Benefice of Goring and Streatley with South Stoke : Sunday 13th April 2025

Sunday 13th April Palm Sunday

Welcome to our weekly newsletter

Holy Week begins.
Unstoppable love finds its way, leading our Lord to the cross. We are called to attend to this path and calling, and know Jesus more clearly.
May it be a holy week for you. Do join us at the many chances to be together and enter in.

The Collect, the prayer for the week
True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.

Readings for this Sunday: Ps 118: 1-2, 19-29, Luke 19: 28-40, Luke (22) & 23: 1-49.

This Sunday:
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s
9.25am        Procession from Village Hall followed by…
9:30am      Holy Communion at St Thomas’
11:15am    Palm Sunday service with procession at St Mary’s
11:15am    BCP Holy Communion at St Andrew’s
3:00pm      Bereavement café in the Canterbury Room.

Heal the Gap Bereavement Café
Our Bereavement Café has its next session this Sunday, April 13th, at 3pm in the Canterbury Room (a week earlier than usual due to Easter).

The aims of this group are to demystify the topic of grief and remove its status as a taboo subject and to equip everyone with the self-assurance necessary to engage in a meaningful conversation with those grappling with loss, focusing primarily on active listening.

The sessions are managed by trained group bereavement facilitators. The group is open to anyone, regardless of how long ago your loss occurred, and you will be welcome whether or not you have been before.
We hope to offer some friendship, advice and hope as well as tea, coffee and refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there. Melissa

Please decide how to mark Holy Week and walk closer to Jesus this week.

This year we are again being ecumenical. We are sharing together using St Thomas’, St Mary’s and Our Lady and St John to offer an 8pm evening reflection with a short set of prayers afterwards (compline in the evening).
                             8pm                                        led by:
Monday Our Lady & St John               Fr Kenneth
Tuesday               St Thomas’ Ben Phillips
Wednesday St Mary’s Leighton Thomas
On Good Friday there is a short walk of witness following a cross from Rectory Gardens to the Lockside with a prayer at the start and end of the journey, 10am to 10.15am, ending for people to go to different services at 10.30am.

Dupré’s organ symphony of the Passion and readings
Saturday 19th April, 7.30pm at St Thomas’

On Easter Eve we are having a special service based around this piece by Dupré.
There are 4 short plainsong refrains each expanded into a meditation on 4 moments in salvation history: the world in waiting for Jesus, his birth, his death and resurrection.
There will be readings, prayer and silence and one hymn around it.

Lent ideas from A Rocha
Week six - Be still in nature. During Holy Week, find a quiet spot outdoors and reflect on what Holy Week means to you. Surrounded by the beauty and creativity of nature, the shortcomings of humanity and our need for repentance are often clearer, but so also is the power and timelessness of God.

Bring before him your own concerns and the needs of the natural world. Continue to pray with us via our weekly prayer diary at: arocha.org.uk/get-involved/pray

Lilies at Easter in memory of Family or Friends
In previous years many of you have generously contributed to the Easter flowers at St Thomas’. The church has been scented by lilies and looked beautiful.
Should you wish to remember family members or friends again this year by donating a lily, please contact Jenny via the church office (875651).

Ecumenical Lent groups
The ecumenical groups wrap up meeting is on Thursday 24 April in the Canterbury Room. Meet at 10am for coffee and a biscuit - the session will begin at 10.30am. We’ll finish the final session, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus’ and feedback about the different groups. Anyone is welcome, even if you’ve not attended but are curious to know what it’s all about.

Pick-a-Flick, Thursday 17th April, 10:30am
This month Pick-a-Flick will be screening the film “Going in Style”. As usual, there will be coffee before the film and a light lunch afterwards and we ask for a contribution of £5 towards this.
Pre-booking is required so please contact Sarah via the church office (875651) to book in and to ask for transport if you require it.

Disasters Emergency Committee Myanmar appeal

Powerful earthquakes in Myanmar have caused catastrophic devastation. Survivors urgently need critical support including food, water, shelter and medical aid. DEC has started an appeal and the UK

Government will match pound-for-pound up to £5 million donated by the public. You can find out more and donate online here: https://www.dec.org.uk/ or we will have buckets in our churches this Sunday.

Start your day listening to God and praying together. 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:

That we will keep Holy Week and Easter.
For the people of Myanmar.
For us all as the global economy is re-set, to consider what values and aspirations, what drivers we want to have guiding us.
For us all to engage with the true price for peace.

Diary for the week

Monday 14th April
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at Our Lady & St John

Tuesday 15th April
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at St Thomas’

Wednesday 16th April
10:30am    BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
The readings will be Isa. 50. 4-9a, Ps. 70 and John 13. 21-32.
8:00pm      Reflection & night prayer at St Mary’s

Thursday 17th April, Maundy Thursday
10:30am    Pick-a-Flick in the Canterbury Room
8:00pm      Benefice Holy Communion at St Thomas’

Friday 18th April, Good Friday
10:30am    Family service at St Thomas’ with hot cross buns
3:00pm      Meditation service with hymns at St Mary's
6:00pm      Night prayer at St Andrew’s

Saturday 19th April, Easter Eve
11:00am    Easter Egg hunt at St Andrew’s
1.00pm      Marriage of Ryan & Natalie at St Mary's
7:30pm      Dupre’s organ symphony and readings at St Thomas’

Sunday 20th April, Easter Sunday
8:00am      BCP Holy Communion at St Thomas’
9:30am      Family Communion at St Thomas’
10:30am    Family Communion at St Mary’s
11.00am    Family Communion at St Andrew’s

The (rather belated) monthly calendar for April with all the Holy week

and Easter services can be downloaded by clicking here

Prayers for the week from "Roots on the Web"
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
This Holy week we pray to you, Son of God:
For the choices you made to bring the world hope,
For your servanthood and humility,
For your words of a different power and your challenge of corruption,
For the sacrifice of your life so we can fully live.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
In this turbulent and complicated world we pray to you, Son of God:
For the countries in poverty and despair,
For the nations in war, conflict and turmoil,
For the peoples persecuted and rejected,
For you to bring your kingdom of peace.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
In this world damaged by humanity we pray to you, Son of God:
For those who farm the land, facing changes in weather,
For countries in drought, flood, and starvation,
For people helping and supporting those who have lost their land,
For you to bring weather in season, and good crops.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
In this world of greed and bullying we pray to you, Son of God:
For those facing loss of jobs, businesses and income,
For those who have international, life-changing decisions to make,
For those who have far too much, but desire more,
For you to bring fairness, morality and generosity into selfish lives.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
In the family of this church and our community we pray to you, Son of God:
For all our local leaders, councillors and MP,
For all those who work in surgeries, schools, shops and all places that serve,
For all those in need, in sickness, in pain and in turmoil,
For you to bring your healing and light into darkness.

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.
In our own country we pray to you, Son of God:
For time our Holy Weeks, for Easter to rest, reflect, and pause our busyness,
For a return to your ways of compassion and kindness,
For the peoples’ money to be spent wisely,
For you to bring calm, vision and purpose.

Daily readings for the week beginning 14th April

Monday am:	Ps 41	Lam. 1. 1-12a	Luke 22. 1-23	pm: Ps 25	Col. 1. 18-23
Tuesday am:	Ps 27	Lam. 3. 1-18	Luke 22. [24-38] 39-53	pm: Ps 55. 13-24	Gal. 6. 11-end
Wednesday am:	Ps 102	Jer. 11. 18-20	Luke 22. 54-end	pm: Ps 88	Rev. 14.18-15.4
Thursday am:	Ps 42	Lev. 16. 2-24	Luke 23. 1-25	pm: Ps 39	Eph. 2. 11-18
Friday am:	Ps 69	Gen. 22. 1-18	Heb. 10. 1-10	pm: Ps 130	Col. 1. 18-23
Saturday am:	Ps 142	Hos. 6. 1-6	John 2. 18-22	pm: Ps 116	1 John 5. 5-12

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