Bowland Benefice Pews News
19 January 2025
2 nd Sunday of Epiphany - Collect

Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
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. Amen.
This week in the Benefice
Sunday
19 January 10.30am

Benefice Holy
Communion in
White Ladies
Aston

Sunday
26 January
Epiphany 3

9.30am

Holy
Communion in
White Ladies
Aston

10.30am

Hymns &
Prayer in
Upton
Snodsbury

11.00am

Late Breakfast
Café Church in
Peopleton
A message from Revd Claire
Please do come along and support a new sort of
service in St Nicholas next week!
All are welcome to Café Church
on Sunday 26 January at 11am in Peopleton. 
This will be a short, relaxing gathering to eat together
with time to chat, sing and hopefully learn and look

at things afresh. 

A time open to everyone to bring along friends,
younger family members and neighbours who
perhaps don’t normally join us for regular services but
who would enjoy time together.
Delicious croissants and hot drinks will be provided. 
We look forward to seeing you on 26 th for something a
little bit different. A wonderful way to kick off a

Sunday morning!

There will be a Holy Communion service in the
Benefice at the normal time of 9.30am in White Ladies
Aston and Upton Snodsbury will hold its Hymns and a

Prayer service at 10.30am.

God of life, I thank you for the blessings of my life.
God of love, I thank you for all those whom I love.
God of joy, I thank you for moments of joy

I have known.
Keep me praising, keep me thankful,
Keep me loving now and always. Amen.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Saturday 18 January to Saturday 25 January
Heavenly Father, As we gather together today, we ask
for your spirit of unity to be present among us.
This week in the Church Calendar so often slips by
without notice but looking at the state of our world
and our churches, what could be more important?
There are a lot of resources and help on-line for
prayers, reflection and a useful pamphlet to
download and print off.
The theme this year is Do you believe this?
This week’s materials have been prepared by the
ecumenical community at Bose in Northern Italy.
This year we celebrate an anniversary - 1,700
years since the Council of Nicaea was in session,
when the Nicene Creed was devised. The council
sat from May to August 325. This Creed, said
at most Communion Services is at the heart of our

Christian Faith.

Reflecting this, the scripture readings for this year’s

Unity Week focus on belief.
We are invited to reflect on the story of Martha’s
confession of faith in Jesus as narrated in

John 11:17-27.

We are all called to reflect on Jesus’ provocative
question to Martha: “Do you believe this?”
A prayer from 2016 Unity Week
Lord Jesus, you commanded us to break bread
together & to drink one cup in remembrance of you.
Open the hearts and minds of Christians world-wide,
especially those entrusted with leadership in your
Church, to the joys and blessings of this fellowship.
Create in all of us a passion to realise the hope to
which you have called us: one body and one Spirit,
one Lord, one baptism, one God who is above
and through and in all. Amen.
Monday 20 January

Tomorrow in the United States is a Federal Holiday to
commemorate the life of the black civil rights leader
Martin Luther King Jnr, assassinated in 1968.
Perhaps too it is an important time for us, this side of
the Atlantic, to reflect on where we have got to
almost 60 years on – quite a sobering thought I feel.
A Prayer written in his memory
O God, we thank you for the fact that you have
inspired men and women in all nations,
all cultures and all faiths.
Grant that we will follow you and become so
committed to your way and your kingdom,
that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of

understanding,

where men and women will live together as brothers
and sisters and respect the dignity and worth of every

human being.

In the name and spirit of Jesus. Amen.