10th February 2013

The Parish Churches of

St Michael & St Wulfad, Stone, with

St Saviour Aston by Stone

PARISH NURSING is something our PCCs have discussed and decided to investigate. To find out more, we have a meeting on Feb 28^th. Watch this space!

“O would some power the giftie gie us

to see ourselves as others see us.”

Robert Burns, Poem "To a Louse" - verse 8

Perhaps an odd quotation for you, this week: but it’s terribly true, isn’t it? There’s a story of a man who was desperately proud of his sonorous deep voice – but when he heard himself recorded he was shocked to hear a much higher pitch tone than he had expected!

So how reliable is your sight? And do you always interpret what you see correctly? The disciples on the mountain top were obviously shaken to catch a glimpse of Jesus – not as the man they thought they knew as their Rabbi and leader, but as the Incarnate Son of God. Moses and Elijah come to him and they, seeing all of this, realise they have not comprehended the nature of he who is in their midst

But what of us today? Do we understand and see as we should? It’s far too easy in the midst of worship to have wandering minds and earthly thoughts. Yet the truth is that we are in the presence of the Divine, just as were those three on the Mountain top

Lent arrives this week: a time for a new fresh start – a time to put away those things which all too often distract us and lead us astray. For we are all called to:

Be still for the presence of the Lord

The Holy One is here

Ian Cardinal

Please pray for the sick in the benefice:

Dorothy Burton, Mary Townsend, Vi Smith, Rosie Kent, Bunty Beecham, Toyah Carter, Kathleen Pickering, Norma Deakin, Joan & Albert Pinfield, Maureen Evans & Noelle Emery

And for the departed:

Reginald Matthews, Anne Rogers, Mabel Fernyhough, Anne Smith, Dorothy Jackson, Jeff Myatt, Betty Pearson

Remembering their families and friends at this time

This week:

Monday 11^th 7.30pm STONE DEANERY SYNOD meeting – St M & W

Tuesday 12^th February 11.45-1pm Drop-Inn lunch – St Michael’s Hall

1pm Clergy Fraternal – Christ Church

7pm St Michael’s School Governors meeting - School

Wednesday 13^th Feb ASH WEDNESDAY 7.30pm Holy Communion – St M&W

Thursday 14^th January 10.30am Holy Communion – St Michael & St Wulfad

MAGAZINE DELIVERY If anyone has time to take on a round of magazine deliveries in the Walton area, please could they see Berwyn Babb or telephone 812921. Thank you

THE BELLS! 1.30pm on February 24^th we shall be delighted to welcome the Bishop of Stafford and some of our sponsors to rededicate the returned bells at St M&W. Do be with us for this extra service if at all possible.

ASH WEDNESDAY is February 13^th, a very important day in the Christian calendar. As usual we shall begin the season of Lent with a Sung Eucharist at St Michael’s with the blessing and imposition of ashes at 7.30pm in the evening. Mark it in your diaries

This year’s Lent course would normally have been held on Wednesdays at St Saviour’s Church, Aston. With the works going on there, this is clearly not an option and “Wednesdays in lent” will be held in St Michael & St Wulfad’s Church