This week’s Online Worship
Sunday 15th November – Christ the King (4th of the Month)
9:00 am Diocesan Worship from St Leonard’s, Padiham, service led by Canon Mark Jones.
10:00 am the3churches Sunday Holy Communion
Our 3 churches are now closed for Public Worship but open
on Sundays and Wednesday’s for private prayer
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
In 5 weeks time Christmas will be done and dusted and we will be looking towards the start of 2021 which will hopefully be a better year for the world. But next week we start a new church year with Advent Sunday where we look forward with hope and expectation to the great celebration of Christmas. So as our church year draws to a close we have over the last few weeks celebrated the Kingdom season which draws to a close by celebrating the feast of Christ the King. Here we acknowledge that Christ is our King of heaven and earth.
Our King calls us to follow him and serve him by doing whatever we can to help those in need as he told us ‘whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do it for him’. Christ doesn’t live in a royal palace remote and distant from his people he is with them through all the joys and difficulties that life can throw at us, he is a different King, a servant King who loves and cares for his people.
And quite simply that’s what he wants us to do – to follow his example and to love and care for others.
If we can do that he will recognise us instantly when we get to that gate of heaven one day. It is through our loving service, our kindness to others, not simply saying that we believe in Jesus, that is the key to gaining us entry into God’s kingdom.
May God make you wise to see the signs of the kingdom.
May God make you rejoice to be citizens of the kingdom.
May God strengthen you to do the work of the kingdom. Amen
With love & prayers. Michael (Rector)
Tel: 01772 600548 mobile:07960309005, email: revmwoods@gmail.com
Resources – Christ the King
1) The 3 bible readings set for this week.
2) Prayer and worship at home for Christ the King
A child shall lead them – A journey through Advent to Christmas
Please join us online each day through Advent as we use readings from Isaiah to guide our reflections as we journey towards Christmas. We have a number of booklets that can be delivered to those who don’t use the internet or would just prefer a booklet. Please send names through to the Rector and we will endeavour to get them out in good time.
More details of Advent resources and services next weekend.
Church opening times on Wednesdays & Sundays
Bretherton 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Croston 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Mawdesley 10:15 am – 4:15 pm
Coronavirus Village support groups
Croston COVID-19 Croston Village Support Group
Mawdesley Mawdesley – Coronavirus help each other out.
Bretherton Via Bretherton WI (01772 601495)
email bethertoonwi@btinternett.com
Facebook & YouTube Online Worship
There is no public worship in any of our churches this weekend and online this week’s Diocesan worship comes from St Leonard’s, Padiham, service led by Canon Mark Jones..
It can be found on the Diocesan YouTube Site from 9am on Sunday:
https://www.youtube.com/user/blackburndiocese/videos
In addition there will be worship from Blackburn Cathedral, also from 9am on Sunday on their YouTube channel.
Our online worship will be from St. Michael & All Angels, Croston and will be available from 10 am on Sunday via our YouTube or facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/St-John-the-Baptist-Church-Bretherton-439088266487676/
https://www.facebook.com/StMichaelAllAngelsChurchCroston/
https://www.facebook.com/St-Peters-Mawdesley-w-Bispham-442669382795886/?ref=bookmarks
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXC7P9kQ3xEk_kKf5JZE-A?
The Church of England posts on Facebook and YouTube a national service of worship every Sunday at 9 am. This week’s service for the Feast of Christ The King is from Durham Cathedral will be led by the Bishop of Durham, with contributions from the Dean of Durham.
https://www.facebook.com/thechurchofengland or
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online
This resource may be helpful for those who are unable to return to church services at the moment, or for anyone who is feeling isolated or lonely and who doesn’t have access to the internet.
There are also the daily prayer resources on the Church of England Website where you can download apps at:
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer/subscribe-our-prayer-podcasts
Please do continue to support the Food Banks
All the food brought into the3Chuches is taken to the ecumenical food bank in Skemersdale, supported by the Trussell Trust.
Please continue to bring donations – all the usual store cupboard items are needed – also instant foods for those who are struggling to pay for fuel.
As Christmas approaches we’d also like to collect chocolate, biscuits, cake, etc., as extras. These items must reach us by December 13th at the latest, but the sooner the better!
In Croston – You can leave donations in St. Michael’s Parish Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 10 to 4pm, bring them to 32, Westhead Road or to 19, Highfield Road.
In Bretherton – You can leave donations in St. John the Baptist Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 9:30 to 3:30 pm or in the box at the gate at
154 South Road.
Thank you to everyone for your support to date!
In Mawdesley – You can leave donations in St. Peters Church on Wednesdays & Sundays from 10:30 to 4:30 pm or monetary gifts in sealed envelopes please to Robin Hood Cottage, Blue Stone Lane (Opposite Nook Lane).
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting our local food banks
and all the other good causes at this time.
Could you make a donation to support 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.
As our Churches once again close this will affect us greatly at what is traditionally a busy couple of months in the build up to Christmas.
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 pay 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 greatly help support our regular income.
The Collect
Eternal Father, whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord and King: keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace, and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
First Reading
God is the shepherd who not only tends the lame and seeks out the lost, but also judges the behaviour of the flock.
Ezekiel 34.11-16,20-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
Second Reading
Christ has dominion over all, in heaven and earth, and the Church, and we have been promised the glorious inheritance of the saints.
Ephesians 1.15-23
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The Gospel
Christ comes as king and judges his flock, and will count anyone’s treatment of the least in society as if it were he himself who was hungry, thirsty and needed clothing.
Matthew 25.31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
Prayer after Communion
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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