If you look at pictures of Paddington Bear you will see that in some he has a label tied to his coat which bears his name. You might also see a sticker on his suitcase which says ‘wanted non voyage’.  History books and documentary films showing children being evacuated from London during the second World War will show something similar, children with labels tied to their coats and their suitcases carrying a label showing the child’s name and where they were being sent. Those labels gave essential information about the individual – who they were and where they were going. When we travel we attached labels, or in times of heightened security and safeguarding against theft we are encouraged to put our addresses inside the suitcase for fear of giving away the fact that our properties will be empty whilst we are away on holiday. Such are labels that they can give away all sorts of information about people and indeed people can be labelled as certain personality types or social class simply by the way they speak, or act or respond in certain circumstances – labels that are often inaccurate and erroneous.

Labels can of course also tell a story; there are those who prefer to leave stickers on their suitcases which tell other people how well travelled they are. If you look at food labels they’re supposed to give information about the food and what is there and advice about allergies, although I have to say that look at some and they do not so much inform as protect the supplier. I remember seeing printed in menu ‘all of our products may contain nuts or traces of nuts’ – even bottles of mineral water! Labels do however help us to differentiate and / or distinguish between people or things. This can tell us something about today’s readings.

 When Peter came to the house of the Roman soldier Cornelius, two worlds met, and we are invited to distinguish between the two.  Peter told Cornelius and his household about a vision he had had about all kinds of food that he was invited to eat. This vision was a lesson to him to embrace people of other faiths and none. Cornelius, in his turn, told a story of a vision he had had, urging him, an important soldier of the great Roman Empire and a pagan, to invite a poor Jewish man – a certain man called Simon, known also as Peter – to his house and to listen to him. When Peter arrived, Cornelius went down on his knees, such was his humility and his readiness to listen to whatever God would say to him through this man. Peter lifted him up and, going into the house as equals, they gathered the household; and Peter told them another story, the story of Jesus. As this story was being told, the Holy Spirit descended on the gathered people, and it was clear that the gift of faith was being bestowed on them; and so they were baptised, and became part of the same family, the family of the faith. People from two separate and different backgrounds – one man important and influential, the other a man of humble background and origin who came and offered far more than the important and influential could offer and yet the two became one as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Their oneness is expressed as Peter was to define this experience in his famous words, “God does not have favourites, but… anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.” God is truly impartial, God is truly for all. For Peter, this trip to the house of Cornelius was a turning point in his life. Barriers and divisions began to come down, labels have been removed, perceptions corrected and so prejudices began to dissolve. The message is very clear – God is the God of all people. It is a lesson we must learn, but it is also a lesson which it can take us a long time to learn.

 Looking back to the labels we use, as we grow up from childhood to adult years, we become aware of the many labels that we carry, labels that not only distinguish us from one another, but that so often divide us from one another – labels of nationality, race, religion, colour and creed. Each of these labels carries with them stories, back histories of hatred and wars and discrimination. These stories can poison our minds against people who are different from us, and we can find ourselves part of hatreds that we do not even understand. The label and the history are ingested and take root in us as prejudice and bias. Yes, we have certainly made a great deal of progress in ensuring that people are equally treated, but that does not in itself remove prejudice or hatred bred by fear and mistrust of those are different in some way to ourselves.

 Jesus on the other hand teaches us that the commandment to love one another is stronger than our tendency to destroy one another. Perhaps this is just as hard a lesson for us to learn as that to regard everyone impartially as God and as Peter tells us.

Some years ago when I was planning remembrance services at Cannock Chase German military cemetery we suggested to members of the British Legion that they might like to come to the German Cemetery as well as the Commonwealth War Cemetery. Such was their memory of war that they said they could never set foot in that cemetery. Over the years we worked with them through the young people engaged in the work – now members of the Legion join the young people in tending the graves of German service personnel whose remains are interred in the cemetery. Eventually even the most hardened soldier admits that after war, you have to sit down and talk to your enemy. Jesus offers us another way. His story says, “Love your enemies and do good to those who treat you badly.”

 As disciples of the Lord, we are part of this great task – the task began by Jesus’ disciples after Jesus’ resurrection. Like Peter when we meet people we see them as they are, we see them in their face, we do not label nor do we measure them against our prejudices or perceptions; we see them in the love that Jesus shows us. We sacrifice ourselves as Jesus sacrificed himself. When we celebrate the Eucharist we are reminded again and again of that sacrifice – the sacrifice of the love of God for us, the sacrifice of his which is why he calls on us to “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’ Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.

 Psalm 97:1-4

The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.
Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.
The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.
The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.
The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations.

A Reading from the first letter of  John 4:7-10

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

 The world: We pray that the Church in every land may be a source of peace and understanding; that those who harbour prejudice and hatred may be turned to ways of peace and love.

  The parish and community: We pray for all those live in this parish that they may grow in the grace of the Lord’s commandment of love.

 Sick and suffering: Nicki and Chris and their families, Gill Southen, Bob Southen, Derrick Herdman, Ruth Strong, Nigel Clewlow, Irene Short, Edward Grigg, Hazel Harrison, Ken Halden, Deacon David McCarroll, George Hall, Neil, Jill & their family, Dorothy Arnell, Betty Parker, Kath Bentley, Gladys Rudd, Martha Pickering, John Townsend,

 Sanctuary lamp: We with Ann Lewis- Cartwright as she gives thanks for her sister Janet’s life.

 We pray for the departed: Vicky Kaye, Maggie Gardiner, Marjorie Taylor, Doris Deverell.

 Anniversary of Death Leslie Hanlon, Ken Leech, Edith Horobin, Mary  Ward, Annie  Lee.

DAILY INTERCESSIONS

Day 13            St. Paul’s Church
People who live in Hesketh Road, Hill Farm Close, Hinton Close

Day 14            Stafford Hospital Chaplaincy
People who live in Howard Road,Hunters Rise John Amery Drive

Day 15            Forward in Faith.  Staff and pupils at Stafford Sports College
People who live in Kingcup Road, Laurel Grove Leigh Close

Day 16            The Company of Mission Priests
People who live in Lilac Grove, Long Meadow Longshore Close

Day 17            For lay  participation in the liturgy
People who live in Lyric Close, Malcolm Road, Woodberry Close

Day 18            Holy Trinity Church Baswich, St Thomas, Berkswich, All Saints, Brocton :– Fr. Peter Graysmith
People who live in Manor Farm Crescent, Manor Gardens, Manor Square, Yew Tree Court

Day 19            The Stafford Prison Chaplaincy.  Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
People who live in Maple Grove, Meadow Way, Merrey Road, Windermere House

FORWARD IN FAITH ANNUAL MEETING
Tuesday, 15th May, 7.30 p.m.  Bishop of Beverley presiding

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION
20th May.  8.00 a.m. Said Mass, 10.15 a.m. Parish Mass

MESSY CHURCH
Sunday, 20th May, 3.00 – 5.00 p.m.
For Primary school aged children and their carers

PARISH PICNIC
Sunday, 27th May
Details to follow.

SPONSORED CYCLE RIDE TO WALSINGHAM
Dave Clark cycles the 155 miles to Walsingham to raise funds for S. Peter’s and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

PILGRIMAGE TO GLASTONBURY
Saturday, 16th June

SUMMER FAYRE
Saturday, 7th July, 12 noon onwards

If you would like information on any of these events please do not hesitate to contact the webmaster Webmaster@stpetersrickerscote.co.uk

Can you imagine what it would be like if the disciples were in an episode of the Apprentice? On the programme people seek to be successful by being grafted to Lord Sugar. You can see the disciples in the boardroom being told that they have failed – Peter has denied Jesus, Thomas has doubted his resurrection, others have squabbled between themselves about who is the most important, others want a seat in the Kingdom; doubtless he would say ‘you’re fired’. Contrast that with Jesus sitting with the disciples acknowledging their frailty and rewarding their faithfulness – he looks across the table and says to them ‘you’re hired’.

Unlike those who fail Alan Sugar’s tasks we are constantly called to work in Jesus’ vineyard in the knowledge that he will provide all that we need to fulfil his mission. If we look back to the Middle Ages we see that vines grown in England were probably brought here by the Romans and were planted largely by monasteries; the idea of good English wine is not new. It has perhaps been up and down across the years as climate changes have taken place, but English wine has been around for centuries. In those days the growing of vines was also a sign of civilisation, a reminder of the Mediterranean “trinity” mentioned in the Psalms: “the corn, the new wine and the oil”. These crops were the staples of biblical times, were used in the worship of God, and also reflected the generosity and loving care of God. When Europeans went to the Americas they brought with them vine-growing expertise, and one of the first things the missionary friars did was to plant vines to produce wine for the Mass. That is the origin of many of the modern vineyards in, for example, California. So vines and wine production are full of religious and cultural meaning, as well as being commercial enterprises.

 We’re all familiar with Jesus using the imagery of vines and bearing fruit to show how we relate to him. In the reading form the book of the Acts of the Apostles we saw how important it was for Saul be to taken into the company of the disciples so that he like them could be one with Jesus whom he had previously persecuted through his treatment of the disciples. Of course, he had a hard time convincing them that his change was sincere, but being taken under the wing of Barnabas he was to show his true mission having been pruned form the ways of evil and persecution. At the end of this account we have a lovely picture planted in our mind of Saul walking arm in arm with the disciples preaching the gospel not on his own. We must remember that without the unity with the disciples in Jerusalem his mission to the Hellenists and wider world would nave not have borne the fruit it did.

Another emphasis is that there can be no fruit if we do not remain united with him, the true vine, and allow ourselves to be pruned by God, to help us bear more fruit. When Jesus uses the vineyard to illustrate his mission he is drawing on very ancient imagery in the Bible. In the Old Testament Israel is often described as God’s planting; the people are God’s special vineyard. Sometimes, when they are disobedient, they produce sour grapes, and create a wine that sets teeth on edge. In the Song of Songs, the love of the Messiah for his people is described in terms of sweet wine; and the place of encounter between the Messiah and his beloved is often a vineyard. Today, Jesus applies this imagery to himself and his disciples.

 The key line from today’s Gospel is “cut off from me you can do nothing”. Jesus is teaching that it is only God’s initiative of grace that can save us. God is the source of all life and salvation, and, as the second reading says, we are called to respond to that grace, to “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and… love one another as he told us to”. So our belief and our behaviour are gradually conformed more and more to Christ, if we remain with him and keep his commandments.

 There is also a rather challenging teaching in the Gospel. Jesus calls us to allow ourselves to be “pruned” by God. This means cutting away all those aspects of our lives that prevent us from flourishing and bearing the fruit of spiritual and corporal works.  So how do we let ourselves be pruned? Well, Jesus has given the sacraments precisely to help us flourish and bear fruit. He “irrigates” us and helps us begin to grow with the sacrament of baptism. He nourishes us with his own Body and Blood in the Eucharist. He builds up the Church through the sacraments of confirmation, marriage and holy orders. We are “pruned” by the sacraments of penance and anointing.

 It is particularly in the sacrament of penance that we come face to face with those parts of our lives that need pruning so that we can flourish. Like a good gardener, God does not want the plants to wither and be thrown away for burning but to flourish and to bear fruit. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, Jesus states his mission very clearly: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” While some people view Christianity as a series of prohibitions, it is actually a way of life designed to help people thrive. Because of the frailty of our human nature, it can sometimes be difficult to live up to the teaching of Jesus. The fool in the Bible is the one who thinks that he or she can live life unconnected from the community, unconnected from the world, unconnected from God. The fool is the one who believes that they are the vine rather than the branches. Jesus however is always there with his love and his grace to help us and to remind us that he is the vine and we are the branches. As well as being the vine to which we belong, he is also the source of goodness in which we grow and flourish.

 The world: We pray for those in public office that: may they be guided into the ways of justice and peace, showing concern and compassion for all people.

 The parish and community: We pray for all those who are anguished, oppressed or needy: may they receive the power of the risen Christ and the joy of his Spirit.

 Sick and suffering: Brenda Hancock, Gill Southen, Ann Wood, Derek Herdman, Betty Parker, Kath Bentley, Gladys Rudd, Martha Pickering, Ruth Strong, Doreen Parton, Gail Forrester, Ray Finlow, Nigel Clewlow, Irene Short, John Townsend, Millie Whitehouse, Stephen Grey, Cyril Bird, Tom Dixon, Maggie, Edward Grigg, George Hall, Neil, Jill & their family, Deacon David McCarroll, Dorothy Arnell, Hazel Harrison, Ken Halden.

 Sanctuary lamp: We pray with Marian Daly as she gives thanks for the lives of her brother Billy and her father Bill.

 We pray for the departed: Brian Monckton, Vicky Kaye, Maggie Gardiner, Marjorie Taylor.

 Anniversary of Death Connie Powers, Beatrice Hall, Gerald Charlesworth, Muriel Moss, George Parker, priest, Ethel Stubbs, Keith Hallett, Peggy Boon, Joe Crutchley.

DAILY INTERCESSIONS

Day 6  The servers.    The Guild of the Servants of the Sanctuary
People who live in Burton Square, Chain Lane, Chestnut Drive, Church Close

Day 7  Bp Jonathan, our Episcopal Visitor.  The Society of the Holy Cross
People who live in Churchill Way,  Conniston House Corran Road,

Day 8  Jonathan, Bp of Lichfield.  Churches Together.  The Company of Mission Priests
People who live in Crinan Grove, Derwent House, Devon Way.

Day 9  Geoffrey, Bp of Stafford
People who live in Dove Close, Elsdon Road, Exeter Street,

Day 10   St. Mary’s Church – Fr. Graham Fowell
People who live in Fennel Drive, Garth Close, Glebelands, Scholars Gate

Day 11  St. Chad’s Church : Fr. Michael Fisher
People who live in Globe Avenue, Gravel Lane, Hambridge Close.

When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

 Psalm

 Response:  You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.
My vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.
May their hearts live for ever and ever!
You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,
all families of the nations worship before him;
They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.
You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.
They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,
declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:
‘These things the Lord has done.’
You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

A Reading from the first letter of  John 3:18-24

My children,
our love is not to be just words or mere talk,
but something real and active;
only by this can we be certain
that we are children of the truth
and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,
whatever accusations it may raise against us,
because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.
My dear people,
if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God’s presence,
and whatever we ask him,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments
lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 15:1-8

Jesus said:
‘I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that bears no fruit
he cuts away,
and every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes to make it bear even more.
You are pruned already,
by means of the word that I have spoken to you.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;
these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,
and they are burnt.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will
and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,
and then you will be my disciples.’

What is the difference between cows and sheep? They both provide things that people need – hide to make leather or fleece to make wool; they both give milk for their offspring and for people’s use; they both provide food. Notwithstanding that they are different species they have many things in common, but you would not in any way confuse the two. Their size alone distinguishes the two, but so too does the strength they have or indeed do not have. Given that other than their size, they are essentially the same the way in they are looked after is significantly different. Cattle are herded, sheep are shepherded. So what is the difference between the two? Both terms are used in our everyday language, but again they are not interchangeable. When we think of a herd we conjure up images of a crowd or a group, herding brings images of coercion and / or restriction. Sheep on the other hand require a very different way of being looked after. When we think of sheep we think of more fragile animals, which need to be looked after, protected and altogether handled with much more care. I’m there will be some who disagree, but my sense of the way they are looked after is that sheep are regarded much more fondly than cattle, indeed there may even be a bond between shepherd and sheep. When we look at Holy Scripture we see sheep used to describe the way in which the people of God are cared for. How they are brought together and the bond which exists between them and God. This is not surprising when we do indeed look at the way the shepherd looks after the sheep. Is it this example which we are called upon to emulate?

 Some bishops and priests imitate Jesus the Good Shepherd literally, to the extent of laying down their lives on behalf of their people. Archbishop Oscar Romero was one such good shepherd. He was murdered on 24 March 1980 as he celebrated Mass in his cathedral in El Salvador. More recently still, on 31 October 2010, forty-four Coptic Catholics were murdered during Mass in Iraq, when gunmen attacked the main Syriac church in Baghdad, then blew themselves up. Among the dead were Father Thair Sad-alla Abd-al and Father Waseem Sabeeh Al-kas Butros. Father Waseem was murdered as he tried to prevent the shooting. Father Thair shielded a family with his body, saying, “Kill me, not this family with children. The future of Iraqi Christians is not in the hands of men, but in the hands of God.”

 Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd who is prepared to die for his sheep. It is quite easy to distinguish between a good and a bad shepherd: the latter has no commitment and runs away as soon as danger threatens. In Jesus’ day, shepherds were commonly regarded as disreputable, isolated groups of men who stayed on the hills for long periods and who often had little regard for the flocks entrusted to their care. Wolves were a serious threat to a shepherd and his flock of sheep. A lone wolf tended to be old, sick or starving and could be driven off. A pack was a united, efficient and deadly killing machine which would identify a potential victim, stalk it and attack from several angles. Packs of wolves could kill the shepherd who tried to interfere. The bad shepherd, the hired man with no sense of ownership and personal responsibility for the sheep, would save his own life before those of his sheep.

Jesus had watched responsible shepherds build up a trusting relationship with their sheep. They would walk ahead of the flock, calling it to follow. The sheep learned that if they followed the shepherd’s voice, they would find good pastures. God the Father had entrusted his people to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knowing that Jesus would establish a uniquely protective relationship with them, even at the cost of his own life. Jesus would lead his followers safely home.

 “Troubles always come in threes.” Does that sound familiar? Sometimes difficulties come from different angles, threatening to be overwhelming, just like a pack of wolves threatening their chosen victim. It is easy to feel alone and defenceless, with nowhere to turn. It is easy to be so preoccupied with our problems that we don’t notice the sound of Jesus’ voice, but that does not mean that he stops calling. It is in our darkest, most fear-filled moments that he is closest and most concerned with our safety. Those are the very times when our faith is tested, perhaps to its absolute limits.

 It is not easy, when life is hard, to put our lives in Jesus’ hands and to go wherever he leads. If only we could see where we are going, following might be simpler. We want to make plans and can’t. Anxiety and insecurity are very frightening. Yet these are precisely the times when Jesus is saying, “Trust me. I am the Good Shepherd. I will keep you safe.” Jesus is however more than simply the ‘Good Shepherd’. The Johannine Jesus is shown as the ‘model shepherd’ rather than  the good shepherd. The two proved us with the same but different Jesus. Yes, the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, but the model shepherd shows how it is that we look after the sheep. When we are involved in the pastoral ministry of the Church it is the model shepherd we look to, but to care pastorally needs to make sacrifices because we put others first, we do to an extent lay down our lives and so become the good shepherd. Both of these exemplars apply to the Christian and non-Christian, indeed verse 16 of the gospel refers to those ‘who are not of this fold’ referring to the gentiles  mission of the early church. This reference in John’s gospel shows the importance of the early Christian soteriology (the doctrine of salvation through Christ). Christ’s offering as the new Adam is for all people not simply those of the Judaic tradition.

 We have good shepherds in our own lifetime, people such as Archbishop Rahho and Fathers Waseem and Thair. Jesus gave them the courage to lay down their lives for others. He might not ask martyrdom of me, but he is calling me to follow him. Am I willing to follow his voice? Are there occasions when I could imitate Jesus and be a good shepherd to someone who needs more help than I do?…Amen 

 The world: We pray for all countries where freedom is suppressed and where cruelty replaces kindness: that God’s love may soften even the hardest of hearts.

 The parish and community: We pray for all children: that they may find love, security and happiness. May their childhood be innocent and free from anxiety; that all who work with children may be true pastors to them.

 Sick and suffering: Brenda Hancock, Gill Southen, Ann Wood, Derek Herdman, Betty Parker, Kath Bentley, Gladys Rudd, Martha Pickering, Ruth Strong, Doreen Parton, Gail Forrester, Ray Finlow, Nigel Clewlow, Irene Short, John Townsend, Millie Whitehouse, Stephen Grey, Cyril Bird, Tom Dixon, Maggie, Edward Grigg, George Hall, Neil, Jill & their family, Deacon David McCarroll, Dorothy Arnell, Hazel Harrison.

 Sanctuary lamp: We pray with Marian and Ken Halden as they give thanks for the life of Ken’s mother Elsie.

 We pray for the departed: Brian Monckton, Vicky Kaye, Maggie Gardiner.

 Anniversary of Death:  Lucy Appleton, Josephine Rowbottom, Leslie Davies, Elsie Halden, Barbara Clarke, Rose Miles, Gwen Garret, Jack Bromley, Alf Pye, Harry Ward, Rose Chenery, William James  Bird.

DAILY INTERCESSIONS

Day 29            Rising Brook Methodist Church and Baptist Churches in the town.
People who live in St Peter’s Gardens, Steadman Crescent, Sydney Avenue,  The Close.

 Day 30            Those who receive the Blessed Sacrament in their own home.  Retired clergy in the Deanery.    
Those who live outside the parish and worship at St. Peter’s

Day 1                The parish clergy.  Staff and pupils of Flash Ley Primary School
People who live in Ash Flats, Ash Rise, Astoria Drive, Bala House.

 Day 2               The Parochial Church Council.  Burton Manor Primary School
People who live in Barn Bank Lane, Basil Close Blithfield House, Blythe Road

Day 3                The Churchwardens.  The staff and pupils of Silkmore Primary School
People who live in Boon Grove, Border Way, Broad Oaks.

Day 4                 The Deanery Synod and the Parish representatives members
People who live in Brook Glen Close, Brookglen Road, Bursley Close, Burton Bank Lane

Day 5                The choir.
People who live in Burton House Gardens, Burton Manor Road, Craftdown Close.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today. This is the stone rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone. For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’

 Psalm 117:1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29

The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
for his love has no end.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my saviour.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love has no end.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone.

A Reading from the first letter of S. John 3:1-2

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 10:11-18

Jesus said:
‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.
‘I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father;
and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock,
and one shepherd.
‘The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’