Pew Sheet 20th January 2013

St Dunstan’s Church, Monks Risborough
& St. Peter’s Chapel, Owlswick

Part of the Risborough Team Ministry
www.stdunstanschurch.com
Vicar – The Revd James Tomkins
01844 275944 (day off Tuesday)
jamestomkins@btinternet.com
The Rectory, Mill Lane, Monks Risborough, HP27 9JE
Welcome!
We hope you will enjoy worshipping here with us.

The Junior Church (10 o’clock Club) meet in the Church Hall before coming into Church for Communion

Please join us for refreshments in the Church Hall immediately after the 10.00am service.

Sunday 20th January 2013

Third Sunday of Epiphany
Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” As we celebrate Christ’s light in the world, we come before our heavenly Father, worshipping him with receptive and thankful hearts.
.
10.00 am Parish Eucharist: Mass Setting (Addington)

Hymns: 314, 716, 352
Psalm 36:5-10
Communion:  81, 288, 516

First Reading                Isaiah: 62:1-5
Zion has suffered oppression and injustice; but the prophet brings good news.  He vows neither to rest nor be silent until Jerusalem in vindicated, and her salvation shines out “like a burning torch”. 

Second Reading           1 Corinthians 12:1-11
No one can say “Jesus is Lord” other than by the Holy Spirit.  Paul explains to his readers the ways in which the one Spirit works in believers to bring forth a variety of different gifts.

Gospel Reading            John 2:1-11
Jesus turns the water into wine at a wedding at Cana in Galilee.  He thus performed the first of his “signs” and his disciples believed in him (2:11).   
6:00pm   Choral Evensong
Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Ephesians 4:1-16
Hymns: 656, Psalm 96:1-8, 649, 188

Prayer for the Week
God of wonders, at Cana in Galilee you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ and summoned all humanity to life in Him. Show to your people gathered on this day your transforming power and give us a foretaste of the wine you keep for the age to come. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

Your prayers are asked this week for:

• all those caught up in the hostage crisis in Algeria
• all affected by or vulnerable to the wintry weather
• churches of other denominations (e.g. Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal) in the week of prayer for Christian Unity
• Primary Care Trusts, Nurses, Midwives and other health professionals working in the community.
• our future in the European Union
• New factories and industrial estates to provide better, safer and cleaner working environments.
• Residents of: Owlswick & Owlswick Lane (MR), Fairway & Firs Court (PR)
• Those in need who are known in our parish:
• and also further afield for:
  • Gordon Haynes, Joan Male, Bill Male, Richard Irvine, Alastair
• The recently departed:
• Those whose anniversary of death falls at this time:
  Bill Ballance.

Please remember the charities that the parish supports, in particular this week: Parents and Children Together (PACT)
Working to build and strengthen families in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and across the UK and internationally. ;

 

Notices

Saturday 26th Jan 2013, Community Open Afternoon
This is open for all residents of Risborough and the surrounding area. The event is to be held in the Community Centre Main Hall (off Stratton Road, opposite Mount Car Park exit) commencing at 2pm, doors open from 1.30pm. Information regarding the tickets and the outline programme can be found on the church notice board.

The Bloxham Festival of Faith and Literature
This runs from February 15th -17th and is a literary festival with a theological slant (or as it was described recently, 'Hay with God'), organised by the Church Times, in partnership with Greenbelt. Further details can be found on www.bloxhamfaithandliterature.co.uk. James

New Church Electoral Roll
Every six years the church electoral roll is completely revised. In anticipation of creating a new electoral roll, letters will be handed out after the service on January 27th  with an application form to invite people to come on to the new roll. The electoral roll seeks to reflect church membership as closely as possible and provides a general barometer of the vibrancy of the worshipping community. Forms will need to be completed and returned by March 31st to the electoral roll officer Mr Roger Timms, Nags Head House, Aylesbury Road,  Monks Risborough,  HP27 0JT. If you do not receive a letter please accept my apologies and complete and return a form that will be readily available in St. Dunstan’s and St. Peter’s. Thank you. James

New Flower Rota – volunteers required
Discover your creative side and uncover your hidden talents at flower arranging. If you are interested in joining the St. Dunstan’s Flower Team please contact either Jenny Masterton-Smith (273538) or Gwen Miles (345230).

Being Anglican (the Church of England is part of this)
As there was plenty of space in the notice sheet I thought I’d put some information in about the nature of the Anglican Church. This stems from the last PCC meeting when a discussion about women bishops was held. Below is one interpretation of what it means to be part of the Anglican Communion. It may raise more questions than answers but hopefully it will provide some background to why there are varying views held by people and churches as each will place a difference emphasis on each of the three strands mentioned. James
Anglicanism is the catholic faith as expressed through the Church of England. An Anglican is a member of the Anglican Church, or more properly the Anglican Communion.  The word “Anglican” derives from the word “Anglo” as in "Anglo-Saxon" and means "English." The Anglican Church originally was the Church of England and indeed the Anglican Church began in England.  Today, many centuries later, The Anglican Communion is made up of 38 Provinces that include 77 million members in 164 countries.  It is the third largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. “Anglicanism" is the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion.
Although considered Protestant by many, the Anglican Communion identifies itself with the catholic faiths.  In fact, many refer to the Anglican faith as being reformed Catholicism, while others call it Biblical Catholicism.  But, whatever the definition, Anglicanism is a hybrid between the Catholic and Protestant faiths.
In the summer of 2006 the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams identified three things that, when held together, make Anglicanism distinct from other Christian denominations and contribute to the essential character of the Anglican Church.   Other denominations share one or two of these qualities.  What makes Anglicanism unique is the balanced presence of all three. They are:
1. A reformed commitment to the priority of the Bible for deciding doctrine. 
2. A catholic loyalty to the sacraments and the threefold ministry of bishops, priests and deacons.
3. A habit of cultural sensitivity and intellectual flexibility that does not seek to close down unexpected questions too quickly.
In conjunction with this definition is the principle set down by one of the church's theologians, explaining that Anglicanism is a "three-legged stool."  One leg is Scripture; the second is Tradition; the third is Reason.  Scripture has priority, trumping the other two when stating dogma.  But, the Traditions of the unified Church, when Scripture is silent, is also very important.  Finally, Reason must be applied to discern what is meant by Scripture and Tradition and to apply these two to new or different situations. 
Clearly Archbishop Williams's explanation and the image of the three-legged stool links our reformed heritage, our catholic heritage, and our intellectual heritage nicely, capturing the core strength of the Anglican way of living out our Christian Faith.

 

The Next Few Weeks  

Morning Prayer takes place on Mondays (except Bank Holidays), Wednesday and Thursday at 8.45 at St. Dunstan’s.

Sun 20th Jan	10.00am Parish Eucharist 3.00pm CANCELLED Service to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 6.00pm Choral Evensong
Mon 21st Jan	8.00pm PCC Meeting
Tue 22nd Jan	9.15am  Fellowship group walk (meet in layby)
Thurs 24th Jan	9.30am  Holy Communion 2.00pm  Monks Monkeys (in church)
Sat 26th Jan	2.00pm Community Open Afternoon (see notices)
Sun 27th Jan	10.00am  Parish Eucharist 3.00pm  Owlswick Choral Evensong
Thurs 31st Jan	9.30am Holy Communion 2.00pm Monks Monkeys
Sun 3rd Feb	8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 10.00am All Age Family Communion and Baptism 6.00pm Choral Evensong