Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service, there are activities and learning for primary school-aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

Armed Forces Weekend

A big Thank You to Colin and all who welcomed visitors last weekend and prepared for our participation in Armed Forces Weekend.

Did you know that we have a church library?

We have a variety of books of interest to everyone, from fiction, prayer, and theology, to bereavement and divorce. Please take a moment to look at our library at the back of the church. We are always updating it, so visit regularly. Please feel free to borrow a book and perhaps leave a comment on what you have read. Many thanks, Jacqui Nicol and Sally Turner

We have a new painting!

A huge thank you to Christina who has painted a portrait of St Mark as a gift for our church. This is a lovely addition to our beautiful building and a source of blessing to all who will see it. Have a closer look over coffee.

Your unwanted bottle bags and autumnal coloured jumpers needed

Judith would like any unwanted ‘dead’ jumpers or t-shirts for cutting up, please. Also, any unwanted bottle bags will be very welcome.

Wednesday Eucharist

Please note that there will be no Eucharist this Wednesday 8 July. All welcome at 10.30am.

Open Church with Crafty Coffee this Friday 10 July

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 12 July Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Isaiah 55.10-13; Romans 8.1-11; Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Old Testament Reading Zechariah 9.9-12

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

New Testament reading Romans 7.15-25a

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Gospel Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30

Jesus said, ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’

At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

Post Communion Collect (10.30 only)

Grant, O Lord,
we beseech you,
that the course of this world
may be so peaceably ordered by your governance,
that your Church may joyfully serve you
in all godly quietness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Peter and Paul, Apostles

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

A warm welcome

To everyone, and especially this morning to the families and friends of Madison Wheeler and her parents, Lucy and Jamie Wheeler, and to Ellis Mullard and his parents, Ellen and Sam Mullard. Madison and Ellis are being baptised today.

We have a new painting!

A huge thank you to Christina who has painted a portrait of St Mark as a gift for our church. This is a lovely addition to our beautiful building and a source of blessing to all who will see it. Have a closer look over coffee.

Did you know that we have a church library?

We have a variety of books of interest to everyone from fiction, prayer, and theology, to bereavement and divorce. Please take a moment to look at our library at the back of the church. We are always updating it, so visit regularly. Please feel free to borrow a book and perhaps leave a comment on what you have read. Many thanks, Jacqui Nicol and Sally Turner

Your unwanted bottle bags and autumnal coloured jumpers needed

Judith would like any unwanted, ‘dead’ jumpers or t-shirts for cutting up, please. Also, any unwanted bottle bags will be very welcome.

Armed Forces Weekend

If you haven’t had the opportunity to have a closer look the Memorial Chapel, do visit with your coffee The chapel is an official War Memorial and very beautiful. For more information please see Colin.

Wednesday Eucharist this Wednesday 1 July

All welcome at 10.30am.

Open Church this Friday 3 July

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 5 July Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Zechariah 9.9-12; Romans 7.15-25a; Matthew 11.16-19,25-30

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example,
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
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.

New Testament Reading Acts 12.1-11

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.

The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

Gospel Matthew 16.13-19

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Post Communion Collect

Lord God, the source of truth and love,
keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
united in prayer and the breaking of bread,
and one in joy and simplicity of heart,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Second Sunday after Trinity

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

Bishop Paul’s Gathering for Aldershot Deanery tomorrow 7pm

A reminder that we have all been warmly invited to meet, pray and worship with Bishop Paul, Bishop of Dorking at the Bishop's Gathering for Aldershot Deanery hosted by Christ Church Cove. There will be a reception with Bishop Paul at 7pm, followed by the Bishop's Gathering which will begin at 7.30pm and conclude by 9pm. All, including young people, are welcome. We will be celebrating all that God is doing across our Deanery and discussing our next steps with Bishop Paul in his new role, so it should be an inspirational evening. Do come if you can. Anyone needing a lift to this event, please speak to Hilary.

Did you know that we have a church library?

We have a variety of books of interest to everyone from fiction, prayer, and theology, to bereavement and divorce. Please take a moment to look at our library at the back of the church. We are always updating it, so visit regularly. Please feel free to borrow a book and perhaps leave a comment on what you have read. Many thanks, Jacqui Nicol and Sally Turner

Wednesday Eucharist this Wednesday 17 June

All welcome at 10.30am.

Your unwanted bottle bags and autumnal coloured jumpers needed

Judith would like any unwanted, ‘dead’ jumpers or t-shirts for cutting up, please. Also, any unwanted bottle bags will be very welcome.

Open Church this Friday 19 June

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 21 June Third Sunday after Trinity

Jeremiah 20.7-13; Romans 6.1b-11; Matthew 10.24-39

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Old Testament reading Exodus 19.2-8a

They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’ So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

New Testament reading Romans 5.1-8

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel Matthew 9.35-10.8

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

Post Communion Collect

Loving Father,
we thank you for feeding us at the supper of your Son:
sustain us with your Spirit,
that we may serve you here on earth
until our joy is complete in heaven,
and we share in the eternal banquet
with Jesus Christ our Lord.

First Sunday after Trinity

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group.

Notices

The Reverend Mark Rudall and The Reverend Mark Chester

Many thanks to Reverend Mark Rudall and Reverend Mark Chester for presiding and preaching at the 8 am and 10.30 am services this morning.

Wednesday Eucharist this Wednesday 10 June

All welcome at 10.30am.

Thank you from Dianna

Thank you so much to everyone for the lovely Get Well Soon card you all signed. It was personally delivered by my wonderful granddaughters. I am on the mend and look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Bishop Paul’s Gathering Monday 15 June 7pm

Bishop Paul has organised Gatherings in each deanery so that he can meet as many people as possible for an evening of prayer, worship, celebration of what God is doing in each parish and reflection on next steps. The Gathering for Aldershot Deanery will be at Christ Church, Cove. Refreshments available from 7pm for a 7.30pm start concluding by 9pm. All welcome. Anyone needing a lift to this event, please speak to Deglan, or Hilary.

Open Church this Friday 13 June

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 14 June Second Sunday after Trinity

Exodus 19.2-8a; Romans 5.1-8; Matthew 9.35-10.8

Today’s Collects and Readings

Collect

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
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.

Old Testament reading Hosea 5.15-6.6

I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favour:

‘Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.’

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgement goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

New Testament reading Romans 4.13-25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’

Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Gospel Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’

But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’

And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Post Communion Collect (10.30am only)

Eternal Father,
we thank you for nourishing us
with these heavenly gifts:
may our communion strengthen us in faith,
build us up in hope,
and make us grow in love;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Trinity Sunday

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

The Reverend Richard Cobbold

Many thanks to Reverend Richard for presiding and preaching at the Parish Eucharist this morning.

Wednesday Eucharist

Please note that there will not be a Eucharist this Wednesday 3 June.

Thank you from Dianna

Thank you so much to everyone for the lovely Get Well Soon card you all signed last Sunday. It was personally delivered by my wonderful granddaughters. I am on the mend and look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Parish Breakfast Next Sunday 7 June 8.45am

Please sign the sheet at the back of the church if you are planning to come to the parish breakfast on Sunday 7 June. Adults £6.50 Children £3.50

Bishop Paul’s Gathering Monday 15 June 7pm

Bishop Paul has organised Gatherings in each deanery so that he can meet as many people as possible for an evening of prayer, worship, celebration of what God is doing in each parish and reflection on next steps. The Gathering for Aldershot Deanery will be at Christ Church, Cove. Refreshments available from 7pm for a 7.30pm start concluding by 9pm. All welcome.

Open Church this Friday 6 June

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 7 June First Sunday after Trinity

Hosea 5.15-6.6; Romans 4.13-end; Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Holy God,
faithful and unchanging:
enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,
that we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Old Testament reading Isaiah 40.12-17, 27-31

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
or as his counsellor has instructed him?
Whom did he consult for his enlightenment,
and who taught him the path of justice?
Who taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as dust on the scales;
see, he takes up the isles like fine dust.
Lebanon would not provide fuel enough,
nor are its animals enough for a burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him;
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God’?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

New Testament reading 2 Corinthians 13.11-13

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Gospel Matthew 28.16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Post Communion Collect

Almighty and eternal God,
you have revealed yourself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and live and reign in the perfect unity of love:
hold us firm in this faith,
that we may know you in all your ways
and evermore rejoice in your eternal glory,
who are three Persons yet one God,
now and for ever.

Pentecost

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

The Reverend Mark Rudall

Many thanks to Reverend Mark for presiding and preaching at the Parish Eucharist this morning – at especially short notice after Dianna broke her arm.

Wednesday Eucharist

Please note that there will not be a Eucharist this Wednesday 27 May.

Parish Breakfast Sunday 7 June 8.45am

Please sign the sheet at the back of the church if you are planning to come to the parish breakfast on Sunday 7 June. Adults £6.50 Children £3.50

Bishop Paul’s Gathering Monday 15 June 7pm

Bishop Paul has organised Gatherings in each deanery so that he can meet as many people as possible for an evening of prayer, worship, celebration of what God is doing in each parish and reflection on next steps. The Gathering for Aldershot Deanery will be at Christ Church, Cove. Refreshments available from 7pm for a 7.30pm start concluding by 9pm. All welcome.

Open Church this Friday 29 May

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 31 May Trinity Sunday

Isaiah 40.12-17, 27-end; 2 Corinthians 13.11-end; Matthew 28.16-end

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Old Testament reading Numbers 11.24-30

Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’ And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

New Testament reading Acts 2.1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Gospel John 20.19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Post Communion Collect

Faithful God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal:
open our lips by your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

APCM Today

Please stay for a short meeting, with coffee, after the 10.30am service. The Annual Report 2025 and the Financial Statements 2025 are available at the back of church. All are welcome.

Open Church this Friday

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 24 May Pentecost

Numbers 11.24-30; Acts 2.1-21 ; John 20.19-23

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Old Testament reading Ezekiel 36.24-28;

I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

New Testament reading Acts 1.6-14

When they had come together, they asked him, Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel? He replied, It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.

They said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath days journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Gospel John 17.1-11

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Post Communion Collect

Eternal God, giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group.

Notices

APCM Sunday 17 May at 11.45

Please stay for a short meeting, with coffee, after the 10.30am service. The Annual Report 2025 and the Financial Statements 2025 are available at the back of church. Among other things the members of the Electoral Roll will be electing the following:

PCC

Are you energised by strategic and creative thinking? Are you prayerful and courageous in seeking God? Are you baptised and a communicant over the age of 16? Why not consider standing for election to the Parochial Church Council (PCC). The PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. There are three vacancies. For more information please speak to Dianna.

Churchwardens Deanery Synod representatives

Churchwardens are elected each year just before (but at the same meeting) the APCM. Churchwardens serve for one year. There are two vacancies. Deanery Synod representatives are lay people elected every three years and 2026 is a year of elections. Speak with Dianna for more information.

Ascension Day Thursday 14 May 7pm

A celebration of the Ascension with seasonal music and readings. All welcome.

Open Church this Friday

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Readings for next Sunday 17 May - Seventh Sunday of Easter

Ezekiel 36.24-28;; Acts 1.6-14; John 17.1-11

Today's Collect and Readings

Collect

God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
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.

First reading 1 Peter 3.13-end

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.

He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Second reading Acts 17..22-31

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, To an unknown god. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.

From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For In him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, For we too are his offspring.

Since we are Gods offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead

Gospel John 14.15-21

Jesus said, ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who
love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

Post Communion Collect

God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

APCM Sunday 17 May at 11.45

Please stay for a short meeting, with coffee, after the 10.30am service. Among other things the members of the Electoral Roll will be electing the following:

• PCC
  Are you energised by strategic and creative thinking? Are you prayerful and courageous in seeking God? Are you baptised and a communicant over the age of 16? Why not consider standing for election to the Parochial Church Council (PCC). The PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. There are five vacancies. For more information please speak to Dianna or the Churchwardens.
• Churchwardens
  Churchwardens are elected each year just before (but at the same meeting) the APCM. Churchwardens serve for one year. There are two vacancies. Speak with Dianna for more information.
• Deanery Synod representatives
  These are lay people elected every three years and 2026 is a year of elections. More information from Dianna, Daryl or Natasha. We have two vacancies.

Ascension Day Thursday 14 May 7pm

A celebration of the Ascension with seasonal music and readings. All welcome.

NO Open Church this Friday

Due to team members on holiday. The next Open Church is Friday 15 May.

Readings for next Sunday 10 May Sixth Sunday of Easter

Genesis 8.20-9.17; Acts 17.22-31; John 14.15-21

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father.

Old Testament Genesis 8.1-19

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.

Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more. In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Then God said to Noah, ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’ So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.

New Testament Acts 7.55-60

Filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.

Gospel John 14.1-14

Jesus said, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Post Communion Collect (10.30 service only)

Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and forever.

Mark the Evangelist

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group

Notices

Open Church this Friday

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

Electoral Roll revision

The Electoral Roll will be closed for revision on 1 st May in preparation for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. If you are a member of St Marks please check the current Roll and make sure you are there. If you have not yet joined and are eligible please complete a form and leave it with Judith or one of the Churchwardens. Forms should be returned by Tuesday 21 st April. Applicants for the Roll must be baptised, over the age of 16 (or turning 16 within the year), resident in the geographical parish, or if resident outside the parish, to have worshipped here for 6 months. Any questions please to Judith or Dianna.

Parish Breakfast Sunday 3 May

Please sign the sheet at the back of church if you are planning on joining in to enjoy a delicious continental breakfast next Sunday from 8.45am to 10am. Adults £6 and children £3.

Readings for next Sunday 3 May Fifth Sunday of Easter

Genesis 8.1-19; Acts 7.55-60; John 14.1-14

Today's Collects and Readings

Collect

Almighty God,
who enlightened your holy Church
through the inspired witness of your evangelist Saint Mark:
grant that we, being firmly grounded
in the truth of the gospel,
may be faithful to its teaching both in word and deed;
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.

Old Testament Proverbs 15.28-33

The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the body.
The ear that heeds wholesome admonition
will lodge among the wise.
Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and humility goes before honour.

New Testament Acts 15.35-41

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and there, with many others, they taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord. After some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Come, let us return and visit the believers[o] in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Gospel Mark 13.5-13

Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!”[a] and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news[b] must first be proclaimed to all nations. When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Post Communion Collect

Lord God, the source of truth and love,
keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
united in prayer and the breaking of bread,
and one in joy and simplicity of heart,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Second Sunday of Easter

Welcome

Please stay for refreshments after the 10.30am service. At this service there are activities and learning for primary school aged children in the Den. The President will call them forward when it is time to join the group.

Notices

Open Church this Friday

The church will be open on Friday from 10.30am to 12noon. Come along for a warm cuppa and a chat. All are welcome.

THANK YOU from the Vicar

To everyone who worked so hard during Holy Week in order to make our church and our services beautiful and meaningful. Many people commented on the flowers, displays and Easter Garden, the music, how well the children led the 10.30am Good Friday Service, the wonderful hospitality for our Lent Groups, Parish Breakfast and Good Friday and the list goes on. Behind the scenes of our worship the ‘logistics’ team of parish administrator, sacristan and servers ensured that every detail was just as it should be. Behind the scenes of our hospitality the catering and ‘front of house’ teams (often the same people!) did us extremely proud as always. What a blessing it is for me to serve such a gifted and self-giving congregation.

Electoral Roll revision

The Electoral Roll will be closed for revision on 1 st May in preparation for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. If you are a member of St Marks please check the current Roll and make sure you are there. If you have not yet joined and are eligible please complete a form and leave it with Judith or one of the Churchwardens. Forms should be returned by Tuesday 21 st April. Applicants for the Roll must be baptised, over the age of 16 (or turning 16 within the year), resident in the geographical parish, or if resident outside the parish, to have worshipped here for 6 months. Any questions please to Judith or Dianna.

Readings for next Sunday 19 April Third Sunday of Easter

Zephaniah 3.14-end; Acts 2.14a, 36-41; Luke 24.13-35

Today's Collects & Readings

Collect

God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal;
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.

First Reading 1 Peter 1.3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith —being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Second Reading Acts 2.14a, 22-32

Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know- this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

For David says concerning him, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience orruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” ‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, “He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.” This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

Gospel John 20.19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Post Communion Collect

Lord God our Father,
through our Saviour Jesus Christ
you have assured your children of eternal life
and in baptism have made us one with him:
deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in your love,
in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.