This week’s Worship
3rd of Sunday of Easter 1st May (1st Sun.)
8:00 am BCP Holy Communion, Mawdesley
9:00 am Family Worship, Bretherton
9:15 am Holy Communion, Croston
Sunday Club in the Vestry
11:00 am Holy Communion, Mawdesley
Wednesday 10:00 am Holy Communion, Croston
Friday 9:00 am Morning Prayer, Mawdesley
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Two weeks ago we celebrated Easter, and I expect in most households there aren’t many Easter Eggs left by now, I spotted a couple left at our house but sadly they are not mine! But Easter isn’t just a day it’s a whole season that lasts 50 days (36 left) in the church and every time we gather in Church for worship throughout the season we say the Easter acclamations, Alleluia Christ is Risen –He is Risen indeed.
So this week we once again here about the resurrection of Jesus who has by now already appeared twice to his disciples, once to Mary Magdalene and the second time to the disciples, as they hid behind locked doors because they were fearing for their own safety.
Each time we are told that Jesus is not immediately recognised, yet they know that he is there and his body bears the marks of his death on the cross.
In the story today we read that the disciples have gone fishing, which may seem to be a strange thing to be doing at this time. Well their minds will have been all over the place wondering what to make of it all and Peter must have felt a serious failure after his abandonment and denial of Jesus, not once or twice but three times. He probably felt worse than everybody else and no doubt he would not feel like he was the rock which Jesus considered him to be.
Such failure and disappointment, serious defeats and setbacks in life can have debilitating effects upon everybody, not just Peter. We can all understand how inadequate he must have felt for the task, and now to cap it all he can’t even catch fish! It was one of those times in life when nothing was going right for him.
So Jesus knowing Peters fears comes to him and asks three questions that help to erase the three denials which he had previously made on that most dreadful night of Jesus arrest. Jesus now shows Peter that he does trust him, in spite of the denials which he made. Now Peter needs to let go of the past, to be set free from the bad memories of the past and bury his failure. Jesus reassures Peter with sincerity, he didn’t say ’well are you sure, you said all kinds of things before and you let me down?’ Jesus asks Peter three times not because he doubts him the first or the second or the third time, but rather for the benefit of Peter, to show that what was in the past lies in the past and is forgotten. Jesus is showing Peter that he trusts him in spite of past failures and there is important work that he wants to share with Peter. Peter realises that Jesus has forgiven him, that after all is why the crucifixion took place, Peter doesn’t need to do anything to earn the forgiveness of Jesus, it is just there and he needs to recognise it to enable him to heal the hurts and failures of the past and discover the new life and ministry which Jesus has for him.
Of course it is not just Peter that Jesus speaks to, he speaks to us all and encourages us to move away from the pains and failures of the past and to discover a new and better hope for the future.
What is our response to his question do you love me?
Michael (Rector)
Tel: 01772 600548, email: revmwoods@gmail.com
Next Sunday – 4th Sunday of Easter – 8th May (2nd Sun.)
9:15 am Holy Communion, Croston
11:00 am Holy Communion, Bretherton
11:00 am Holy Communion, Mawdesley
Bretherton Church and Grounds Maintenance
Can you help with cleaning inside church and/or the maintenance of our churchyard? Please speak to Churchwarden Naomi or the rector if you would like to help – many hands make light work!
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Please pray for the family and friends of the recently departed:
Allyne Clarkson & Jean Rigby
Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord may light perpetual
shine upon them, may they rest in peace and rise in glory.
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Mawdesley Prayer Group, Tues. 10th May 10:45 for 11am start.
Meet at 46, Tarnbeck Drive, to finish up our series on ‘Who is Jesus’?
Hope you can come and join us. Please bring a Bibles.
Please be Vigilant
Flagstone thefts from churches in the Northwest
Please keep an extra watch over the churches
and report any suspicious activity to the police
immediately, also take a note of number plates.
The Jackson Scholarship Fund Invites applications by the 30th June
These are for one off grants from young people (under 25) who have attended Trinity St. Michaels primary school, or if funds are available Bishop Rawstorne Academy. These are to assist them with their studies or trades, full details on the notice boards in Church or contact the rector who can provide more details.
Please do continue your support of the Food Bank
Despite the feeling that we are beginning to live ‘normally’, many families are even more stressed, as living costs continue to rise.
Please bring food items which need little or no cooking – as power prices soar. (See Notice in church for ideas.)
Also, items for personal hygiene and housekeeping are needed.
You can leave donations in our Church’s when open for services or on Wed. & Sun. from 10 to 4pm in croston & Bretherton.
The side door at Mawdesley is open most days.
Also if you hear of anyone who is particularly financially stressed, please contact us. The Layfield Trust, a local Charity, may be able to disperse funds for needy families who live in the villages of Bispham, Bretherton, Croston, Hesketh Bank, Mawdesley, Rufford and Tarleton.
Facebook & YouTube Online Worship
An Act of Worship from Blackburn Cathedral will be available every Sunday from 9am. You can view this on the Cathedral YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4GsctW6SLc or on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BlackburnCathedral
This weeks Church of England worship comes from St Peter’s and St James, Hereford Heather Martin, Youth and Digital Lead, and Rev Luke Aylen, Curate at St Peter’s and St James, Hereford , lead the service. Rev Andy Morgan will be preaching on ‘Hope and Transformation through Christ.’
You can view this from 9am on Sunday at https://www.facebook.com/thechurchofengland or via
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp5NrROK9OU
St. Michael & All Angels
Childrens Sunday Club every 1st and 3rd Sunday
Humanitarian Disaster – ways to support for the people of Ukraine
See our Facebook page and posters in Church for ways to support this locally. The disasters and emergency committee appeal can be found at: www.dec.org.uk which is an effective way to offer your support.
Could you make an Easter donation to Church?
All our churches rely upon the generous donations of our parishioners to provide the financial support that both maintain our buildings and provide care and support to all those in the local community. Although some use standing orders or other methods of online giving, many donors use cash, either on the plate or in weekly planned giving envelopes.
Any donations you could make will be greatly received and one off donations or regular giving can be made by using ‘Online banking’ facilities, the bank details you will require to do this for each church are:
Bretherton – St. John the Baptist
St. Johns Bretherton PCC Account,
No: 10031333, Sort code: 16 17 41
Croston – St. Michael & All Angels
St. Michaels PCC Account,
No. 11215462, Sort Code 16-17-41
Also if you have no facility to transfer funds electronically, envelopes can be dropped off with our Treasurer Derek Alty,
12 Lostock Road, Croston.
Mawdesley w Bispham St. Peter
Mawdesley PCC Account,
No 87032805, Sort code 60 24 02.
If you decide to make a donation electronically you may be given the opportunity to set up a standing order, which would greatly help support our regular income.
The Collect
Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father.
Amen
First Reading
Saul the persecutor of Christians is stopped on his journey by the risen Christ, and his life is turned around.
Acts 9.1-6(7-20)
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’
Second Reading
In John’s vision the whole host of heaven sings the praises of the Lamb, slaughtered and restored to life.
Revelation 5.11-14
I, John, looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, ‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.
The Gospel
After cooking breakfast for the disciples by the lake, Jesus calls his disciples back to his service, and restores Peter for the task of mission ahead.
John 21.1-19
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’
They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’
So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’
A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’
He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.
After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’
Prayer after Communion
Living God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in all his redeeming work; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen
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