You are herePewsheet Archive / March 2020
March 2020
28th March 2020
Collect
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
A Reading from the prophet Ezekiel
29th March 2020
Sunday 29 March 2020
Following Government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice and church buildings are now also closed for private prayer.
24th March 2020
Up to 1 week ago, we were sharing Morning and Evening Prayer in our two churches during the season of Lent. Of course, all that came to a grinding halt a week ago, with the request that all public worship services should cease. It has since been superceded by Last night’s Prime Ministerial broadcast, telling us in no uncertain terms, that we must “Stay at Home.”
22nd March 2020
Collect
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Post Communion
21st March 2020
This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, better known as Mothering Sunday. I don’t like it being shortened to Mother’s Day, which is an entirely different thing, coming later in the year in America
The day reminds us of our relationships: all of us come from some sort of family or another, and it is our relationships with others that make us who we are. One of the most significant questions in the modern Marriage service is:
15th March 2020
The Parish Churches of
St Michael & St Wulfad, Stone, with
St Saviour Aston by Stone
Latest Coronavirus advice to Churches
The Bishop of Lichfield writes
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I am writing to draw to your attention updated guidance from the Church of England on the Coronavirus Covid 19. In particular, in light of the developing situation, you see that the advice is that at Holy Communion the sacrament should be offered by the priest to other communicants in one kind only, and that direct physical contact should be avoided at the sharing of the peace and in blessings. I fully endorse this guidance, and trust that it will be followed in all eucharistic services until further notice. Please note that this also excludes the practice of intinction and the use of small individual cups.
At a time like this, it is particularly important that we have in mind those who are most vulnerable in our society, and I know that you and your people will have in mind the needs of those who are most affected, directly or indirectly, by this virus; thank you for all that you are doing in your ministry, and be assured of my prayers.
+Michael
And to clarify, this means
- No sharing of the Peace, by direct contact with others
- Communion will be taken by one kind only – wafer
- Wine will be reserved for the Priest celebrating
- The clergy will be using whatever hand sanitizers are currently available
This advice has been handed down from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York
Ian Cardinal
Hymns for today
Aston Stone
343 282
77 330
426 426
53/159 465/159
188 442
Please pray for the sick in the benefice:
Mary Townsend, Elsie Richardson, Vera Tomkinson, Neil & Pat Wynne, Gary Kelsall, John Richardson, Peter Bowler, Catherine Ritchie, Graham Baker, James Astle, Miles Brain, John & Ann Shuttleworth, Margaret Wright, Gren Deakin, Margaret Bott, Molly Wright, Norman Latham, Mary Leigh, Gillian Wright, Carl Hartley
And for the departed:
Ted Anderson, Evelyn Cotterill, Eric Olley, Dorothy Weaver, Margaret Cann, Marguerite Daniel
Remembering their families and friends at this time
This week:
Monday 16th 7.30pm Aston PCC meeting - Church
Tuesday 17th 9.30am Pirehill School visit to St M&W
11.45am – 1pm Drop Inn café – St Michael’s hall
Wednesday 11th 7.30pm – Lent talk and Holy Communion – Aston Church
Thursday 19th 10.30am Holy Communion – St M&W
12 Noon Frugal Lunch for Lent – St M&W
LENT MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERwill be said on Mondays at St M&W and Tuesdays at St Saviour’s, 9am and 5pm. All welcome to join in
WEDNESDAYS IN LENT:a series of “Saints of encouragement” – Holy Communion at St Saviour’s Aston, at 7.30pm. Do come – a chance to worship and think together about our own sources of encouragement
FRUGAL LUNCHAssuming that we are able to carry on with such, a soup bread and cheese lunch will be held at St M&W from 12 Noon till 1pm each Thursday, in return for donations, shared between St Michael’s and Christian Aid
8th March 2020
The Parish Churches of
St Michael & St Wulfad, Stone, with
St Saviour Aston by Stone
MOTHERS UNIONThis month’s meeting is the annual service of Holy Communion. This is to be celebrated at 11am in St Michael’s Hall – all welcome
OUR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, Fr John’s Mother’s funeral is to be held at Stafford Crematorium on Thursday 12th at 11.30am. All are welcome: attending or not, please remember him and his family in your prayers
The threat posed by COVID-19has been assessed by the Chief Medical Officer as ‘moderate’. This permits the Government to plan for all eventualities. The risk to individuals remains low.
Guidance for Churches: Current Government adviceis that individuals should follow good hygiene practices including:
- carrying tissues and using them to catch coughs and sneezes, and binning the tissue;
- washing hands with soap and water (for 20 seconds) or using sanitiser gel to kill germs.
Advice has also been issuedto travellers who have returned to the UK from a number of countries: Anyone who has returned to the UK from any of these areas in the last 14 days and develops symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, should immediately:
- stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu;
- call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country.
Long-standing government advice has been that ‘In a pandemic, it makes good sense to take precautions to limit the spread of disease by not sharing common vessels for food and drink.’ COVID-19 has NOT been declared a pandemic.
Churches should already be following best-hygiene practices that include advising parishioners with coughs and sneezes to refrain from handshaking during The Peace and to receive Communion in one kind only. At present, there is no Government advice that suggests the use of the Common Cup should be suspended.
It is also best practice for churches to have hand-sanitisers available for parishioners to use. In addition, priests presiding at the Eucharist, communion administrators and servers should wash their hands, preferably with an alcohol-based (minimum 60%) hand-sanitiser .Intinction is not recommended (even by celebrants or communion-administrators) as this represents an infection transmission route as well as a risk to those with certain allergies.
Hymns for today
Aston Stone
243 243
Ps 32 5 (x2)
437 261
316 61/463
139 148
Please pray for the sick in the benefice:
Mary Townsend, Elsie Richardson, Vera Tomkinson, Neil & Pat Wynne, Gary Kelsall, John Richardson, Peter Bowler, Catherine Ritchie, Graham Baker, James Astle, Miles Brain, John & Ann Shuttleworth, Margaret Wright, Gren Deakin, Margaret Bott, Molly Wright, Norman Latham, Mary Leigh
And for the departed:
Ted Anderson, Lillian Ward, Evelyn Cotterill, Eric Olley, Dorothy Weaver, Margaret Cann, Marguerite Daniel
Remembering their families and friends at this time
This week:
Monday 9th 10.30am Ted Anderson’s funeral - Aston
Tuesday 10th 11am Mother’s Union Corporate Communion – St M’s hall
11.45am – 1pm Drop Inn café – St Michael’s hall
Wednesday 11th 7.30pm – Lent talk and Holy Communion – Aston Church
Thursday 12th 9.30am Holy Communion – The Moorings
10.30am Holy Communion – St M&W
11.30am Evelyn Cotterill’s Funeral – Stafford Crematorium
12 Noon Frugal Lunch for Lent – St M&W
TED ANDERSON’S FUNERALwill be held on Monday 9th March, 10.30am at Aston St Saviour
LENT MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERwill be said on Mondays at St M&W and Tuesdays at St Saviour’s, 9am and 5pm. All welcome to join in
LADIES OUTING: 12.30pm Wednesday 11th March. Please see Steph for transport
WEDNESDAYS IN LENT:a series of “Saints of encouragement” – Holy Communion at St Saviour’s Aston, at 7.30pm. Do come – a chance to worship and think together about our own sources of encouragement