Bowland Benefice
Pews News 15 January 2023
Second 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
15 January

10.30am Benefice Holy
Communion in
Upton Snodsbury
(see note below)

Monday
16 February

Noon to
2.00pm

Village Lunch in The
Parish Room, White
Ladies Aston
(see below)

Wednesday 18
January

2.00pm to
4.00pm

Mums Meet and
Swap in Upton
Snodsbury Village
Hall (see below)

Sunday
22 January
3 rd Sunday of
Epiphany

9.00am Holy Communion in
White Ladies Aston
10.30am Morning Prayer in
Upton Snodsbury
11.00am Holy Communion in
Peopleton
Revd Claire says………..It would be good to see more of
you at our Benefice Holy Communion Services.  This
week we are at St Kenelm’s in Upton Snodsbury at
10.30am.  It’s a good chance to worship with those we
might not see very often, then to catch up with
friends over coffee and biscuits afterwards.  I look
forward to seeing you there.

In a couple of weeks’ time, on 29 January (5 th Sunday)
the Benefice Holy Communion service will be in St
Leonard’s, Broughton Hackett and I am looking
forward to meeting up with you there too.
In The Parish Room, White Ladies Aston on Monday
16 th from noon, The Village Lunch. £4 to include
home-made soup, dessert, tea/coffee. To book ring
345371 or email [email protected] .
In Upton Snodsbury Village Hall on Wednesday 18 th
from 2.00pm, Mums Meet & Swap.
Call in for a catch up and a cuppa before school pick
up, or afterwards or both! Don’t forget your children’s
preloved items for the Swaps table. Mums, Dads,
Grandparents, Carers all welcome. No charge but

donations welcome.

Tomorrow in the United States is Martin Luther
King Day, to commemorate the life of the black
civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jnr,
assassinated 55 years ago in April 1968.
A Prayer for us all 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.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023 runs
from 18 th to 23 rd January, led by the churches of
Minneapolis, Christians together seek to explore how
the work of Christian unity can contribute to the
promotion of racial justice across all levels of society.
Through this resource, the Churches Together in
Britain Writers’ Group has also focused our attention
on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen
Lawrence, which is marked this year. The work of
restoring hope through justice undertaken in
Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change

lives for the better.

Claire is planning a Lent course to start on Tuesday 21
February meeting at The Crown, Peopleton at 7.00pm.
Claire writes…….Our Lent course this year, called Dust
and Glory, will explore how we can live well with the
mess of everyday life. It encourages us to take a fresh
look at the frustrations and failings that every day
brings and, rather than pretending we can always
avoid them, seek to learn from them and grow closer
to God through them. It will be relaxed and a good
chance to relate scripture to real life.
 Please let Revd Claire know if you would like to take
part on 07921101320 or [email protected]
Claire has ordered booklets for the course which is
based on a book written by Rt Rev Dr Emma Ineson
who was appointed as Bishop of Kensington just
before Christmas. Her book is called Failure: what
Jesus said about Sin, Mistakes and Messing up and is
the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recommended read
for Lent 2023. It is obtainable on the internet for
£9.68 with the Kindle version costing £7.99.
The Bishop of Worcester has sent out An Open letter
to us all in the Diocese of Worcester concerning same-
sex relationships. It is a beautifully written and very
thought provoking document and can be found
on https://www.cofe-worcester.org.uk/an-open-
letter-from-bishop-john.php