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PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
Sunday 29th March 2020 – Passion Sunday
The Fifth Sunday of Lent
We pray for:
Those who are ill: Irene Booth, Cassie Buono, Brian Cato, Joyce Cunliffe, Christopher Davies, Revd Malcolm Edwards, Marlene
Fielding, Lisa Ginniff, Irene Halliwell, Jenny Harris, Keith Haworth, Mario Heaton, Edith Ibbotson, Patricia James, Mike Johnson, Eileen
Marsh, James Tonge, James Wright.
Those who have died recently: Arthur Burgess, Revd Ray Coward, Jack Whitehead, Mary Wilson [Mary was Catherine
Croughan’s mother, and we pray for Catherine and her family at this time].
And on their anniversaries this week we remember: John Baxter, Joyce Davidson, William Evans, Joan Gibbs,
George Hibbert, Harry Homer, Samuel Howard, Robert Hulbert, Barry Mansfield, Dorothy Wall, Emma Wood.
This week: The Church of England is producing a series of prayers and acts of worship for those unable to attend church, available here
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-liturgy-and-prayer-resources with some more printed below.
The readings and collect and a sermon for today are overleaf which you can also use in the week ahead.
If you require any further help or information, please contact us [details overleaf]. We plan to keep e-mailing out the weekly and
monthly pewsheets and newsletters to keep everyone in touch with what’s going on.
Note: for those who bought tickets for the Mayor of Bolton’s raffle, the draw has been postponed until after the current
emergency is over.
DON’T FORGET – the clocks went forward one hour on Sunday morning.
Personal prayers
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your
disciples,
‘I am with you always’.
Be with me today, as I offer myself
to you.
Hear my prayers for others and for
myself,
and keep me in your care.
Christ be with me, Christ within
me,
Christ behind me, Christ before
me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above
me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and
stranger.
from St Patrick’s Breastplate
I am giving you worship with all my
life,
I am giving you obedience with all
my power,
I am giving you praise with all my
strength,
I am giving you honour with all my
speech.
I am giving you love with all my
heart,
I am giving you affection with all my
sense,
I am giving you my being with all my
mind,
I am giving you my soul, O most
high and holy God.
Praise to the Father,
Praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit,
The Three in One.
adapted from Alexander Carmichael,
Carmina Gadelica (1900)
O God, the protector of all who
trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong,
nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your
mercy;
that with you as our ruler and
guide,
we may so pass through things
temporal
that we lose not our hold on things
eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Common Worship
Be with us, Lord, in all our prayers,
and direct our way toward the
attainment of salvation,
that among the changes and chances
of this mortal life,
we may always be defended by your
gracious help,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Common Worship
O gracious and holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you,
a heart to meditate upon you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
St Benedict
Before going to sleep
God our Father, by whose mercy
the world turns safely into darkness
and returns again to light:
we place in your hands our
unfinished tasks,
our unsolved problems, and our
unfulfilled hopes,
knowing that only what you bless
will prosper.
To your love and protection
we commit each other and all those
we love,
knowing that you alone are our
sure defender,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Church of South India
TODAY’S SERVICES
All our churches are closed in line with the Church of England Corona Virus / Covid-19 and
Government guidelines.
Eva Safia & Isia Grace
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
The Collect: Gracious Father, you gave up your Son out of love for the
world: lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion, that
we may know eternal peace through the shedding of our
Saviour’s blood, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 37. 1 - 14 1The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me
out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the
middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2He led me all
around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and
they were very dry. 3He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these
bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’ 4Then
he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them:
O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the
Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you,
and you shall live. 6I will lay sinews on you, and will cause
flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put
breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I
am the LORD.’ 7So I prophesied as I had been commanded;
and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling,
and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8I looked,
and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon
them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath
in them. 9Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath,
prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord
GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe
upon these slain, that they may live.’ 10I prophesied as he
commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they
lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11Then he
said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of
Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is
lost; we are cut off completely.” 12Therefore prophesy, and
say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open
your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my
people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And
you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your
graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I
will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will
place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the
LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’
New Testament Reading Romans 8. 6 - 11 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind
on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that
is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to
God’s law – indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the
flesh cannot please God. 9But you are not in the flesh; you
are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not
belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is
dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from
the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit
that dwells in you.
Gospel Reading: John 11. 1 - 45 1A certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of
Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who
anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her
hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a
message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4But when
Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death;
rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be
glorified through it.’ 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that
Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place
where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let
us go to Judea again.’ 8The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the
Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going
there again?’ 9Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours
of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble,
because they see the light of this world. 10But those who
walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ 11After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has
fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ 12The
disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be
all right.’ 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his
death, but they thought that he was referring merely to
sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. 15For
your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may
believe. But let us go to him.’ 16Thomas, who was called the
Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we
may die with him.’ 17When Jesus arrived, he found that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now
Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and
many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console
them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus
was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at
home. 21Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know
that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 23Jesus said
to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him, ‘I
know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last
day.’ 25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe
that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming
into the world.’ 28When she had said this, she went back
and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The
Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ 29And when she
heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus
had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place
where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her
in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go
out. They followed her because they thought that she was
going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came
where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said
to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews
who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed
in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, ‘Where have you laid
him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 35Jesus began
to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37But
some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of
the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ 38Then Jesus,
again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave,
and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, ‘Take away the
stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him,
‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead
four days.’ 40Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
believed, you would see the glory of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards
and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew
that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of
the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you
sent me.’ 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud
voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came out, his
hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face
wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let
him go.’ 45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with
Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
This homily has been supplied by
Archdeacon Jean, Archdeacon of Bolton
who was due in our team this weekend.
Grief and Resurrection – John 11:1-45. We find ourselves on the 5th Sunday of Lent,
2020, in a very different place than many of us
expected to be. It feels like we are waist deep
in chaotic waters, fear and uncertainty all
around us, the prospect of having to ‘do life’ in
a very different way for the foreseeable future
is upon us. So, it is perhaps, serendipitous that
we are confronted this morning with a Bible
reading which is about loss and hope. A
passage which enables us to reflect on the
nature of God when things do not go to plan
and difficulties over take us.
The story begins with telling us how much Jesus
loves this family. So, how does Jesus take care
of the people he loves; rush straight over when
he hears of how ill Lazarus is? No! he waits for
two days! This is tough reading, “This illness is
not for death, but for the glory of God.” What
does that even mean?
Some of us are more comfortable with this than
others, God’s purposes and timing, are not our
own. But I know, there have been situations
when I’ve just wanted God to turn up and do
something. When I’ve been in pain and I’ve
wanted God right now! When the questions of
“Why” and “Where are you, Lord”, have been
on my lips. In many ways, although these were
difficult times, looking back, there was always a
sense of the reality of God’s presence with me,
even when I struggled to find answers to my
questions – God was faithful, and it is His
faithfulness that shines through this story.
When Jesus does eventually arrive both sisters
approach him with the same plea, “if only you
had been here.” Both come differently but both
come, both come in pain and despair at the loss
of their brother. I wonder if both come
disappointed and angry that Jesus had not
come earlier! (wonderfully this is allowed!)
“I THOUGHT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LOVE US?”
Throughout the Bible God is described as being
saddened, grieved, moved to pity by the plight
of his people and Jesus, God incarnate, displays
that heart. John, simply writes: “Jesus wept.” This stands
as a beautiful reminder of a God who feels our
deepest pain and weeps at our brokenness but
this is not the end of the story.
Yet, still Jesus had delayed – the hard questions
are still being asked, “Couldn’t this man who
heals blind people have stopped him from
dying?” Jesus does not answer and there are
times when we do not get an answer to our
questions.
It is at this point we are brought to an
explosive, brilliant conclusion, that the God who
seemed to arrive too late, the God who hears
our cries and weeps with us, is not only a friend
with an ear to listen but is also Lord over life
and death.
Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the
tomb and he does! It is enough to say that
neither Mary nor Martha expected this – they
understood that resurrection was supposed to
happen at the end of time but here in their
midst stood Jesus “The resurrection and the
life.” Resurrection is here and now – this means
that all of the ways we experience pain and
death in this life have the possibility of a
surprise ending. Whether it is a broken
relationship, a city marred by tragedy, an
unexpected diagnosis or a pandemic sweeping
the world. When so many of our realities appear
predetermined, in Christ we do not need to
fear, for God is faithful.
Jesus stands to remind us what God is like in
our darkest times. So often, we employ the
words of absence and distance as we go
through difficulties but as we read the truth of
God’s word, hear the testimony of those who
have gone before us and know the reality of the
Holy Spirit in our lives, God will surprise us,
usually not within our expectations, with new
life, new beginnings and remarkable endings
flowing from the throne room of heaven.
May we be encouraged to always turn to God,
the God of all life, peace and hope, in the face
of fear and panic, of uncertainly and loss, of
change and challenge.
May God’s peace be with you all.
To watch this on video try the link
https://youtu.be/EPLpw73WGEQ
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
Next Sunday: Palm Sunday
Readings Isaiah 50. 4 -9a / Philippians 2. 5 – 11 / Matthew 21. 1 - 11
All churches are closed in line with the Church of England & Government Corona Virus / Covid-19
guidelines.
Do contact us if we can offer any help or support at this time.
Team Rector: Revd Carol Pharaoh 01942 859251 [email protected] www.westhoughtonchurches.org.uk
Team Vicar: Revd Angela Wynne 01204 468150 – [email protected]
FACEBOOK – locate us by searching Westhoughton parish Follow us on twitter @Wparishchurch
@Westhoughtontowerbellringers
Material for the news sheet should be sent to Joan Warner by Wednesday morning 01942 818821 [email protected]
Please do send in items of news to list to put on the pewsheet so that we can all keep in touch with
what’s going on.
To receive these pewsheets, newsletters or special events leaflets electronically, please e-mail [email protected]
Arthur Burgess 13th April 1928 – 14th March 2020
A long-standing and well loved member of our Wednesday and Sunday congregations, Arthur’s funeral was held at St.
Bartholomew’s church on Thursday 26th March. The incoming and outgoing music were the favourite hymns “Make me a
channel of your peace” and “How Great Thou Art.” The service included the hymn “Be still, for the presence of the Lord” and
the St. Paul’s famous paean to love from 1 Corinthians 13. The tribute was prepared by Elaine Simkin and the service was
followed by committal at Howe Bridge.
We send our condolences to Lillian and the family and remember them in our prayers, particularly at this period when we, as a
church family, can feel isolated and apart.
Linda and David Howarth wish to thank everyone for the flowers presented to them on Sunday 15th March to mark their
50th wedding anniversary. We included the hymn “Love divine, all loves excelling” at that service as it was a hymn they’d sung at
their wedding. They and their family and friends who attended all enjoyed the service and, like us all, look forward to being back
in church before too long.
Congratulations also to Alan Morris who’s been licensed for a further three years as Reader Emeritus in the Parish. I
remember standing in front of church to congratulate him on his first 50 years of reader ministry … we’re well on the way to
the next 50 now!
Alan writes:
One of the commodities that is not in short supply during the present coronavirus crisis is time. Time to think and recollect brings up several things. I have remembered a Hungarian gentleman with whom I had the pleasure to work some many years even though he always trounced me at chess. He first came to England in the 50's as the Russians invaded his country.
He arrived in England with his family with all their worldly possessions in two suitcases and £10 in English money. His first experience was to take a short taxi ride for which the driver took a full £5 (this was the 60's!) and kept the significant change as a tip. Fortunately Imre Zsakaly made a new life in England but when I have stood in a queue for what I could forage from empty shelves or rely on family and friends to do shopping I recall that Imre would have had a much more difficult time. God bless you Imre and your faith for demonstrating how hardships can be overcome and built upon. Alan
‘Prayers for Bolton’ - 96.5 Bolton FM, Sundays at 11am
It is in times of crisis when we see people standing together and the British spirit coming to the fore, and the current
worldwide pandemic of the Corona Virus which is hitting everyone is testing most of us but, here in Bolton, we can see
a sense of community developing because of the common goal of getting through these awful times. That is the
observations of local minister the Reverend Ian Smart.”
Everyone is making sacrifices in one way or another and some more than most if we truly heed the governments
advice to stay indoors, and even if we have to go out to shop for essential items or take some exercise we have to
take note of social distancing and not getting too close to our fellow Boltonians.
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
Many people ordinarily attend a religious service of one kind or another and in times of crisis others
who might not be normally that religious turn to religion in search of some kind of comfort and solace. With all
churches and places of worship closed there will be a real gap in some people’s lives and for that reason local radio
station 96.5 Bolton FM are broadcasting a Sunday service.
Because we are unable to attend a church on Sunday you may feel like their worship is taken away from them – but
this is not the case. On Sundays, at 11:00 am Bolton FM will be offering "Prayers for Bolton".
It will be hosted by two of the popular providers of ‘It’s the thought that counts’ a truly motivational message with
religious undertones that is broadcast daily, Sue Snowden and Rev'd Ian Smart from the Methodist Church. They will
lead listeners through a selection of worship, hymns and songs, prayers, readings and reflections all based around the
theme of the day. It is a chance for you to be able to worship at home, and to raise your voices in praise with others
from around the Bolton Family. This week the speaker sharing his thoughts with you will be The Rev'd Dr. Chris
Bracegirdle the Vicar of Bolton from Bolton Parish Church & St Philip's Bolton – we look forward to hearing what he
will share with us.
So please join us at 11:00 am on 96.5 Bolton FM, the home of the Bolton family, listen on the website at
boltonfm.com, or on your smart-speaker.
The Rev’d Ian Smart said “Although we rightly cannot gather to worship at this time, that does not
mean that worship will cease – and through Prayers for Bolton, and other initiatives, we will seek to
keep those of faith in Bolton worshiping our God”.
News from Urban Outreach
Dear Friends, I hope this email finds you well, both physically and mentally, as we navigate these uncertain times. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of you and your family members. As you are aware, the country is changing on an almost hourly basis currently and as an organisation and town, we are doing our best to adapt at the same speed. This has not been an easy task but we have put a plan together in order to best support community groups, individuals and families who find themselves in difficulty during these times. As of Monday, we will begin to roll out a new food programme which will try and support different groups of people across Bolton. We are expecting to reach a point where we will be feeding many thousands of people each week which will be no small feat! So we are asking you whether you would be able to support in any of the following ways: Food Donations We are going to need a huge amount of particular types of food to feed those individuals and families. These are the following items we need: Pasta (500g) Tinned Soup Baked Beans Chopped Tomatoes Tinned vegetables (Sweetcorn, peas, carrots and potatoes) Biscuits Tinned fish Jars of pasta sauce Tinned Pulses Cereal (up to 500g) UHT Milk Tea I am very aware that these items are the ones everyone is buying in shops but if you are able to get hold of them that would be brilliant. Volunteering Opportunities
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
There is also a huge task in putting together the food parcels ready to transport to communities across the town. If you have time to spare and are willing and able to come down, then we would really appreciate your help and support. This will be happening at Unit 4 Trinity Retail Park Springfield, Bradford Street, BL2 1HY. We will be opening the Unit on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 4pm in two hourly slots, in order to maintain the safe practices outlined in the government guidelines. To make this easier can I ask that you contact us to let us know which slot you are wanting to come down for. The time slots for each day are as follows: 10am-12noon, 12noon- 2pm and 2-4pm. We will only be allowing a limited number of people at each slot. We do expect to be opening the Unit even more as the weeks go on but we will keep you informed as and when this changes. It’s only when we come together do we see the most amazing changes in our communities. Although these are unprecedented times, in some way we are seeing the dream of community come to life where we all become responsible for each other. At the heart of Bolton is the heart of the people and we value our opportunity to serve alongside you and together, continue to build a Bolton we remain proud of. If you wanting to be involved then please email me at [email protected]. Please feel free to circulate this email among, friends, family members, churches and organisations. The more involved the better! I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming days. Samuel Bagley
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
Corona Virus – Covid-19 Information
Following the information available on the Church of England
Website and the new Government restrictions, here is some
updated guidance about commonly asked questions.
Church Services – all churches closed: These have all been cancelled until further notice. All our churches will remain closed until further notice. Churches will not be open for any services, events, meetings or private prayer.
Baptisms: All baptisms are cancelled until further notice. We are unable to rebook any cancelled baptisms or take firm bookings for future baptisms until we have further information on when church services can resume.
Weddings: All weddings due to take place in the next few weeks are cancelled. It is uncertain when churches will reopen and weddings be allowed to take place. Couples with a wedding booked in the next few months should contact the Parish clergy immediately.
Wedding Banns: Wedding Banns cannot be read at the moment. Couples where the Banns should be read in the next few months should contact the Parish clergy immediately.
Funeral Services: Funeral Services are no longer permitted in churches. Services at the grave side or at a crematorium will be permitted. Only immediate family members may attend [with the consent of the crematorium] and strict social distancing measures will be applied.
Confirmation Service: It is most likely that the Confirmation service planned for Sunday 24th May will not take place. If you wish to be confirmed or have a child who wishes to be confirmed, please contact the clergy to register and we will contact you to let you know if this will go ahead. We do have another service booked for Sunday 18th October if May’s service has to be cancelled.
Church Meetings / Annual Parochial Church Meeting: In view of the social distancing measures, churches are recommended not to hold any meetings unless absolutely necessary. We have suspended all meetings and our Annual Meeting planned for Monday 27th April will NOT take place. The Diocese have advised that the annual meeting can be delayed up to 31st October 2020. Church officers in post will remain in office until after the AGM has been held.
PARISH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW WESTHOUGHTON St Bartholomew St Thomas St George
School Form Signing: We are not able to complete registers for church attendance for school admissions at the moment We are awaiting guidance from Church schools on this so that everyone is treated equally
whichever church they attend.
Keeping in Contact: We plan to keep sending out the weekly pewsheets and monthly newsletters by e-mail to
those who have registered in line with the Data Protection Laws.
Please encourage others to sign up at [email protected] and we will have some
paper copies available for people to collect and deliver to friends and neighbours.
Please contact us: If you need to speak to a priest do not hesitate to contact us. Although access to our
buildings is limited, the Church, as the family of God, are still here.
Team Rector: Revd Carol Pharaoh 01942 859251 [email protected]
Team Vicar: Revd Angela Wynne 01204 468150 [email protected]
Further Information:
Please see also the Parish website www.westhoughtonchurches.org.uk
Please see also the Church of England website https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches Or e-mail the Parish Office [email protected] [NB not staffed 24 hours]
Please note that this is a rapidly changing situation which is being updated daily. We will aim to provide the latest information available.
EJM Updated 25/03/2020