The next church cleaning session is on the 2nd October between 9:30 – 11:00am. If you could spare even just half an hour to help clean the church it would be greatly appreciated.
As we are all members of the God’s church, we have a responsibility to help maintain it – so hopefully if as many as are able could help, we will have the church cleaned in no time. The more the merrier!
Thank you.
Tots Praise
6th October 2:15 pm in All Saints’ Church
A fun time of worship and fellowship for the under 5s and their parents / carers.
Looking forward to seeing our under 5s again and new members are also very welcome.
Friday Praise returns this Friday, 17th September at the new time of 6:00pm, in All Saints’ Church
The Friday Praise dates for this term are
17th September
1st October
15th October
19th November
3rd December
17th December
Please continue to support our local Food back based at Clayton Baptist Church, especially as more and more people in the local area are struggling.
sauce, tea / coffee etc. Also fruit and vegetables.Please can you drop items off at Clayton Baptist Church. Alternatively if you bring your items to church on Sunday we will make sure that they get to the food bank.
Thank you.
United Benefice of Altham and Clayton-le-Moors
Sixthteenth Sunday after Trinity
This service is live in church, but it will be streamed so if you are unable to attend you can view it online. Now most of the words will also appear when you view the service on line so it will be easier to follow the service.
However, below are the day’s readings plus the intercessions for reference, as there will not appear on screen.
First reading: James 3:13 – 4a
3 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,you double-minded.
Second reading: Mark 9:30 -37
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him,and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Confirmation preparation is on Thursdays between 6:00 – 7:00 pm in All Saints’ Church, for all those young people in Year 7 or above.
Adults wanting to explore their faith, or find out more about Christianity, are invited to a short course at the vicarage on Wednesday evenings, starting 29th September. It would be ideal for anyone considering adult confirmation.
Please contact Revd Toby to register your interest.
Thank you
United Benefice of Altham and Clayton-le-Moors
Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
On Sunday 12th September the Family Service will be a special songs of praise style service to mark the start of the new school year and welcome people back.
Weather permitting we will be outside, so please bring a chair if you can. (There will be some chairs and a big tarpaulin too).
Afterwards you will be invited to stay behind and enjoy a picnic. Please bring your own but drinks will be provided.
Mothers’ Union
7th September in All Saints’ Church at 7:30pm.
All being well we hope to resumes face to face meetings. Our first meeting will be in church at 7:30pm on Tuesday 7th September.
The MU programme up until Christmas will be on the Church website shortly. Of course all this is dependent on any new COVID rules or restrictions.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Mothers’ Union anniversary
United Benefice of Altham and Clayton-le-Moors
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
This service is live in church, with all the usual COVID restrictions, but it will be streamed so if you are unable to attend you can view it online.Now most of the words will also appear when you view the service on line so it will be easier to follow the service.
However, below are the day’s readings plus the intercessions for reference, as there will not appear on screen.
First reading: James 2:1-17
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faithand to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Second reading: Mark 7: 24 -37
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[g] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[h] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sighsaid to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Intercessions
Lord of light and vision, open our eyes and hearts to be aware of your presence, to know your love and see your purpose for us all, help us to become what you have called us to be. In our prayers today we bring before God our world, our community and our families and friends.
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
We pray for your Church around the world with its rich diversity of worship, service and mission. We pray for the life, teaching and fellowship of our United Benefice and we pray especially for Toby, our Wardens and PCC’s. Help us to support and care for one another and may we listen more attentively to your words both in worship and in daily life.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our Prayer.
We remember nations and their leaders. Help us all to work together to share resources, we think especially about the climate crisis and those hit by storm Ida across US states. We think about the migrant crisis, we remember those fleeing Afghanistan and the misery of refugees.
We pray that your spirit will move in the hearts of people that the barriers of fear, race, suspicion and hatred, which separate so many, may crumble and disappear; bringing peace and hope into all our lives.
Lord in Your mercy. Hear our prayer
We think about our families, and the local community in which we live. We pray for our children, as they face new demands and new changes at this time of the year – for children beginning pre-school, changing classes, moving from one school to another, or from school to college, University or the world of work. May they always know the support and love of family and friends.
We pray for all those who teach or lead children and young people that they may know your guidance in their work. We pray for all children in need – especially for those who have been abused, for those disabled, for those suffering from marriage breakdowns, for those in care. We thank you for all those who show love and care to such children.
Lord in Your mercy. Hear our prayer
We now pray for those in need within our own families and amongst friends we know. Jesus our healer, we remember today the faith of the Syrophoenician woman and how Jesus healed a deaf and mute man. We place into your gentle hands those who are ill, ease their pain, comfort them in their distress, help them to cope with the knowledge of their sickness and the treatment which they receive. Give them courage and strength in their days ahead. Be with those who care for them and fill them with the warmth of your love and presence now and always.
In a moment of quiet we pray for those who are ill and we name them in our hearts.
Lord in Your mercy. Hear our prayer
Father, we bring to you those who have recently died and commend them into your everlasting care and protection.
Lord in Your mercy. Hear our prayer
Heavenly Father we rejoice in all the goodness and generosity your love and presence inspires in so many people, and for the way you guide and encourage us in our daily lives.
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.