SERVICES NEXT WEEK
th
Thursday 20 March 9.15am Holy Communion
Sunday 23rd March Third Sunday of Lent
8:00am
Holy Communion (traditional)
9:45am
Parish Eucharist/ Junior church
11:15am (Hala) Holy Communion/Jun. Church
12.30pm
Holy Baptism
6:30pm
Evensong (traditional)
NOTICES
*Electoral Roll. The annual review of the Electoral Roll
starts today – it is the list of those who belong to St Paul’s.
Please check the copy at the back of church & if you want
to join, collect a form.
*Lost property. Items from the church lost property box
are at the back of church. Please check for any of your
own property. Unclaimed items will be donated to a
charity shop at the end of the month.
*Easter Eggs with a Christian Message Sign up on the list
at the back of church to book your Meaningful Chocolate
Easter Egg(s). For £3.99 you get a Fairtrade milk chocolate
egg, bag of choc buttons, and illustrated Easter story.
Payment on delivery, available next Sunday 23 March.
*SLCT Lent Services ‘You gave me something to eat’ The
Olive Branch Food Bank. Tuesday 18 March 7.30pm St
Bernadette’s.
*Volunteers please! Our Parish hall caretaker, Norman,
has moved on, having been employed by us for many
years. Whilst we consider the way forward, we would like
help with a number of duties, including securing the
Parish Hall at night and some light cleaning. If this may be
of interest, please speak to the Vicar or Jayne Weatherill.
*A service on Saturday, 3rd May at 5p.m. at St Paul’s
Cathedral will be held to mark 20 years since the
ordination of women to the priesthood. The Bishop has 20
tickets for this diocese. If anyone wold like to attend
please let the Bishop’s Chaplain, Toby Webber know as
soon as possible. chaplain@bishopofblackburn.org.uk
*Lent Study Group on the next three Tuesdays in the
Parish Hall from 10.00 – 11.00 am followed by coffee/tea.
A series looking at stewardship. All welcome. If you wish
to read a bible passage, sign the list at the back of church.
*Sidespeople: If you are happy to serve for a further year
please sign the list at the back of Church or the Hala
noticeboard by 23rd April. Many thanks for your
continued support, Jayne & Maureen.
DIARY DATES
Today
Parish Walk Arnside Knott 12.15 start
Mon 17 March Women's Fellowship, Hala, 7.30pm. Pat
Ascroft will be speaking about her recent trip to Iceland.
Sat 29 March – Sat 19 April Children’s Society Collection
Sat 10 May
Parish Outing to Gretna/Carlisle £10/£8
- lists to sign at back of church/Hala
NEXT WEEK’S READINGS
At 8:00/6:30 - Romans 5: 1-11
At 9:45/11:15 - Galatians 5:16-25
At all services - John 4:5-42
WELCOME TO
SCOTFORTH
ST PAUL
Worshipping God
Growing in faith
Serving the community
CMS Mission Partners
Dominic and Awais Mughal, serving OVERSEAS
Sunday 16th March – Second Sunday of Lent
8:00am
Holy Communion (traditional)
9:45am
Parish Eucharist/Junior Church
11:15am (Hala)Morning Worship/Junior Church
12.30pm
Holy Baptism
6:30pm
Evensong (traditional)
CLERGY at St Paul’s :
VICAR: Rev Michael Gisbourne,
The Vicarage, 24 Scotforth Road LA1 4ST
(tel 32106) Email: vicar@stpauls-scotforth.org
Rest Day Friday
CURATE: Rev Sharon Wilkinson
6 Beechwood Gardens, LA1 4PH
(Tel 298442) Email: curate@stpauls-scotforth.org
Rest Day Tuesday
PARISH OFFICE Opening hours:
Mon 2 - 5pm, Tues & Wed 9 - 12, Thurs 9 - 12.30
Tel 01524 843135 Email: office@stpauls-scotforth.org
BAPTISMS at St Paul’s can be booked at our ‘Drop-in
Session’ held on Wednesday evenings 7.15-7.45pm, at
the back of church. Wedding enquiries also taken.
HALA CENTRE: for bookings, contact Parish Office
Church website: www.stpauls-scotforth.org
If you have something that you would like prayed for either for yourself, or for someone you are concerned
about - please have a word with one of the clergy.
PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Those who live on Bentham Road & Bay Horse Drive
Arthur Clark, Harriet Woolfe who are to be baptised today.
Those who have asked for or need our prayers this
week: Phyllis Burgess, Brittney Liljekvist, Margaret Carter,
Lyn Crowther, Janet Vickers and Peter Hewitt.
We pray for those who receive the ministry of the church
at home, including, this week, Gwyneth Beevers, Sheila
and Arthur Gager and residents of Burrowbeck Grange
Nursing Home
The family and friends of those who have recently died:
Angela Gorton, Bryson Horn, Ada Townson, Susan Aspinall
READINGS AND PRAYERS
COLLECT
Almighty God,
you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of
Christ’s religion,
that they may reject those things that are contrary to their
profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
POST COMMUNION Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
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.
FIRST READING Romans 4.1–5, 13–17
What are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor
according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something to boast about, but not before
God. For what does the scripture say?
‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as
righteousness.’ Now to one who works, wages are not
reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who
without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such
faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that
he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to
his descendants through the law but through the
righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who
are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law,
neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on
faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be
guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the
adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith
of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written,
‘I have made you the father of many nations’) – Abraham
believed in the presence of the God who gives life to the
dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
SECOND READING Galatians 3:1-14
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was
before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited
as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is
this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the
law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish?
Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with
the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it
really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you
with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your
doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you
heard? Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness’, so, you see, those who
believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the
scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles
by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham,
saying, ‘All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.’ For this
reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who
believed. For all who rely on the works of the law are
under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who
does not observe and obey all the things written in the
book of the law.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified
before God by the law; for ‘The one who is righteous will
live by faith.’ But the law does not rest on faith; on the
contrary, ‘Whoever does the works of the law will live by
them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is
everyone who hangs on a tree’— in order that in Christ
Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles,
so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.
GOSPEL John 3.1–17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the
Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi,
we know that you are a teacher who has come from God;
for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the
presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell
you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being
born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can
anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a
second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus
answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you,
“You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it
chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not
know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to
him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him,
‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not
understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of
what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you
do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about
earthly things and you do not believe, how can you
believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has
ascended into heaven except the one who descended
from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal
life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but
may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son
into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him.’