A very warm welcome to our services today. Please join us for refreshments after the 1030 service.

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1 A very warm welcome to our services today. Please join us for refreshments after the 1030 service. 1. Take up thy cross, the Saviour said, If thou wouldst my disciple be; Deny thyself, the world forsake, And humbly follow after me. 2. Take up thy cross: let not its weight Fill thy weak spirit with alarm; His strength shall bear thy spirit up, And brace thy heart and nerve thine arm. 3. Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame Nor let thy foolish pride rebel: Thy Lord for thee the cross endured, To save thy soul from death and hell. 4. Take up thy cross then in his strength, And calmly every danger brave, 'Twill guide thee to a better home, And lead to victory o er the grave. 5. Take up thy cross, and follow Christ, Nor think till death to lay it down; For only those who bear the cross May hope to wear the glorious crown. 6. To thee, great Lord, the One in Three, All praise forevermore ascend: O grant us in our home to see The heavenly life that knows no end. [C. W. Everest, ] Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ s religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever..

2 A reading from the Book of Genesis The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great. But Abram said, O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir. But the word of the Lord came to him, This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir. He brought him outside and said, Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them. Then he said to him, So shall your descendants be. And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then he said to him, I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess. But he said, O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it? He said to him, Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. For the word of the Lord. A reading from the Letter to the Philippians Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. For the word of the Lord.

3 1. Come, let us to the Lord our God With contrite heart return; Our God is gracious, nor will leave The desolate to mourn. 2. His voice commands the tempest forth, And stills the stormy wave; And though his arm be strong to smite, Tis also strong to save. 3. Long hath the night of sorrow reigned; The dawn shall bring us light; God shall appear, and we shall rise With gladness in His sight. 4. Our hearts, if God we seek to know, Shall know Him, and rejoice; His coming like the morn shall be, Like morning songs his voice. 5. As dew upon the tender herb, Diffusing fragrance round, As showers that usher in the spring, And cheer the thirsty ground: 6. So shall his presence bless our souls, And shed a joyful light; That hallowed morn shall chase away The sorrows of the night. [John Morison, ] Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice. Harden not your hearts. Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you. He said to them, Go and tell that fox for me, Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. This is the Gospel of the Lord.

4 Above the voices of the world around me, my hopes and dreams, my cares and loves and fears, the long-awaited call of Christ has found me, the voice of Jesus echoes in my ears: 'I gave my life to break the cords that bind you, I rose from death to set your spirit free; tum from your sins and put the past behind you, take up your cross and come and follow me.' What can I offer him who calls me to him? Only the wastes of sin and self and shame; a mind confused, a heart that never knew him, a tongue unskilled at naming Jesus' name. Yet at your call, and hungry for your blessing, drawn by that cross which moves a heart of stone, now Lord I come, my tale of sin confessing, and in repentance turn to you alone. Lord, I believe; help now my unbelieving; I come in faith because your promise stands. Your word of pardon and of peace receiving, all that I am I place within your hands. Let me become what you shall choose to make me, freed from the guilt and burden of my sins. Jesus is mine, who never shall forsake me, and in his love my new-born life begins. O Holy Spirit, Lord of Grace - [Timothy Dudley Smith 1926] 1. Drop, drop, slow tears, and bathe those beauteous feet, which brought from heaven the news and Prince of peace. 2. Cease not, wet eyes, his mercies to entreat: to cry for vengeance sin doth never cease. 3. In your deep floods drown all my faults and fears; nor let his eye see sin, but through my tears. [Phineas Fletcher, ]

5 Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1. There s a wideness in God s mercy, like the wideness of the sea; there s a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty. 2. There is no place where earth s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven; there is no place where earth s failings have such kindly judgement given. 3. For the love of God is broader than the measure of man s mind; and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind. 4. But we make his love too narrow by false limits of our own; and we magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own. 5. There is plentiful redemption in the blood that has been shed; there is joy for all the members in the sorrows of the head. 6. There is grace enough for thousands of new worlds as great as this; there is room for fresh creations in that upper home of bliss. [Frederick Williams Faber, ] Please take this service sheet and pew bulletin home with you & please leave the service booklet when you leave. Thank you.

6 Worship God Welcome All Reach out to the world Mr Bill Newman ( ) Mrs Suzanne Clarke ( ) Alveston House, 11, Broad Street, Pershore, WR10 1BB ( ) All those who are celebrating their wedding within the Pershore Benefice, those who are being baptised, those who are in need and those who have recently died. We also pray for those whose anniversary of death occurs today or in the coming week. After playing faithfully for seventeen years and working with three Vicars of Pershore Mike has decided to step down from his role as Organist and Director of Music at the Abbey on Easter Day. We are indebted to him for all that he has contributed to the worshipping life of the Abbey, faithfully turning out for our regular services as well as many special services. Thank you Mike. From 28th April our Organist and Director of Music will be John Wilderspin. to all the providers & helpers of both pancakes & soup, this week. Everyone has helped make a very successful start to Lent & the Lent Project; Workplace Chaplaincy & enjoyed good fellowship with Churches Together in Pershore. Thank you.

7 (Annual Parochial Church Meeting). Please note that the APCM for 2019 will be held in St Andrew s Centre on Thursday 11th April, at Please reports if possible to office@pershoreabbey.org.uk or give a hard copy to the office as soon as possible. Thank you. For many years Nigel Portman, from the Baptist Church, has taken the cross from the Baptist Church up to Woollas Hall in preparation for the service on top of Bredon Hill on Good Friday, but is now unable to do so. If you have the right sort of car that could transport the cross up to Woollas Hall could you please let me know? It is hoped that the person bringing the cross could share the carrying of the cross up the hill with others! Thank you. This is the basic list in every parish of all those entitled to vote on elections within the Church of England. Those entitled to have their names on this roll have to be 16 years of age or more and they must reside in the relevant parish or be regular worshippers in church whose roll they wish to join. The roll is completely renewed every six years, at which point all members have to re-apply for membership or else their names will be deleted. By this means, the continuing validity of the roll is maintained. The rules of the Church of England require the Electoral Roll to be redrawn every six years -! If you would like to be included on the new Electoral Roll you will need to complete another form to be included. Application forms are available at the back of the Abbey this morning. They should be returned to the Abbey & Benefice Office, Alveston House, 11 Broad Street, Pershore WR10 1BB If you wish to leave your completed form this morning, please pass it to Bill Newman, Suzanne Clarke or Claire. This is a big task to complete in time for the Abbey APCM and therefore it would be appreciated if you could let us have the returned forms as soon as possible but Thank you for your help. As you will know Robin Hancox has retired as Day Verger recently. Lots of us have been used to letting Robin know of issues in and around the Abbey and he has either sorted things himself or arranged for them to be done. So what do we do now? If you spot something that needs looking at or fixing please raise it with one of our Churchwardens. Bill or Suzanne will then contact whoever has agreed to take on that particular issue and hopefully we can sort things out. Thanks.

8 You will find this in the St John Chapel next to the candle stand. A generous legacy has enabled this bespoke piece of furniture to be made which compliments this prayerful area. Please join with our many visitors in using this board for your own prayers. Please remember you can see all the latest news and information on our website Calling all fairytale characters! Carnival time will soon be upon us all once again, therefore if you are free on May 27th (May Bank Holiday) and would like to join a walking float made up from the Abbey Congregation for a lot of laughs, please contact either Beth or Eloise Seale or the Abbey Office. They have a great idea for our float. The Vicar and Churchwardens will of course be taking part! Thank you for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated. This month we would like UHT milk, fruit juice(long life), tinned cold meat, tomato ketchup, breakfast cereal and sugar. Plans are underway for another diocesan 'Kingdom People Day' in Worcester on Saturday 28 September. More details to follow, but please put the date in your diary! Rather than producing a single Lent message from Bishop John, this year the diocese are publishing a series of video Lent reflections from the senior staff in the Diocese. They can be downloaded from the Diocesan website Look out for the free Christian Aid booklets available in the Abbey. Through brief, daily reflections you can learn about the courageous fisherfolk who face typhoons and environmental damage. Christian Aid is providing funding, which is enabling them to use solar powered lighting to monitor illegal, destructive fishing, replant mangrove forests, learn new skills and much more. Their struggle to live and work in an environmentally friendly way and cope with increasingly adverse weather, is humbling. They invite us to walk with them this Lent. There are still a few copies of the Church of England Pilgrim Journey new title for Easter, 40 days of Reflections on The Lord s Prayer available in the Abbey. They cost 2.95 each, please enquire in the Abbey or contact the office on

The quarterly rota booklet has been distributed by email this week, hard copies are available in the letter rack today for those who don t have email or can be collected from the Abbey Office.

Many thanks. On the Mondays during Lent there will be the opportunity to share in the quiet and peace of Compline with a short reflection.

9 The quarterly rota booklet has been distributed by this week, hard copies are available in the letter rack today for those who don t have or can be collected from the Abbey Office. Thank you. Suzanne would be very grateful for some help this year at St Andrew s Centre at 10:00, preparing the posies. Donations of flowers and greenery would be also very greatly appreciated. Many thanks. On the Mondays during Lent there will be the opportunity to share in the quiet and peace of Compline with a short reflection. As during Advent, this service will start at 19:00 and will last no longer than half an hour. Services are held in the Apse. Lenten Lunches (soup & a roll) are being held every Thursday in Lent, 12:00-13:30 at St Andrew s Centre. We need volunteers to help serve soup on 4th April. This year our soup makers will be required to list ALL the ingredients used (including all additives) in their soup for allergy sufferers. If you can help please sign up on the form at the back of the Abbey or contact Jane Knox telephone Our Easter Service cards are now available at the back of the Abbey giving full details of all our services across the Pershore Benefice. Please help yourselves. If you wish to donate an offering towards the cost of the lilies to decorate the Abbey this Easter please put your gift in a marked envelope which will be available in the Abbey. If your donation is in memory of a loved one and you would like that person s name displayed in the Abbey please let us have the name to be remembered and we will include it on the list to be framed and on show in the Abbey over the Easter period. Thank you.

11 19:30 The Philomusica Chorus: Springtime in Paris 19:00 Mayor s Charity Concert featuring The Daleian Singers 19:00 Concert in aid of Worcestershire Carers 14:30 Worcester Philharmonic Summer Concert 19:30 Birmingham Bach Choir For full concert details and ticket information please visit our website at or contact the event organiser The final moments, the now far-away Doman joined by a handful of orchestral strings, were magical, and in themselves would have justified this first-ever visit to this magical venue.

12 08:00 Eucharist 10:30 Sung Eucharist with Laying on of Hands 17:30 Youth Group (St A) c/o Suzanne Clarke 09:15 Musical Explorers (St A) 14:00 Funeral of the late Myfi Weaving (A & afterwards at St A) 15:30 Meeting RH (A) 18:30 Weight Watchers (St A) 19:00 Compline (A) 19:30 Bells (A) 09:30 Bells (St A) 10:00 Meditation Group (Catholic Church) 11:00 CTIP Food Bank (St A) 14:15 Fabric Committee Meeting (St A U) 18:30 Wick PCC Meeting (W) 19:30 Abbey Women's Fellowship (St A) 19:30 CTIP Lent Group 'Six of the Best Loved Hymns' at Baptist Church 19:30 CTIP Lent Group Broken at the Abbey 10:30 Lunch Club - Enquiries (St A) 11:00 Eucharist (Heathlands) 20:00 Vale Harmony (St A) 09:15 Weight Watchers (St A) 09:30 Vicar & Wardens' Meeting (St A U) 12:00 CTIP Lent Soup (St A) 13:15 Art Club with Becca (St A U) 13:30 CTIP Lent Group Broken at St Andrew's Centre 19:00 Guitar Class (St A) 09:30 Babies and Toddlers (St A) 11:00 Eucharist (A) 13:00 CTIP Food Bank (St A) 14:30 Organ Practice MP (A) 18:00 Choir Practice (A) 18:30 Let's Dance Pop Up Disco (St A) 19:30 Bells Quarter Peal (St A) 09:30 Marriage preparation course (St A) 13:15 Concert preparation / rehearsals (A & St A from 17:30) 19:30 Philomusica: Springtime in Paris (A) 14:00 Pianoscapes with Chris Long (St A) 15:00 Pet Service at St James', Birlingham 08:00 Eucharist 09:30 Morning Praise 10:30 Sung Eucharist

A very warm welcome to our services today. Please join us for refreshments after the 1030 service.

with Junior Church and Upper Room Group A very warm welcome to our services today. Please join us for refreshments after the 1030 service. 1. Forty days and forty nights thou wast fasting in the wild;