Hello everyone,

This week please pray for the people of the Middle East and the devastating conflict which is claiming lives and destroying so much. The suffering across the region is increasing daily and we are invited to support Tearfund’s emergency appeal working with local churches and partners across the Middle East to provide life-saving medicine, food, and other essentials to people forced from their homes by the fighting.

Join in prayer and give if you can to help Tearfund respond to the growing need: https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/middle-east-emergency-appeal

Services this week:

This Sunday at 10.00am there will be services of Holy Communion at Measham and Snarestone, Morning Prayer at Swepstone, and Harvest at Normanton and Donisthorpe. Packington also have their Harvest at the slightly later time of 10.30am, followed by lunch.

Looking ahead:

Activeage meet at 11.00am in Measham Church Hall on Wednesday.

Kids Kingdom Baby & Toddler group meet on Thursday from 9.00am to 11.00am in Appleby Church Hall.

On Friday, Snarestone have a Harvest Supper in church at 7.00pm. Come join us for homemade food, drink, and Sing-Along-Bingo!

Next Sunday (13^th) we have Holy Communion with Baptism at Appleby, Holy Communion at Donisthorpe, Morning Worship at Packington, and Harvest at Measham and Snarestone, all at 10.00am. Kids’ Kingdom Sunday School also meet at Appleby from 9.45am. Later on there is an open invitation to us all to Choral Evensong led by Leicester Cathedral Choir at 4.00pm at Christ Church, Coalville.

Woodfield Team prayer

God our Father, you long to draw all people into your love.

Increase in number your church throughout the Woodfield Team; deepen us as followers and learners of Christ; and give us courage to share the good news of your kingdom.

We pray this in the power of your Spirit, to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for Sunday 6^th October – The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Faithful Lord,

whose steadfast love never ceases

and whose mercies never come to an end:

grant us the grace to trust you

and to receive the gifts of your love,

new every morning,

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Reading for 6^th October – Hebrews 1.1-4; 2.5-12 New International Version (UK)

God’s final word: his Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Jesus made fully human

2 ⁵ It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But there is a place where someone has testified:

‘What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?
⁷ You made them a little lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honour
⁸     and put everything under their feet.’

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. ⁹ But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰ In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. ¹¹ Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. ¹² He says,

‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.’

Prayers for today:

We pray:

Eternal Lord, you are our creator and sustainer. We bring before you the needs of our church, our world, our communities, and ourselves.

• Holy God, the writer of Hebrews teaches us that Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and so we pray that we and our churches, in our small way, may also reflect that glory and that day by day we will grow to know you more clearly and love you more dearly.
• Merciful Father, we pray for peace in the world; that every nation may seek the way that leads to peace. We cry out to you on behalf of every person affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Our hearts break at the devastation and the suffering that we see, and we know it breaks yours too. We pray for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the violence, and the release of hostages. Stretch out your hand, O Lord, and restore your peace to our troubled world.
• Creator God we pray for harvests in parts of your world suffering drought, natural disaster, disease, war, and terrorism.  We pray for the struggling and the oppressed. Bless all working to meet their needs and fill us all with compassion and a willingness to share what we have with those in need, both near and far away from us.
• Merciful God we remember those who are sick, sad or lonely and those who are brave and patient when things are going wrong. We pray that they may be aware of your comforting presence and know that in your hands they are safe and loved.
• Gracious God, through the ministry of your son Jesus Christ, you have freed us from the grip of the tomb. We pray for those who have departed this life and are now in your keeping, and for all those bereaved by their passing.
• Creator God, thank you that your steadfast love never ceases and as we look forward to the week to come, we pray for an awareness of your presence and support in all we do.

Amen.