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EAST TRENT CHURCHES

BESTHORPE, CLIFTON, COLLINGHAM,

GIRTON, HARBY, HOLME, LANGFORD,

SOUTH SCARLE, THORNEY, WINTHORPE

Revd Canon Tony Tucker, Area Dean Tel: (01636) 704811

GRAPEVINE

Weekday Services and Events

Readings for next Sunday

Genesis 9: 8-17; Psalm 25: 1-10; 1 Peter 3: 18-22; Mark 1: 9-15

Collect

Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

First Reading

2 Kings 2: 1-12;

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?' And he said, 'Yes, I know; keep silent.'

 Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.' But he said, 'As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?' And he answered, 'Yes, I know; be silent.'

 Then Elijah said to him, 'Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.' But he said, 'As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.' Elisha said, 'Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.' He responded, 'You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.' As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, 'Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!' But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Psalm Psalm 50: 1-6;

The Acceptable Sacrifice

A Psalm of Asaph.
The mighty one, God the Lord,
   speaks and summons the earth
   from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
   God shines forth.

Our God comes and does not keep silence,
   before him is a devouring fire,
   and a mighty tempest all around him.
He calls to the heavens above
   and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
'Gather to me my faithful ones,
   who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!'
The heavens declare his righteousness,
   for God himself is judge.
          Selah

Second Reading

2 Corinthians 4:3-6;

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness', who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Gospel

Mark 9: 2-9

The Transfiguration

 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!' Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

The Coming of Elijah

 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Post Communion

Holy God,
we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ:
may we who are partakers at his table
reflect his life in word and deed,
that all the world may know his power to change and save.
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Please pray for

• The Revd Canon David Picken who will be installed as the Archdeacon of Newark in Southwell Minster this afternoon

• Our East Trent Group of Churches

• The pre-school and nursery groups in our communities

• Dean Parsons & Harriet Mason who were married yesterday.

• Those who are unwell: Kathryn Coles, Bobby Griffin, Jane Hammond, Margaret Hewitt, Ernest Robinson, William Swan - Dennis, Anne Graham Spouge, Marion Tongue, Sophy Wynne

• Years mind: Peggy McCrae, Roy Cullum, Marian Leach

• R I P Violet Parnham

NOTICES

The service at St John the Baptist on Ash Wednesday ( see front of sheet) will mark the beginning of Lent. To help us on our Lent Journey and commencing the week beginning February 26 and continuing through Lent there will be Stations of the Cross followed by Compline on Tuesday evenings at St John the Baptist Church. Lent Discussion Groups in the Methodist Vestry on Thursdays with afternoon or evening options. Lent Lunches will be held in the Mayfield Room with proceeds for Christian Aid.

In Collingham Churches there will be information about 'Mary's Meals' the charity chosen for those who wish to give additionally during Lent.

Further details on posters and Grapevine next week.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 2^nd March at 2.30pm at St John the Baptist Church there will be a Service for Women's World Day of Prayer. Speaker will be Janice Sykes from North Wheatley. All are welcome to this service.

Sunday 11^th March at 11.00am at St John the Baptist Church there will a Holy Communion Service. At this service we shall welcome for his first visit to the East Trent Group the new Archdeacon of Newark, The Revd Canon David Picken. We are delighted he will visit us so early in his new ministry.

Services next Sunday Feb 26

If you have an item of church news or a name for the prayer list please contact Marion Collins tel: 892328 before Thursday 6pm for next week's copy.

Website address: www.anglicancollinghamchurches.org