Welcome to Fairfield Village
& the Hamlets of Wildmoor & Stoneybridge
St. Mark's Church
Stourbridge Road, Fairfield, Bromsgrove,
Rector: Vacant
Lay Reader: Pauline Jones Tel: 0121 453 7785
Warden: Mary Fairbairn Tel: 0121 460 1938
Benefice Administrators: Christine Thomas and Christina Roberts
Address: Church Office, 19 Church Road, Belbroughton, DY9 9TE
Telephone: 01562 730777
Benefice Website: www.bfc-worcs.co.uk
Please join us for coffee after the service and if you would like to find out more information about any of the activities associated with church please speak to a warden or sides person.
SERVICES AT ST. MARK'S FAIRFIELD
For services at Belbroughton & Clent visit www.bfc-worcs.co.uk
Sunday 23rd July - 6th Sunday after Trinity
Morning Praise 11.15am
COLLECT FOR THE WEEK
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
READINGS
First Reading: Genesis 28.10-19a
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place – and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.
Second Reading: Romans 8.12-25
Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The Gospel Reading: Matthew 13.24-30,36-43
Jesus put before the crowd another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!’
This is the Gospel of the Lord
PARISH INTERCESSION
Creator God,
you made us all in your image:
may we discern you in all that we see,
and serve you in all that we do;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As a corporal act of mercy, please offer the following topics for prayer this week:
• Diocese of Skara (Sweden), Leeds (formerly W.Yorkshire & the Dales), Osun North East (Nigeria) and all their Archbishops, Bishops and clergy.
• Justin our Archbishop, John our Bishop, Graham the Bishop of Dudley, for Nikki our Archdeacon, Andrew our Rural Dean, for the Clergy, Readers and Lay-minsters of the Stourbridge Deanery, our ALM Team and visiting Clergy, our Musical Directors, Organists and Choir, and our Administrators Christine & Chrissy.
• The homes and families of: Bradford Lane, Belbroughton; Holy cross Green, Clent; Mill Lane, Wildmoor;
• General Synod
• Our links with St Thomas’s Stourbridge
• Jack Marks and Sharni Young who are to be married on 29th July at Holy Trinity Church, Belbroughton
We pray for those suffering in body, mind or spirit; may they know your presence alongside them in their time of need. Locally we ask for healing and strength for
Heather Carter; Alan McMichael; Mary Chapman; Carol Hine; Freser Nesbitt; Sue Carpenter; Wendy Packwood; John Partington; Freda Baker; David Hadley; Kim Jenkins; Len Hollyhead; Christine Brettle; Ann Hirons; Jess Harris, Jamie, and Phillip Ash
We pray, for those mourning the death of loved ones especially for the family and friends of David Johnston, Marina Reeves, Mollie Downing, Raymond Rutter, and George Jones
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer