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Sunday 1st September                                                                Trinity 14

Welcome to our weekly newsletter
Crayons

Lifelong learners. God has new hope and life to live and grow in each of us. Days are shortening, more time to read, learn and inwardly digest. How will you grow in this coming academic year?

We also pray for and think about our schools and the learning institutions of our parishes and country at our “Back to School” services.
The Collect, the prayer for the week  
  Almighty God,
  whose only Son has opened for us
  a new and living way into your presence:
  give us pure hearts and steadfast wills
  to worship you in spirit and in truth;
  through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
  who is alive and reigns with you,
  in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
  one God, now and for ever.
Readings for this Sunday: James 1: 1, 17-end, Ps. 15 and Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

This Sunday:
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
8:45am        Breakfast in the Canterbury Room
9:30am        Family service, “Back to School”, at St Thomas’
11:15am      Holy Communion at St Mary’s
11:15am      Family service, “Back to School”, at St Andrew’s
4:00pm        Choral Evensong at St Thomas’
The Story of Scripture
On alternate Tuesday mornings starting in September we begin a new course giving an overview of the story of God’s loving purposes revealed in Scripture. To help us see the big arcs of narrative amid the trees. This course from the Diocese of Oxford uses a video and teaching as well as discussion. Please see https://learn.oxford.anglican.org/course/info.php?id=5 for more information. 
All welcome. Begins 10th September at 10.30am in the Canterbury Room.
Come ready to learn, ask questions and have your hearts and lives stretched.
Please let Ben know if you are interested and sign up on the sheets in church. 
Ride and stride
Get out and enjoy, be nosy and discover local churches:
This year’s Ride and Stride in aid of 
Berkshire and Oxford Historic Churches Trust will take place on Saturday 14th September.
Sponsor forms are available. Help with refreshments and welcoming gladly received.
Scam warning.  Please be aware of the ever increasing number of scam callers on phone or on computer. It seems this week a church member was phoned by a supposedly local family in dire need, but it turned out not to be the case.
Oxford Invitation
Our benefice is blessed by having Christ Church Cathedral as our patron.
They invite us to join other similar parishes for a Corporate Communion on Wednesday 25th September at 6pm.
This is preceded by a tea and talk at 4.30pm by Canon Peter Moger on Anglican Hymnody and followed by supper in the great hall, ending about 9pm.
So a feast to the soul and the senses.
Each guest is asked to contribute £15 to food + maximum £10 travel (train or parking) costs.
If you would like to go please sign up using the sheets in church by morning service on 8th September.
Music treble clef and notes

Songs of Praise service
If music be the food of life, sing on! It is good to sing together. It cheers the soul to be thankful and be united in praise.

What is your favourite hymn /song and why?

We would love to hear your requests and reasons. These can be brought together for our Benefice Songs of Praise on Sunday 29th September at 10.30am in St Andrew’s. The organist and choirs from Streatley and Goring will be there to help raise the roof.
Hymn suggestions to the office (875651 or officeofgsandss@yahoo.com) by Sunday 8th September. Thank you v much.
St Mary's Bank Holiday teas 24
Bank Holiday Teas at St Mary's 
Thank you very much to everyone who helped make the Bank Holiday teas at St Mary's so enjoyable.
Those lending us the gazebos and those constructing and deconstructing them; the many makers of cakes; the chair movers; the washers-up and the

 
servers: all contributed to Team St Mary's to ensure the success of the occasion,  with particular thanks to Rosemary for co-ordinating the servers and the cakes.
Many first-time visitors from all over the U.K. showed great appreciation for the hospitality; it was a shame that the road closures had dissuaded a sizeable number of Bank Holiday tourists from venturing down the High Street but we remained undeterred. 
Above all, many thanks to Janet for playing as exquisitely as ever; even providing extra tunes for enthusiastic latecomers.                                                  John 
SS coffee morning 24.08
South Stoke Coffee Morning
The anniversary coffee morning on Wednesday was a great success with Larry playing the piano, a poem from David and visiting bellringers also enjoying the hospitality so kindly provided and appreciated each month. Many thanks to Sally for masterminding it all.
Daily Prayer resumes its usual pattern. Why not join in one day? We listen to the Bible and pray for our world and church members in turn.
Monday: 8.30am Goring,     Tuesday and Thursday: 8.30am Streatley.
Friday: 9am Goring.

This week we are asked to pray 

  • For all receiving exam results and/or planning next steps, new ventures.
  • For a change of heart of those set on war and revenge.
  • Give thanks for the gift of worship to be able to unite us.
  • For preparations for the new academic year and term ahead.
  • For year 6 children to sign up for Genesis group.
Diary for the week
Wednesday 4th September
10:30am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
                      followed by coffee in the Canterbury Room
The readings will be 1 Cor. 3. 1-9, Ps 62 and Luke 4. 38-end.


Sunday 8th September 
8:00am        BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9:30am        Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am      Family service, “Back to School”, at St Mary’s
11:15am      Holy Communion with Baptism at St Andrew’s
The monthly calendar for September can be downloaded by clicking here

Prayers for the week from "Roots on the web"
Loving God,
we pray for peace in our world, remembering all those directly affected by conflict in Russia and Ukraine, in Gaza and in all the places round the world that don’t at present make the headlines. Teach us not only to long for peace, but also to be examples of peaceful living.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

Loving God,
we pray for all those who are victims of crimes of violence. We continue to pray for the families of the children who lost their lives in Southport, for victims of violence at the Notting Hill Carnival and for all who suffer as a result of domestic abuse. Teach us not only to long for an end to this pain, but also to live in harmony with our neighbours.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

Loving God,
we pray for the Church throughout the world; we thank you for all that our own church means to us and for its witness in the community. We ask your blessing on all social action taken in the name of the church and pray for success for funding bids. Teach us not only to long for all people to experience your love, but to play our part in showing your love in action.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

Loving God,
we pray for all children and young people: for those preparing to return to schools, colleges and universities; for those beginning new courses; for those starting at new institutions. We remember also all those who work in education and education policy makers. Teach us to support those who have challenging roles and to live in ways that accept, honour and respect those of all ages.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

Loving God,
we commend to you those with particular needs at this time; the sick and the sorrowful, the lonely and the persecuted, the poor and the homeless. Teach us to see needs around us and to respond appropriately.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

Loving God,
we bring you our own needs and aspirations. We pray that you will help us to fulfil our potential as children of God, created in God’s image and serving our neighbours in your world.
May our words and our hopes
Be transformed by your love into actions and change.

In the name of your Son who lived a life of words made real in action, Amen.

Daily readings for the week beginning 2nd September
Monday am: Ps 1 1 Kings 1. 5-31 Acts 13. 13-43 pm: Ps 4 Mark 9. 38-end
Tuesday am: Ps 5 1 Kings 1.32-2.4, 10-12 Acts  13.44-14.7 pm: Ps 9 Mark 10. 1-16
Wednesday am: Ps 119. 1-32 1 Kings ch. 3 Acts 14. 8-end pm: Ps 11 Mark 10. 17-31
Thursday am: Ps 15 1 Kings 4.29-5.12 Acts 15. 1-21 pm: Ps 18 Mark 10. 32-34
Friday am: Ps 19 1 Kings 6. 1, 11-28 Acts 15. 22-35 pm: Ps 22 Mark 10. 35-45
Saturday am: Ps 23 1 Kings 8. 1-30 Acts 15.36-16.5 pm: Ps 24 Mark 10. 46-end
Please send any notices or articles for the next news sheet by noon on Thursdays to vicarofgsandss@yahoo.com.
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