Pew Sheet, Sunday, 26th January 2025, Third Sunday of Epiphany

Today is a relatively sad day for our churches as we say goodbye to Didier, who is leaving us to explore what God might have in store for him in other types of ministry having worked predominantly in rural parishes and small market towns since his ordination. We will miss Didier’s warmth and humour, his enthusiasm, and his relaxed worship style, as well as his pastoral support, and the warm relationships he has developed with so many people in all three parishes whilst here.

Since arriving in the benefice, Didier has had to cope with the Covid pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, where he embraced the opportunity to try out several new types of ministry, especially online worship and more reflective prayer groups, some of which have continued since that time, and will continue after his departure thanks to Sue’s kindness in taking on leadership of the online morning prayer group.

Covid was scarcely over though, before he and Mark Nelson had to contend with Andrew’s move to Newport, during which time he was a great source of help and encouragement in Mark’s final year of curacy until my arrival in February 2023. It is no coincidence that on their watch, all of our churches continued to thrive and grow after the pandemic restrictions were lifted whilst embracing new styles of worship and liturgy.

Didier has been a great help to me personally while I have settled into parish life in Winslow, and I am eternally grateful for all that he has done to assist me in this process. I will miss him, as will a great many others I am sure, but I am excited to hear where God will lead him next; and have no doubt that he will come back from time to time to give us an update on his latest ventures. We will miss his references to a well-known local equestrian store, and will have to find another source of buckets, spades, feed sacks, bowls, dogfood… and a whole host of other props for the children’s talks in future!

We owe a great debt to priests like Didier, who as well as the many lay people who keep our parish churches alive, do so much to support ministry behind the scenes, whether taking responsibility for rotas, leading on the benefice’s IT and website developments, and of course, taking weddings, funerals and baptisms for members of the local community. We wish him every blessing in his new ministry and our best wishes to he and Kathryn for the future!

Collect

God of all mercy, your Son proclaimed good news to the poor, release to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed. Anoint us with your Holy Spirit, and set all your people free, to praise you in Christ our Lord.

Nehemiah 8:1-3; 5-6; 8-10

All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. Ezra read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law… Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground…. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

1 Corinthians 12:12–31

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Luke 4.14–21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon him. Then he said to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

Post Communion Prayer

Almighty Father, whose Son our Saviour Jesus Christ is the light of the world:
may your people, illumined by your word and sacraments, shine with the radiance of his glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed,
to the ends of the earth; for he is alive and reigns with you now and forever.

This Week’s Events

Monday

Bell Ringing, 7.30pm in St Laurence. Contact Jan on 07835 461361.

Tuesday (Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Teacher of the Faith, 1274)

Zoom In Morning Prayer, 9am. Meeting ID: 748 9970 4493 password: Trinity or contact Sue on [email protected]

Evening House Group, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.

Wednesday

Morning Coffee, 10.00-11.45am in the St Laurence Room.

Midday Communion, 12.00 noon in St Laurence Church.

Thursday

Daytime House Group, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more details.

Friday (John Bosco, Priest, Founder of the Silesian Order, 1888)

Junior Choir at 6.30 pm followed by full Choir Practice at 7.30pm. Contact Derry on [email protected] if you would like to join in this term.