Christ on the Cross, Community of St John the Divine, Alum Rock

Sunday 14 February 2010, Sunday before Lent

Prayer and Reflection

The Benefice prays for:

Our thoughts and prayers are asked for:

Jacqui Percy, Pam Williams, Sheila Perks, Sarah Whitling, Pam Daley and Elizabeth Way

Remember the souls of those who have died

Peter Tomkins and Beryl Thurston

We celebrate the birthdays of:

Giles Osborne (15th), Peggy Langdale Smith (17th) and Ann Morgan (18th)

Welcome

If you are here for the first time, please do introduce yourself to a sidesperson or minister and take a welcome card.

Receiving Communion

Baptised members of any Church are welcome to receive Communion. If you do not wish to take communion but would like a blessing please come forward, holding your service leaflet.

Your Offering

A collection for the work of the church is usually taken during each service. Please use the Gift Aid envelope if you are a UK taxpayer.

Hearing Loop Systems

Loop

We have loop systems for the hard of hearing. At St Mary’s it is available in the main nave. At St Anne’s it can be used in any part of the church.

For Children and Young People

St Mary’s Children’s Groups

Children’s groups and crèche will now meet on the first, second, fourth and fifth Sundays during term time. The third Sunday will be our new Teaching Eucharist lasting 40 minutes with children taking part in the worship. Where possible a quiet supervised area will also be available in the Crèche room for parents and children during this service. During school holidays the Crèche area (unsupervised) will be available for parents to be with their children during the service if needed.

St Anne’s Children’s Groups

Children meet on the first, second, fourth and fifth Sundays during the 11:00 a.m. service. They leave with their leaders after the first hymn. All children are welcome.

St Mary’s and St Anne’s Youth Group

Meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in Rose Cottage at St Mary’s. All young people are welcome to participate in an interesting and varied programme. For more details see the YG notice board in both churches.

Moseley After School Service

M*A*S*S meets on Thursday at 3:45 p.m.

Music Time

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Free, half hour music session on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. for children aged 0+ years old. We aim to sing nursery rhymes, Christian songs, play simple musical instruments, hear stories from the Bible, learn basic musical concepts and move to music. Parents or care-givers help their child through each activity or song. No previous musical experience is required. Squash and bikkies after each session.

For more information please Contact Mick Perrier on: 07967 595 881, or via mick@mperrier.freeserve.co.uk.

Social Events

The social committee would like to hear your views on social events within the Benefice. Please take a questionnaire, fill it in and return it to the box at the back of either church. Many thanks for your help.

St Mary’s solar panels

The proposal by the PCC to install Photovoltaic Solar Panels on the upper roof of St Mary’s has been rejected by the City Planning Committee by a majority of one vote. There were 53 letters of support and one against (Victorian Society). The panels would have generated about 10% of the church’s energy requirement and are part of a community project by SusMo (Sustainable Moseley) that includes the Hamza Mosque and Moseley C of E School. A grant of £30,000 had been allocated to St Mary’s by British Gas. We are disappointed that our attempt to show the community that we care about the planet has been stifled.

Cathie Carey writes

I would like to thank every one who contributed to the flowers and generous gift presented to me on Sunday evening to mark my resignation as a Reader in the Benefice. Until three years ago my ministry here was a source of great joy and fulfilment. It is with a huge sense of deep sadness that I now feel I can no longer continue as a Reader in the church where I have worshipped for nearly thirty years. Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement of me over the years.

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Sunday 14 February 2010, Sunday before Lent

Readings
Service First Reading Second Reading
Morning, St Mary’s 2 Corinthians 3:12-42 Luke 9:28-36
10:00 a.m. St Anne’s Exodus 33:17-23 1 John 3:1-3
11:00 a.m. St Anne’s Revelation 4 Luke 2:22-40
Evening Exodus 3:1-6 John 12:27-36a

Services
TimeSt Mary’sSt Anne’s
8:00 a.m. Holy Communion
Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry
 
10:00 a.m. Sung Eucharist
With Holy Baptism of Joshua King
Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Jeremy Dussek
 
10:00 a.m.   Matins
Officiant: Revd Frank Berry
Hymns: 467, 561
Psalm: 62
11:00 a.m.   Sung Eucharist
Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry
Hymns: 53,546,335,278,317
6:30 p.m. Evensong
Officiant: Jonathan Hodgson
 

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Mid-week Services to which all are welcome

Day Time St Mary’s St Anne’s
Mon-15-Feb 9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer  
Tue-16-Feb 8:00 p.m. Start ! Course  
Feb-17-Feb
Ash Wednesday
10:00 a.m.   Holy Communion with imposition of ashes
8:00 p.m. Holy Communion with imposition of ashes  
Thu-18-Feb 9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer  
Fri-19-Feb 9:00 a.m.   Morning Prayer

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Services on the following Sundays

Time St Mary’s St Anne’s
Sunday 21 February, 1st Sunday of Lent
8:00 a.m. Holy Communion  
10:00 a.m. Teaching Eucharist  
11:00 a.m.   Teaching Eucharist
6:30 p.m. Evensong  

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Future Dates for Your Dairy

Date Time Details
Tue-12-Jan 8:00 p.m. –
9:00 p.m.
Third Start Course in Rose Cottage at St Mary’s. Discovering Christianity in six small-group sessions. Please do come along to all or as many sessions as you can. This course is free and open to everyone to come and learn about and/or renew the meaning and relevance of the Christian faith today. Contact Jeremy or Rosemary for further details. Pick up a flyer and give it to someone else.
Tue-19-Jan
Tue-26-Jan
Tue-2-Feb
Tue-9-Feb
Tue-16-Feb
Sun-21-Feb Lent Series Following on from the success of the Start ! Course which concludes this week, we continue our discipleship programme with an exciting and challenging Lent series on Sundays and Tuesdays during Lent, What is truth? Share the truth. See Lent 2010.
After the 10:00 a.m. service Fairtrade Fortnight St Mary’s Fairtrade Stall and Information Display. There will be a variety of goods for sale at reasonable prices. Please come prepared to support this venture.
Sun-28-Feb After the 11:00 a.m. Fairtrade Fortnight St Anne’s Fairtrade Stall and Information Display. There will be a variety of goods for sale at reasonable prices. Please come prepared to support this venture.
4:00 p.m. Fairtrade Fortnight Afternoon tea in St Anne’s Hall. Serving Fairtrade tea, coffee, juice, cakes and biscuits. There will also be a tradecraft stall after St Anne’s Healing Service at 5:00 p.m.
Sun-7-Mar 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Jubilee Debt Campaign Multifaith Conference West Midlands Fire Service HQ,99,Vauxhall Road, B7 4HW. Guests speakers: Joel Edwards, Director of Micah Challenge and Jehangir Malik, UK Manager of Islamic Relief. The aim is to bring people of all faiths together to share their commitment to action on global poverty issues, including the cancellation of unpayable debts. Book online www.jubileedebtcampaign.orq.uk/faith. More details from Ruth Tetlow (Sec. Birmingham JDC) 0121 449 4892 ruthtetlow@btinternet.com.
There is much to celebrate and give thanks for in the Benefice. Come and share God’s Glory with others.

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Thought for the week by Ann Andrew

Straight to the point

Today is special for two reasons. It is St Valentine’s Day and also the last Sunday before Lent. St Valentine was a priest in third century Rome under the rule of Emperor Claudius. Claudius was having difficulty in recruiting men to join his army and he reasoned that unmarried men might not be so reluctant so he banned marriage. St Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies in secret but eventually he was caught, thrown into jail and sentenced to death. On the day he was to die, 14 February 269 A.D. he left a note for the daughter of the prison guard who had become a close friend and frequent visitor signed ‘Love from your Valentine’, the origin of a tradition which remains to this day.

0n Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake day, people used to use up remaining eggs, fats and other rich ingredients which were forbidden in the austere days of Lent. These days we are perhaps less rigorous in our observance of the 40 days of Lent, although many people do give up some luxuries, chocolate being a common choice. Perhaps it would be appropriate to ask ourselves, what is the benefit from such abstinence? The honest answer might be our own waistlines. One could also argue that our support for Cadburys at this time might be paramount. In the spirit of St Valentine who gave his life for the needs of others, could Lent be a time when we make a sacrifice for othes? not the ultimate sacrifice, but perhaps of our time. Everyone seems so busy even when we have so many time saving gadgets, and how often do you hear the retired say ‘I don’t know how I found time to go to work’?

This Lent could we examine our lives and think how we could use our time more generously?


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Collect for today: Sunday 14 February 2010, Sunday before Lent

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.

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