06/06/21
News from the Benwell & Scotswood
Image: Jesus with followers and children, Stained glass window in the lady chapel at St James' Benwell
News
Worship this Sunday, 6th June
This Sunday join us at St James' as we experiment for the first time with different formats for post-lockdown worship. Dominic will lead us in accessible worship for everyone - whatever age, language, ability, or background. Everyone is welcome to attend!
In place of a sermon, there will be a video of some members of the congregation about their stories and experiences, if you're joining us on the livestream then watch the video here:
Congratulations to our churchwardens!
Congratulations to Edith Hutchinson, Joe Foster (St John's), Kathy Germain (Ven Bede), Brenda McCutcheon, Claire Lewis (St Margaret's), Christina Wilson (St James) on being re-elected as Churchwardens. And to Chris Foskett elected as St James Churchwarden for the first time!
Thank you to everyone who came to our annual meeting, if you would like to read the annual report you can click here
A special thank you to Pat Young!
We want to give a special thank you to Pat Young! Pat will now be taking a well-deserved retirement from being St James' churchwarden after serving both the community and building faithfully for so many years.
Accessibility
10:30 at St James
LIVE STREAM
Sadly we currently don't have the capability to provide captions on our Live stream (though we hope to change this!) but you are most welcome to come in person to the 10:30am Service at St James and we will be happy to accommodate you the best we can.
IN PERSON
We would like to welcome everyone. St James can be accessed by a wheelchair and we do have a Disabled Toilet that can be used. The welcome team will be more than happy to assist you during your visit. If you would like to inform us in advance that you are interested in coming please click here. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us!
Covid 19 Update:
Please Remember: Hands, Face, Space.
We will still need to sanitise our hands on entering the church, wear a face covering, and stay 2 metres part.
We are now allowed to meet inside the church after the service, in socially distanced groups of 6 or less, or two households. As long as the weather is good, we will continue to go outside after the service, but this means we can shelter from the rain if necessary!
Please remember face coverings still must be worn (unless you are medically exempt or while doing a reading in the service).
Prayers
Collect
God of truth,
help us to keep your law of love
and to walk in ways of wisdom,
that we may find true life
in Jesus Christ your Son.
Amen
Post Communion
Eternal Father,
we thank you for nourishing us
with these heavenly gifts:
may our communion strengthen us in faith,
build us up in hope,
and make us grow in love;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Intercessions
Joan Finley
James, Christina, and baby Xavier
Ali Zareie and his family
The Riches Family
Jill Sorley
Joyce Phillips
George Snowden
Claire Mozaffari
Eric Harling
Herbert Agbeko
Anastasia Miklewright
Margaret Wall
Edward Fraser
All those who are Struggling at home or in hospital with Covid 19
Rest In Peace :
John Finley
Thomas 'Tucker' Wilson
All who lost their lives from Covid 19
Readings
Mark 3.20–35
and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’ Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’