Prayers for our community

For the people of Ash Grove, Burma Close, Wivelsfield Road For continued prayer: Bunty, Andrew, John In memoriam: Frank Barnes, Frank Tucker, Julius Sunday 3rd May 2020 Rudolph, Brian Green, Gavan Gledhill, Priest. 10.00 Virtual Church Readings: Acts 2: 42 - end, John 10: 1-10

The Shepherd’s Voice Think about sheep and shepherds and the picture that usually comes to a mind is of ‘one man and his dog’. The shepherd’s whistling commands the dogs who then drive Jesus said, “Pray for anything, and if you have the sheep. It is about the sheep dogs behind the sheep, nipping the heels and driving

faith, you will receive it.” Matthew 21: 22 the flock.

A prayer for the world With Jesus it is very different. The shepherds God of love and hope, were at the front. The sheep knew the shepherd’s voice, the shepherds spoke to you made the world and care for all creation, their sheep and the sheep followed. As Jesus but the world feels strange right now. said: “He calls his own sheep by name and The news is full of stories about Coronavirus. leads them out.” Some people are worried that they might get ill. To be able to follow, the sheep needed to Others are anxious for their family and friends. recognise the shepherd’s voice. It is still the Be with them and help them to find peace. same today, to follow where Jesus leads, we need to hear His voice. But that is hard: We pray for the doctors and nurses and scientists, all the noise in our lives can easily drown out the voice of Jesus. Even now, locked and all who are working to discover the right down, with some of the clamour of the world around us subdued, it’s the noise of our own thoughts and feelings which can sound the loudest.

medicines to help those who are ill. Thank you that even in these anxious times, We can all speculate on what happens next? How and when will lock down be eased? you are with us. How and when will we get back to normal? Should we even be thinking in terms of Help us to put our trust in you and keep us safe. going back? Do we want to go back to how it was? Surely, we want to go forward to something better. In which case we can trust Jesus to lead us there, which requires

Amen. hearing His voice so that we can then follow Him. Our first challenge is to hear His https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media- voice, stilling the noise of our own thoughts and feelings until they are formed by centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-parishes/coronavirus- listening to Jesus’s voice and then trusting Him to lead us to the future, He has for us. covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer Martin

Welcome to our new Bishops of Horsham and Lewes

Virtual Church rd Sunday 3 May If you would like to join in with 10.00 a.m. our virtual church, you will need Virtual Church to download ‘Zoom’. To download Zoom for Tuesday laptops and desk top 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. computers click Virtual Coffee Morning https//zoom.us/download

Wednesday 10.30 a.m. Virtual Morning Prayer

10 Downing Street has today announced the names of the new Wednesday bishops of Horsham and Lewes to serve as suffragan bishops in the 7p.m. to 9 p.m. . The Good Book Group The Revd. Ruth Bushyager, currently Vicar of St Paul’s, Dorking in

the , will serve as . Thursday The Revd. William Hazlewood, currently Vicar of the United 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Virtual Afternoon Tea Benefice of Dartmouth and Dittisham in the Diocese of Exeter, will be the next . Thursday The , Dr , said it was “a very 7p.m. to 7.30p.m. significant day in the life of the Diocese of Chichester. It is the Whole Church Prayer CONTACT US outcome of prayer, across the diocese and beyond, that has www.ascensionchurch.co.uk email: sustained us in this complex and demanding appointment process.” Sunday 10th May [email protected] Priest-in-Charge: Martin Jones 10a.m. [email protected] And finally, Virtual Church, with children’s 01444 415229 Sorry to say, but following last week’s disruption of the Virtual Service, from now on ‘Breakout room’. Church Wardens: we are only going to circulate Zoom links and passwords via emails. If you are not on Zoom addresses, for all events, Jill Costello 07736285995 Jane Plumb 07986745387 the church database and would like log in information please email: will be sent out as an email. [email protected]