Welcome to Fairfield Village
& the Hamlets of Wildmoor & Stoneybridge
SERVICES AT ST. MARK'S FAIRFIELD
For services at Belbroughton & Clent visit www.bfc-worcs.co.uk
Sunday 24th September - Trinity 15
11.15am Holy Communion St Mark, Fairfield
Sunday 1st October
11.15am Holy Communion St Mark’s
HARVEST 2017
Sunday 8th October – Harvest Worship4All – 11.15am at St Mark’s, Fairfield
Wednesday 25th October – Harvest Supper 7pm Fairfield Village Hall. £10 per person, BYO drink & glasses, everyone welcome
Harvest Services – please note that all donations taken during Harvest Services at Fairfield will be given to the Foodbank and Dodford Children’s Holiday Farm.
PARISH INTERCESSION - Sunday 24th September - Trinity 15
Lord God,
defend your Church from all false teaching
and give to your people knowledge of your truth,
that we may enjoy eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
As a corporal act of mercy, please offer the following topics for prayer this week:
• Diocese of Southeast Florida (USA), Sheffield, Greenland within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmakr, Sodor &I Man 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: Forge Lane, Belbroughton; Uffmoor lane, Clent; Mount Road, Fairfield;
• Restaurants and cafes in our villages.
• Our magazine editor, contributors and distributors
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 Betty Tarbuck; Jean Grove; Len Hollyhead; Mary Chapman; Freser Nesbitt; Kim Jenkins; Christine Brettle; Ann Hirons; and Jamie
We continue to pray for the progressive recovery of Carol Hines and Phillip Ash
We pray, for those mourning the death of loved ones especially for the family and friends of Horace Ward, Dorothy (Joan) Ledington, Alfred Painter, Winifred Barber, Janet Richards, Margaret Church, Joy Longmore, Wendy Packwood, and Margaret Gomme.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
COLLECT FOR THE WEEK
God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit
upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:
grant that your people may be fervent
in the fellowship of the gospel
that, always abiding in you,
they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
READINGS
First Reading: Exodus 16.2-15
The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’
Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?’ And Moses said, ‘When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him – what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD.’
Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.”’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”’
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.’
Second Reading: Philippians 1.21-30
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well – since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
The Gospel Reading: Matthew 20.1-16
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord
St Mark’s, Fairfield
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.