Bolingbroke Deanery Team Parishes Faithful, Confident, Joyful 6th September 2020 (Green)

Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity

9.00am Sunday Service at Home Watch the service Recognising teachers and school staff as unsung heroes Featuring contributions from St Thomas CofE Academy, this online service is led by Rev Tim Bateman from Gas Street Church, recognising teachers and school staff as unsung heroes and praying for the start of the new school year. The Dean of Birmingham, Matt Thompson, preaches and Sarah Smith, Director of Education for the Church of in Birmingham, shares a reflection. https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

13th Sunday after Trinity Seeking God’s Kingdom Services in the Cluster 9.30am Hundleby Morning Prayer (FJ) Banns 1st: Joshua Thomas Croney (s) Hundleby & Alexandra Jane Holmes (s) (Hundleby 10/10/20) Also: Andrew David Bray (pmd) & Tara Louise Clarke (s) both of (Hundleby 31/10/20) 10.00am Spilsby Informal Service (JC) 3.00pm Great Steeping Eucharist (PC) 4.00pm Spilsby Eucharist (PC) Services in the Marden Hill Cluster 9.30am East Keal Holy Communion (+DR) Services in the Stickney Cluster 11.15am Stickney Morning Worship (FJ) Services in the Partney Cluster 11.15am Partney Morning Prayer (PC) Services in the South Ormsby Cluster 9.30am Tetford Holy Communion (PC)

10.00am Prayer in our own homes See below

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Bolingbroke Churches on line: We will continue to publish a short video on YouTube and linked it to our website. Our Web Site http://lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/spilsby/index.php I have created a YouTube Account Bolingbroke Team Churches https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTDWzvL2jxeB6ESF- aP9Nw?view_as=subscriber

Monday The Old Hall Halton Holegate Care Home Tuesday Birth of BV Mary Eresby Hall Care Home 2.00pm Hagworthingham: Wendy Done's Funeral 2.00pm New Leake: Prayer & Bible Study Wednesday Charles Lowder Manor Care East Kirkby 10.30am Spilsby Thursday Old Rectory Stickney Care Home Friday Southwold Tetford Care Home Saturday Churchill & Elizabeth House Spilsby 10.00am RIDE & STRIDE Saturday to 6pm

Next Sunday – 14th Sunday after Trinity Seeking God’s Kingdom Services in the Spilsby Cluster 9.30am Spilsby Holy Communion (PC) 4.00pm Spilsby Evensong (PC) Services in the Marden Hill Cluster 9.30am East Keal Holy Communion (+DR) 11.15am Hagworthingham Holy Communion (PC) 3.00pm East Kirkby HARVEST (FJ) Services in the Stickney Cluster 11.15am Stickford Morning Worship (FJ) Services in the Partney Cluster 9.30am Candlesby Morning Prayer (PMcL) 3.00pm Partney Holy Communion (TMcL) Services in the South Ormsby Cluster 9.30am Tetford Morning Prayer (TMcL) 2

Private Prayer in the Following Churches: St James Spilsby Daily 08.00 to 16.00 St Helen East Keal Daily 10.00 to 16.00 St Luke Stickney Thursdays 09.45 to 11.00 St Helen Stickford Thursdays 10.00 to 11.30 St Mary Hundleby Daily 10.00 to 14.00 Daily 8am Morning Prayer at Noon God of love, turn our hearts to Your ways and give us peace. Amen Bolingbroke Team Ministry

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity Morning Worship

The night is far gone: the day is near. Let us lay aside works of darkness: and put on the armour of light. Now is the moment to awake from sleep: and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. As we gather in his name: may the Lord be with us. Amen.

Hymn Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! The heavens are not too high, his praise may thither fly, the earth is not too low, his praises there may grow. Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King!

Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! The church with psalms must shout, no door can keep them out; but, above all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in every corner sing, my God and King! George Herbert (1593 - 1633)

Invitation to Confession The sun of righteousness has dawned with healing in his wings. Let us come to the light of Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

A prayer of confession

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Loving and forgiving God, you know our faults before we know them ourselves, and you desire to heal and restore us: enlighten our minds and hearts to see more clearly the hurt we have caused others and the good things we have failed to do. In your mercy, do not let us be over-burdened by our faults and neglect, but forgive us and lead us to new life in you, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assurance of sins forgiven May God who loved the world so much that he sent his Son to be our Saviour forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Reading from Ezekiel 33:7-11 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked ones, you shall surely die’, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life. Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

A Reading from Romans 13.8–14 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

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Hymn There's a quiet understanding, when we're gathered in the Spirit It's a promise that he gives us when we gather in his name There's a love we feel in Jesus, there's a manna that he feeds us It's a promise that he gives us when we gather in His name

And we know when we're together sharing love and understanding That our brothers and our sisters feel the oneness that He brings Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus, for the way you love and feed us For the many ways you lead us, thank you, thank you, Lord E. R Smith

Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 18:15-20 ‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax- collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Homily from the Diocesan Website We live in an age where we are very conscious of time and most of us are keen to keep to time and to always keep our appointments. We regularly look at our clocks, watches and perhaps even our phones to check the time. In these days of lock down we may even feel that time is dragging because we can’t occupy ourselves with the enjoyable things we used to do. In the times of the Roman Empire, however, telling the time was less precise and so people were less concerned about it. But the early church Christians were deeply fixated on the promised return of Christ, and concern over its timing as a subject that considerably occupied the early Church. So, today, let us reflect on our reading from Romans which relates to this important time; the time of Christ’s return.

The words from verse 12 of our reading from Paul’s letter say: “The night is far gone and the day is near” Romans 13:12

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Living in the 21st century we have seen more than 2,000 years pass without Christ returning and perhaps we have lost that sense of Christ’s return being imminent. The early church lived very much with the expectation that Jesus would soon return. After all Christ had come down to earth and had proclaimed the kingdom of God. He had died, had risen again and been taken up to heaven in the sight of his disciples. In addition, the Holy Spirit had then been sent down to bless and encourage all Christ’s followers. Christ’s own teaching led the early Christians to expect his return at any minute. This drove the early followers to boldly proclaim the gospel and many were prepared to die for their faith as the day of the second coming was very near, perhaps only a matter of hours away. They were enthusiastic in their mission to bring as many people to a faith in the Lord Jesus before that day, as the Lord himself had instructed.

In our Old Testament reading we hear the commission given to one of God’s people, the prophet Ezekiel, who was called to speak to the people of his time in exile in the Babylonian Empire. Ezekiel was called by God to urge the exiles to take courage and return to God. They would have been discouraged by the overthrow of Israel and their enslavement and transportation away from their homeland to a foreign country. It is understandable perhaps that their faith in God had weakened but, although God was displeased with the people of Israel, he still longed for their return to him. He commissioned Ezekiel, therefore, to speak to the people. God instructs the prophet: “Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me.” Ezekiel 33:7

Ezekiel must have completed his commission because the people’s exile in the Babylonian Empire came to an end and God fulfilled the promises he made to his prophet, that they would return to Israel once again. The time to return home came after a long period of patient waiting.

The commission that we have from God for our time is the same one Jesus gave to his disciples just before his ascension to heaven. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus instructs his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”

Here we are 2,000 years later still awaiting the second coming; still with the commission from Jesus himself to go and spread the good news of the gospel. We have inherited this instruction and God calls us in our generation to spread the good news of the Gospel to all; here in our time and our place. And we must treat this instruction with some urgency as, if you think about it, we must be closer to the second coming of Christ than the early Christians were. The night of 6

waiting must be even further gone, and the day must be much nearer, so we need to be focused on spreading the gospel because Christ may come at any moment.

So, let us continue to do God’s work on this earth and continue to spread the good news of the gospel, with urgency for: - “The night is far gone and the day is near”.

Questions for Reflection 1. Do you think that Christians nowadays no longer expect Christ to come again in the present age? 2. Do you feel that we are going through a time of “exile” at the moment? If so, how can we respond to Jesus’ instruction to bring others to a belief in him if we are as restricted as we are at the moment? 3. Is there anything else from the passage not already discussed that speaks to you? What is it? 4. What will you do this week in your Monday-to-Saturday ministry in response to what you have heard today? #everydayfaith

Song Great is the darkness that covers the earth, oppression, injustice and pain. Nations are slipping in hopeless despair though many have come in your name. Watching while sanity dies, touched by the madness and lies.

Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit we pray Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit on us today

May now your church rise with power and love, this glorious gospel proclaim. In every nation salvation will come to those who believe in your name. Help us bring light to this world that we might speed your return

Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit we pray Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit on us today

Great celebrations on that final day 7

When out of the heavens you come Darkness will vanish, all sorrow will end and rulers will bow at your throne. Our great commission complete, then face to face we shall meet

Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit we pray Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus, pour out your spirit on us today Noel Richards

The Creed Let us declare our faith in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

We thank you, O God, that you have given us an enduring hope—one which cannot disappoint us or mislead us. We thank you, that through our faith in you and in your Son Jesus Christ, you enter into every believing heart and, where lives have been torn asunder by the darkness of this world, you make them new. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray today O God that those believers who are asleep may awake and know that salvation is nearer now than when they first believed. Help them, and us, to lay aside the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light that you bestow upon those who actively seek you day by day. Grant that their faith and ours may be fully alive. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We ask today, O God, for those who have lost hope and for those who have never had it. Grant to us and to those we lift before you in our hearts a new and abiding vision of what have you have done, what you are doing, and what you will do, to save and redeem your people and indeed the creation itself. Grant, O God, that all might see and believe and discover their purpose and the purpose of all that is and all that is yet to be. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 8

We lift before you, O God, all who we know to be in need, particularly those named on our pew sheets. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We ask all this of you, O God, knowing that you are our hope and our salvation, a very present help in times of trouble, and the One whose purpose is to grant and new and abundant life to us and our world. Praise be to your name. Amen.

Collect Almighty God, you search us and know us: may we rely on you in strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

Hymn Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss: From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey: Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day; Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone, The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own; Put on the gospel armour, and watching unto prayer, Where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there.

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Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song; To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of glory shall reign eternally. Words: John Newton 1725 - 1807 A sending out prayer May the love of God be yours. May the gentleness of Christ be yours. May the peace of the Spirit be yours. And may the Trinity bless you today and always. Amen. Some items are © ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020. Reproduced with permission. Sunday 6th For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them 13th Sunday after Trinity Pray for all who are experiencing faith in small groups at this time. Pray for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa - The Most Revd Thabo Makgoba - Archbishop of Capetown and Primate of Southern Africa

Monday 7th The Walesby Group: Walesby, Tealby, Stainton le Vale, Kirmond le Mire, Claxby, Normanby le Wold, North Willingham, Croxby, Brookenby and Thoresway– Revd Chris Hewitt God of Mission who alone brings growth to your Church empower us with your Holy Spirit: giving vision to our planning, wisdom to our actions and power to our witness so that our church may grow: in spiritual and prayerful commitment to you, in numbers and through loving service to our local communities, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Audit and Governance Committee Oru (Nigeria) The Rt Revd Geoffrey Chukwunenye Canberra & Goulburn (Australia) The Rt Revd Mark Short Tuesday 8th Linwood, Legsby and Lissington (In Plurality with ) - The Birth of the Blessed Revd Claire Walker Virgin Mary Pray for all who are working to create links between Church and Community Osaka (Japan) The Rt Revd Andrew Haruhisa Iso Canterbury (England) The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby (Primate) Wednesday 9th Market Rasen – Revd Claire Walker - As a Church, we seek to put God at Charles Fuge Lowder, the centre of our own lives, our shared life as a congregation and of the Priest, 1880 whole community here in Market Rasen. Bishop’s Staff Osun (Nigeria) The Rt Revd James Afolabi Popoola Cape Coast (West Africa) The Rt Revd Victor Atta-Baffoe Thursday 10th The Kelsey Group: Holton le Moor, Kirkby w Kingerby, North Kelsey, North , South Kelsey, Thornton le Moor, Usselby – In Vacancy Pray for those who have the care of the community at this time. Osun North (Nigeria) The Rt Revd Abiodun T Olaoye Cape Town (Southern Africa) The Most Revd Thabo Makgoba (Primate) Carlisle (England) The Rt Revd James Scobie Newcome

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Friday 11th The Property Department of the Diocese – Andrew Drummond-Hunt, Diocesan Surveyor - Property strategy/forward planning, capital programme management, glebe estate management, planned repairs and maintenance Osun North East (Nigeria) The Rt Revd Ebenezer Akorede Okuyelu Cashel & Ossory (Ireland) The Rt Revd Michael Andrew James Burrows Saturday 12th The Property Department – Nicholas Turner, Properties Manager - Property management, emergency repairs, planned repairs, alterations and extension (Currently on furlough) Ottawa (Canada) Vacant Central Buganda (Uganda) The Rt Revd Michael Lubowa Sunday 13th Peter came and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if another member of the church[a] sins 14th Sunday after Trinity against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. Pray for all who are struggling to forgive. Pray for the Anglican Church of South America - The Most Revd Gregory James Venables - Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of South America & Bishop of Argentina

The sick at home or in hospital, Leo Seebacher-Hobson, Nigel Worth, Kathleen, Ann, Molly, Veronica, Dorothy, Maggie J. Betty Brawn, Tristan, Joan Abbey, Michael P, Joan T. Mark, Jossie Lee, June, Hilary, Michael, Harriet, Rose L., Kate B. Abby, Sheila Janes, Fleur, Mary, Jeff Mason, Rosie, Jean C. Bob, (Baby) Chloe Lear, Lawrence, , Margaret White (Spilsby), Ann Howman, John and Audrey Prince, Sylvia Bonsey.

The Departed: Wendy Done, Beryl Moore, Margaret Day.

Anniversary: Eric Dennett, Henry Slack, Vera Patrick, Jean Scrimshaw, Ethel Towle, Harry Ely, Fred Thornett(p), Barry Murden, Doris Scott, Joan Neil, Iris Brough, Bob Johnson, Sarah Welton, Mary Bee, Win Stone, Trish Swanson, Alf Chantry, George Bogg, Yvonne Watts, Josephine Cowdell, John Braybrooks, John Thornalley, Gladys Brader, Kathleen Scrimshaw, Josephine Cowgill Margaret Milliken, Margaret Knowles, Matt Pinner, Brenda Pinner, David Quigley, Dale Jacklin, Eric Damms Allan Johnson, Dorothy Oliver, Joan Grant, Lucy Scarborough, Eric Woods, Anita Froy, Reg Woodward, Irene Hall, Jim Bailey, Marlene Seal, Malcolm Machin, Teresa Sellars, Donald Hutchin.

An act of Spiritual Communion You may wish to find a space for prayer in Reflect on the day and on your relationships. front of a cross, a candle, or a special place. - What good things have come from You might choose to make your Spiritual God today? Communion at a particular time of day, or - Where have I fallen short? after viewing a live streamed service. - What might I do tomorrow? 11

You may wish to say or pray Give thanks for the saving death and Lord, have mercy. resurrection of Jesus and ask him to be with Christ, have mercy. you now. Lord, have mercy. Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for Read the following words from Scripture. If all the benefits you have given me, you have access to today’s readings for Holy for all the pains and insults you have Communion, you may wish to read and borne for me. Since I cannot now receive reflect on them. you sacramentally, I ask you to come Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. spiritually into my heart. Whoever comes to me will never be O most merciful redeemer, friend and hungry, and whoever believes in me will brother, may I know you more clearly, never be thirsty.’ love you more dearly, and follow you John 6.35 more nearly, day by day. Amen. Pray for the needs of the world, for your after the Prayer of St Richard of Chichester local community, and for those close to you. Conclude with the following: End with the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord bless us, and preserve us from Our Father... all evil, and keep us in eternal life. Amen. A prayer for all those affected by coronavirus

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Clergy Team The Rev’d. Canon Peter Coates The Vicarage, Church Street, Spilsby, The Rev’d Mrs Jean Coates PE23 5EF Contact via Spilsby Vicarage – As above email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Tel: 01790 752526 Rev’d. Mrs Teresa McLaughlin & The Rev’d. Ms. Fran Jeffries Mr Paul McLaughlin – Community The Rectory, Horbling Lane, Stickney Chaplain PE22 8DQ email: [email protected] The Rectory, Scremby Road Partney PE23 4PG The Rev’d. Mrs Joan Thornett [email protected] email: [email protected] 01790 752344 Tel: 01790 754151 12

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