Every year the Churches in Crowthorne and Finchampstead support Christian Aid to raise money to support people living in poverty worldwide.
You are warmly invited to St James, Finchampstead for a service of worship for this year’s Christian Aid Week at 6pm on Sunday May 12th. We are delighted to be welcoming Sarah Clay from the South East Regional office of Christian Aid to be our speaker.
All the churches in Crowthorne wish you a very Happy Easter!
Friday 6th March, 10:30am
Crowthorne Methodist Church, Duke’s Ride
“Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk”
Over the past eight days the churches of Indonesia have helped us consider difficult situations facing the world. Many of these have raised questions of justice. The Church has been complicit in many instances of injustice and, through that complicity, we have damaged our unity and diminished the effectiveness of our witness to the world. Christians gather for common prayer, professing common faith and to listen for God’s voice. Although the many injustices wound us, we do not lose hope, but are called to action. The Lord is our light and salvation, the stronghold of our lives. We do not fear.
Source: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Resources, Churches in Britain and Ireland
Source: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Resources, Churches in Britain and Ireland
Proclaim the good news to all of creation, not just to my small part.
Oh God, who made the world, both body and gift. Your creation groans.
What have we done?
Land and sea polluted, death and destruction, communities gone,families displaced. While we sit in comfort. Your creation groans.
What have we done?
A damaged world, a broken system. Upheld by stupidity, destruction, neglect and greed. An abuse of God’s gift, while we disconnect.
Where is God’s voice, God’s rolling waves of justice?
We too are God’s body, thinking beyond ourselves, seeing consequences, listening for the still small voice, swimming against the tide.
Asking what shall I do?
Source: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Resources, Churches in Britain and Ireland
Amos 8:4-8 Luke 4:16-21
Prayer
God, the bringer of good news, forgive our lust for power and free us from the temptation to oppress others. Instil in us the determination to see your good news made real in us and those around us, as we share in the mission of your Son Jesus to fulfil your promise of freedom from poverty and oppression. We pray in his name. Amen
God’s goodness has provided ample food and fresh water to sustain life for all and yet many people lack these necessities. Human greed frequently leads to corruption, injustice, poverty and hunger. Jesus teaches us not to be concerned about accumulating more material things than we need. We should, rather, be concerned with proclaiming the Kingdom of equity and announcing God’s reign of justice. Christians are called to live lives which enable the waters of justice to flow.
Source: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Resources, Churches in Britain and Ireland
God of all humanity your Son was born into a line of men and women, ordinary and extraordinary. Some of them were remembered for their great deeds, others more for their sins. Give us an open heart to share your unbounded love, and to embrace all who experience discrimination. Help us to grow in love beyond prejudice and injustice. Grant us the grace to respect the uniqueness of each person, so that in our diversity we may experience unity. This prayer we make in your holy name. Amen
Source: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Resources, Churches in Britain and Ireland
The letter to the Ephesians presents a call for Christians to be honest and accountable to each other, so that we may grow in community. There is no place for deceitfulness, for it serves only to impair our relationships and so destroy that community. We are called to live an authentic life of faith and stand up for the truth. Our ‘yes’ must mean ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ must mean ‘no’ – with no equivocal language or dishonest behaviour. Dishonesty disrupts the unity of the Church fror which we are called to pray and work.
