The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed … and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ Luke 2 : 33 – 35Readings this week Colossians 3 : 12 - 17; Luke 2 : 22 - 35Thoughts for this weekToday is Mothering Sunday. Parenthood brings so many joys. Yet our reading from Luke’s Gospel reminds us the experience of being a parent, of caring, nurturing, journeying with and ultimately allowing to let go of another human being also involves challenges, vulnerability, sometimes even pain.The Psalms especially tell us the Lord as our heavenly parent finds joy in us. (Ps 18 : 19). Yet the Bible also tells us that relationship with the Lord, His ultimate commitment and love, also involves sacrifice from the Lord, especially when we choose our own way.Today we can give thanks for motherhood across the world, and also pray for those mothers who are forced to worry for their children, suffer with them and even grieve for them.Simeon in the temple took Jesus in his arms, knowing this was the light of the Lord come into our world. Yet Simeon’s blessing was for the whole family, and he foretold to Mary the sword that would pierce her heart, looking to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. We give thanks for motherhood today. We also praise the Lord as our heavenly parent who bore both joy and pain in the Lord’s limitless love for us in Jesus. Rev Paul Prayer for this weekGod 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, AmenGod of love, passionate and strong, tender and careful: watch over us and hold us all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenWe praise the Lord and give thanks …For those who have taken on motherhood roles in our livesFor those being baptised, and those being Confirmed at this timeFor the gift of children in our lives
The following services will be available via the St Ed's Facebook page or by attendance (as stated below). Sunday 15th March 9:30am Mustard Tree – informal service for families and children. (at St Ed’s)Sunday 15th March 11:15 am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s) followed by lent lunchSunday 15th March 2:00 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed’s)Sunday 15th March 3:30 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed’s)Monday 16th March 10.00 am Burial of Ashes (at St Ed’s)Monday 16th March 5.00 pm Evening prayers (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 17th March 10:00 am til 12 noon Tiny Tunes (music for all young people) Community Café (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 17th March 6:00 pm Rspace (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 18th March 10:30 am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s )Thursday 19th March 9.00am Church caretaking team (at St Ed’s )Thursday 19th March 5:30 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed’s)Thursday 19th March 7.00pm Compline (at St Ed’s) Friday 20th March 9:00 am Year 3’s in church (at St Ed’s)Friday 20th March 9:30 am to12.00 noon Arts and Craft Group , - bring anything – art or craft - you fancy doing and coffee and tea are provided. (at Trinity church)Friday 20th March 6.30 pm Confirmation Rehearsal (at St Ed’s)Also Sunday 22th March 2026, At St Ed’s, 8:00 am Holy Communion, 9:30 am Mustard Tree breakfast, 11:15 am Confirmation Service, followed by Bring and Share lunch. On line Sunday service 11:15 am.on-line services, watch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyRingland: future services/events for Ringland St Peter’s: March 29th 3:00 pm The Gathering@Ringland (at St Peter’s)April 3rd, Good Friday 2.00pm Reflection with hymns (at St Peter’s)April 5th Easter Day 10.30am Informal Family Holy Communion (at St Peter’s)April 26th 3:00 pm The Gathering@Ringland (at St Peter’s)Lent Lunches /Bishop’s Lent Appeal we will continue to share bread and soup on Sundays in Lent at St Ed's from 12.30pm. There will be the opportunity to make donations towards the Bishop’s Lent Appeal for Papua New Guinea.Bible reflections during Lent are available online from Embrace https://embraceme.org/lent-reflectionsConfirmation Bishop Graham is coming to St Ed’s on Sunday 22nd March to conduct a Confirmation service at 11.15am. Confirmation Bring & Share the service on 22nd March will be followed by a Bring and Share Lunch. Any contributions of food will be gratefully received!Holy Week and Easter services are on the noticeboards in church for St Ed’s, St Peter’s and the livestreams. On Maundy Thursday there will be the Commemoration of the Last Supper at St Ed’s at 7.30pm. On Good Friday the Churches Together service will be at 10.30am at St Margaret’s Drayton and there will be a service of Reflection at St Peter’s at 2.00pm. There will also be Mustard Tree Church at 4.00pm at St Ed’s. On Holy Saturday St Ed’s will be open for a time of prayer from 3.00pm to 5.00pm. Other services, including Easter Day, are as advertised.The Bishop’s Lent Appeal is raising money to help clergy children in Papua New Guinea to complete their education at the Martyrs Memorial School, just outside Popondetta. To raise enough money to send 1 clergy child to Martyrs Memorial School for 1 year. Tuition in schools in PNG is free, but as this school is a boarding school, there are fees to pay each year. Around £400 per pupil per year. Clergy families in PNG receive no stipend and are reliant on their congregations to support them with gifts of food and money. This money will help to provide and complete the education for 1 child. Children who are educated at the school go on into medicine, governance and teaching for example.
Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ John 4 : 13 - 14Readings this week Exodus 17 : 1 - 7; Romans 5 : 1 - 11; John 4 : 5 - 42Thoughts for this weekThe encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of the most profound episodes in the life of Jesus. It is even depicted in our East window. On a very ordinary day for the woman, meeting with Jesus changed her life, and the conversation recorded contains some of the most profound truths of the New Testament for worship, faith and the work of the Holy Spirit.Perhaps most remarkable is the way in which the woman becomes a channel for the Lord’s grace. She is so powerfully impacted by Jesus, she goes and tells everyone. They then believe. They open their lives to who Jesus is. Invite Him to stay. And they are Samaritans! This is the Gospel breaking into the world and transforming people’s lives.Today is International Women’s Day. Yet for Jesus, that is true of every day. Jesus speaks to the woman personally, knowing the depths of her situation. Yet Jesus also shares truth for each of us personally in our lives, of the living streams of the Holy Spirit. In these days of uncertainties and tensions, the well of the Lord’s grace is never dry. We have access to living streams. Can Lent be a time when we discover these and receive in a new way? Rev Paul Prayer for this weekAlmighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; 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, AmenEternal God, give us insight to discern your will for us, to give up what harms us, and to seek the perfection we are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenWe praise the Lord and give thanks …For our Churchwardens, their dedication and faith in JesusFor those being baptised, and those being Confirmed at this time
The following services will be available via the St Ed's Facebook page or by attendance (as stated below). Sunday 8th March 8:00am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s)Sunday 8th March 9:30am Mustard Tree– informal service for families and children. (at St Ed’s)Sunday 8th March 11:00 am Holy Communion (at Ringland Village Hall) followed by Lent LunchSunday 8th March 11:15 am Service of the Word (at St Ed’s and livestream) followed by lent lunchSunday 8th March 11:15 am Online Sunday service (livestream)Sunday 8th March 2:00 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed’s)Sunday 8th March 3:30 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed’s)Monday 9th March 8.30 am Langley Prayers (at St Ed’s)Monday 9th March 5.00 pm Evening prayers (at St Ed’s)Monday 9th March 7.30 pm PCC (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 10th March 10:00 am til 12 noon Tiny Tunes (music for all young people) Community Café (at St Ed’s)Tuesday 10th March 6:00 pm Rspace (at St Ed’s)Wednesday 11th March 10:30 am Holy Communion (at St Ed’s )Wednesday 11th March 12:30 pm Burial Service (at St Ed’s )Thursday 12th March 9.00am Church caretaking team (at St Ed’s )Thursday 12th March 5:30 pm Confirmation preparation (at St Ed's)Thursday 12th March 7.00pm Compline (at St Ed’s) Friday 13th March 9:00 am Year 4’s in church (at St Ed’s)Friday 13th March 9:30 am to12.00 noon Arts and Craft Group , - bring anything – art or craft - you fancy doing and coffee and tea are provided. (at Trinity church)Also Sunday 15th March 2026, At St Ed’s, 9:30 am Mustard Tree, 11:15 am Holy Communion, followed by lent lunch. 2pm and 3:30pm Confirmation preparation.on-line services, watch live if you are able --- or join later on 'catch up'.Everyone welcome.AdditionallyRingland: future services/events for Ringland St Peter’s: March 8th 11:00 am Holy Communion Service at Ringland village hall followed by Bring and share lunchMarch 29th 3:00 pm The Gathering@Ringland (at St Peter’s)April 3rd, Good Friday 2.00pm Reflection with hymns (at St Peter’s)April 5th Easter Day 10.30am Informal Family Holy Communion (at St Peter’s)Bible reflections during Lent are available online from Embrace https://embraceme.org/lent-reflectionsMothering Sunday 15th March - Children (with an adult) are invited to come to St Ed's on Friday 13th March between 3 and 4.30pm or Saturday 14th March between 10am and 12pm to make posies and cards for their special person - probably Mum! - and also to give out at the services on Sunday to which everyone is welcome.Confirmation Bishop Graham is coming to St Ed’s on Sunday 22nd March to conduct a Confirmation service at 11.15am. Confirmation Bring & Share the service on 22nd March will be followed by a Bring and Share Lunch. Any contributions of food will be gratefully received!Holy Week and Easter services are on the noticeboards in church for St Ed’s, St Peter’s and the livestreams. For Good Friday the Churches Together service will be at 10.30am at St Margaret’s Drayton and there will be a service of Reflection at St Peter’s at 2.00pm. On Holy Saturday St Ed’s will be open for a time of prayer from 3.00pm to 5.00pm. Other services are as advertised.Foodbank The Foodbank bin is back at St Ed’s, and donations will be taken to the Norwich foodbank each week. Further information about the Foodbank is available, including agencies that can help people out of needing Foodbanks.We also have a box at the back of church for emergency supplies. If you would like to place items in this these will then be available for anyone who comes into church seeking food.The Bishop’s Lent Appeal is raising money to help clergy children in Papua New Guinea to complete their education at the Martyrs Memorial School, just outside Popondetta. To raise enough money to send 1 clergy child to Martyrs Memorial School for 1 year. Tuition in schools in PNG is free, but as this school is a boarding school, there are fees to pay each year. Around £400 per pupil per year. Clergy families in PNG receive no stipend and are reliant on their congregations to support them with gifts of food and money. This money will help to provide and complete the education for 1 child. Children who are educated at the school go on into medicine, governance and teaching for example.
