Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 19th February 2023

Sunday 19th February Sunday before Lent

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

Today we think and pray for all healthcare workers and the pressures they face and pray for all in their care.
We also take stock of how to make Lent a helpful time in our discipleship.
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we invite you simultaneously to take seriously the cost of sin and the power of God’s love.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Readings for Sunday: Exodus 24: 12-end, Ps 2 and Matt. 17: 1-9 (St Mary’s) or Luke 8: 42b-48 (St Thomas’ & St Andrew’s).

This Sunday:
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      “Healthcare Sunday” service at St Thomas’ with Tom Toms
11:15am    BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am “Healthcare Sunday” service at St Andrew’s

In our churches this Sunday we will again have a collection via the Disasters Emergency Committee for the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Prayer for the Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal
Loving God,
God of the Earth, of the mountains and the seas,
We lift before you the people of Turkey and Syria,
We pray for help for people who are trapped under rubble.
We pray for shelter for those who have lost their homes.
We pray for comfort for people who are grieving.
We pray for peace for all who are scared and alone.
We pray for the earth to be calm and for the aftershocks to subside.
We pray for those who have already lost so much and now have another disaster to face.
Give them strength and courage. Be their fortress, their rock and their refuge.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Lent, a special season, 40 days to practice a new discipline, or grace, and to listen to God’s voice.
How will you mark it?
Ashing services at St Thomas’ at 10.30am and 8pm on Wednesday or
join morning prayer once a week, take part in the Ecumenical Lent course (see below), pick up a book from the church library to read, (do share from your own library, especially if it was last year’s brilliant booklet on Embracing Justice), sign up for a daily message by email from the Diocese (see "Come and See" below) or…
Please tell us of any initiative you are trying.

Ecumenical Lent course
The ecumenical Lent course will commence in the week beginning 27 February. The focus this year is on the prayers that Jesus prayed. The Lent course provides a wonderful opportunity to meet with fellow Christians from different denominations and learn more about our shared faith. Last chance to sign up on sheets at the back of the churches.
For more information, please contact Catherine Coulson.

Come and See
Tuesday evenings from 7 March
We will be running a group, in person and by Zoom, in the Canterbury Room on Tuesdays at 7.45pm. This is designed for those who might be curious about who Jesus really is, what he really meant by his words and life. It uses 6 ways to look at him, and unpacks the 9 statements in the Beautitudes.

This is an easy way for you to offer our treasure to someone who you know, who just might be interested… Please pray who you could invite.
The Diocese is also providing a daily thought which you can have come to your phone or computer: https://oxford.anglican.org/come-and-see

Real Easter Eggs
Once again Real Easter Eggs are not being sold by supermarkets so the only way to obtain one is to order directly. The eggs are Fairtrade, palm oil and plastic free and many come with a 24 page Easter story/activity book.
There are sign up sheets in our churches or please contact the church office to order. We will be placing an order by the end of February as the eggs sell out quickly!

Warm Space
Come and enjoy some company, tea, coffee, toast and a chance to chat or do a jigsaw in the warmth of the Canterbury Room. Do bring a puzzle (such as the one completed last Monday), a game or your knitting!
Everyone is very welcome.

Our doors are open on Mondays from 10am – 12noon.
Please pray for this venture and telephone the vicarage (875651) if you need help with a lift.
Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to make it possible.

St Andrew’s coffee morning
The monthly coffee morning with cakes which has now moved to the fourth Wednesday of the month will take place in St Andrew’s this Wednesday, 22nd February, from 10:30am.
All welcome!

St Mary’s concert, 26th February, 4pm
Ikuko Inoguchi gave a brilliant Piano Recital in St Mary's last year and is a very accomplished pianist. She writes: "Enjoy an afternoon concert (with tea and cake afterwards) performed by Ikuko and the shakuhachi player and flautist Jean Francois Lagrost. This concert provides a rare opportunity to experience the beautiful sound of the shakuhachi (the Japanese bamboo flute) and works for flute and piano by French composers".
Jean Francois Lagrost is a French flautist and also Professor of Art Education at the Conservatories of Le Kremlin-Bicêtre and Asnières. He plays both the flute and the shakuhachi. He is on a European tour and we are very fortunate that he is able to fit us in. Tickets on the door only £10/£9, cash payment only. Advance bookings to StMarysConcerts@hotmail.co.uk.

Star Count 2023 is taking place now between 17th-24th February 2023
The children at Streatley Primary School are taking part in this year’s Star Count. The idea is to count the number of stars you can see in the constellation Orion and fill in an online form with your results.
The results from Star Count will help make a map of where star-spotters are enjoying deep, dark skies. By showing on a map where light pollution is most serious, we can work with local councils and others to decide what to do about it.
Further details are available here:
https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/nature-and-landscapes/dark-skies/star-count-2023/

Do you fancy three months standing at military checkpoints in Palestine monitoring human rights?
Ben has a friend working as part of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), an international programme coordinated by the World Council of Churches. It brings people from around the world to the West Bank to serve as Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) or human rights monitors. EAs spend 3 months in Palestine and Israel monitoring human rights violations and standing in solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists. Ben’s friend is happy, when he comes home, to give a talk here of his experiences. Please let Ben know if you would like him to book his friend to come.
There are vacancies for others to go…! Full training is given along with expenses and a living allowance. See https://quaker.org.uk/eappi for more information.

We are asked to pray

For the relief operation in Syria/Turkey.
For our growing closer to God this Lent
For the Warm Spaces initiative on Monday mornings.
We give thanks for the St Thomas' organ build being completed.

Daily Prayer is offered each morning in one of our churches. Why not join in one day? We listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church.
Following a request we are trying a new time on Friday.
Monday: 8.30am Goring, Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley,
Friday: 9am Goring

Diary for next week:

Monday 20th February
10:00am Warm Space in the Canterbury Room

Wednesday 22nd February
10:30am Little Lights at St Mary's
10:30am South Stoke coffee morning in St Andrew's
10:30am    Ashing & Holy Communion at St Thomas’
& 8.00pm " " " "
The readings will be Isa. 58. 1-12, Ps. 51. 1-18 and John 8. 1-11.

Sunday 26th February
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am      Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am    Mattins at St Mary’s
11:15am    Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
4pm           Ikuko Inoguchi and Jean-Francois Lagroste –
Flute and Piano Duets in St Mary’s

Daily readings for the week beginning 20th February

Monday am:	Ps 71	Jer. ch. 1	John 3. 1-21	pm: Ps 72	Gal. ch. 1
Tuesday am:	Ps 73	Jer. 2. 1-13	John 3. 22-end	pm: Ps 74	Gal. 2. 1-10
Wednesday am:	Ps 38	Dan. 9. 3-6, 17-19	1 Tim. 6. 6-19	pm: Ps 51	Luke 15. 11-end
Thursday am:	Ps 77	Jer. 2. 14-32	John 4. 1-26	pm: Ps 74	Gal. 2. 11-end
Friday am:	Ps 3	Jer. 3. 6-22	John 4. 27-42	pm: Ps 31	Gal. 3. 1-14
Saturday am:	Ps 71	Jer. 4. 1-18	John 4. 43-end	pm: Ps 73	Gal. 3. 15-22

Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.

The Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke

The Vicarage

Manor Road

Goring, Berkshire RG8 9DR

United Kingdom