St Nicholas Parish Church, Fleetwood

Week beginning 8th August 2021

Please continue to take great care in church. Face coverings are still required.

Sunday 8th August

8.30 am Holy Communion in Church

10.45 am Holy Communion in Church

Sidespersons – Margaret & Elizabeth: Reader - Joy

12.30 pm Baptism of Florence Cheetham

1.30 pm Baptism of Indi-Rose Jones

Tuesday 10th August

11.30 am Funeral of Howard Robinson in Church

2.00 pm Holy Communion in Church

Sunday 15th August

8.30 am Holy Communion in Church

9.30 am Worship via Zoom

10.45 am Holy Communion in Church

Sidespersons – Susan & Christine: Reader - Sandra

12.30 pm Baptism of Ralphi Danson

1.30 pm Baptism of Axel Starkey

From the Vicar – More than once this week someone has said to me, “Your prayers are being answered!” Apart from thanking God, it got me thinking more about the power of prayer and how important it is for us as a church family to be people of prayer.

Several years ago, I came across a little book entitled The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Laurence, a 17th century Carmelite monk. Since then, I have read many other books about prayer, but it is Brother Laurence’s advice that has stuck with me. He asserted that “We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with him.”

It may sound simple but that is what prayer really is, “continually conversing” with God. Brother Laurence observes, “God does not ask much of us, merely a thought of him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for his grace, sometimes to offer him our sufferings, at other times to thank him for the graces — past and present — he has bestowed on us, in the midst of our troubles to take solace in him as often as we can. Lift up our hearts to him during our meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to him. We need not cry out very loudly; he is nearer to us than we think.”

That’s the key to prayer: recognize God’s presence is “nearer than we think,” always and everywhere, wherever we are, wherever we go, whatever we’re doing, whether we’re busy or bored, whether in a crowd or alone; in the morning when we rise, in the daytime when we are working, in the night when we go to bed, recognize God’s presence. It’s so simple, so plain, so obvious, and so true.

If you are not in the habit of praying, this method supported Brother Laurence’s entire prayer life. Try it this week and let me know how you get on.

100 Club

Winners last week were:

Barbara Quirk (No 3 - £15): Suzanne King (No 33 - £10) and Penny Meekins (No 78 - £5)

Please add to your prayers; - Elsie and Gerald, Nigel, Jane, Margaret, Elliott, Janet, Alison and Elizabeth, whose needs are known to God. And also, for the family of Howard Robinson who will be laid to rest on Tuesday.