash Wednesday - 2nd March
Join us for Holy Communion with ashing at the Venerable Bede at 10.30am.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, traditionally people are marked with the sign of the cross in ash - an ancient sign of penitence and the forgiveness freely given to all by Christ on the cross.
Living in Love and Faith - Lent course 2022
How do questions about identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage fit within the bigger picture of the good news of Jesus Christ? What does it mean to live in love and faith together as a Church?
For 5 weeks during Lent we will follow the Church of England's Living in Love and Faith course.
Group 1:
Wednesdays, 7pm at St James
(beginning 9th March)
Group 2:
Fridays, 11am at St Margaret's
(beginning Friday 11th March)
Altar Server training/taster session next week
We hope to have return soon to having servers in Sunday services. This is a great way to help us all in worship.
We will hold a taster session on Sunday 6th March after the morning service. Please join whether you have been a server in our services before, if you are interested in learning, or are just curious.
Ask Chris if you have any questions!
Worship Texts
The Collect
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
First Reading
2 Corinthians 3.12 – 4.2 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
Gospel
Luke 9.28–36 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
Meditation
In place of the sermon, David will lead us in an activity.
You may prefer to follow this meditation while listening to the music below.
Carnival and Lent are traditional opposites
Carnival Words include: Feasting, Party, Enjoyment, Anarchy, Rule-breaking, Self-indulgence, Bad behaviour, the World, Flesh, Body, Freedom, No Regrets
Lent Words include: Fasting, Prayer, Sorrow, Law, Rule keeping, Self denial, Good behaviour, the Church, Spirit, Soul, Restraint, Repentance
Whose side are you on? Do you feel drawn to one side or the other? Is one side good and the other bad?
‘Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom’
When did/do I feel most free? Do we need rules to be free? Is it Ok to break rules sometimes?
If God’s Glory embraces and goes beyond both Carnival and Lent what does that mean for us?
How can I best keep Lent? (You might like to write something down to remind you.)
Intercessions
To add names to the prayer list please email church@benwellscotswood.com
Prayers for others:
Leslie Foskett
Daniel Galbraith
Donna Krol
George Irving
Alistair
John Nicholson
Alan Robson
Peter Wilson
Michelle Wilson
Esmaeel
Liz Holliman
Joan Finley
James, Christina, Anastasia, and Xavier
Ali Zareie and family
The Riches Family
Jill Sorley
Joyce Phillips
George Snowden
Claire Mozaffari
Herbert Agbeko
All those who are struggling at home or in hospital with Covid-19
Rest in peace
Colin Bell
Hamid
Ray Beswick
Other intentions
Ukraine
Post Communion prayer
Holy God,
we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ:
may we who are partakers at his table
reflect his life in word and deed,
that all the world may know his power to change and save.
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.