St Thomas's Church, St Anne's-on-the-Sea

St Thomas's Church, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, FY8 1JL, United Kingdom.

Proclaiming the love of Jesus in our community.

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Thought for the week

Our Licensed Lay Minister Elizabeth O'Connor has been supplying short meditations each week, available on our Downloads page.

Below is the most recent.

Thought for the week by Licensed Lay Minister Elizabeth O’Connor

2021-04-21

Peace

Peace. This word brings a variety of thoughts and images to mind. A tranquil water’s edge with just a gentle hint of breeze. The stillness of a relaxing sunny day, with the sound of laughter in the air. The beauty and scent of the rose called peace. A baby fast asleep and contented after being fed. An end of hostilities between people or nations that hopefully brings reconciliation. That feeling of calm and freedom from stress and anxiety, fear or turmoil – an inner peace, contentment. The idyllic, joyous “ah” moment, and I don’t mean when you bite into some chocolate! You could go on and on with examples.

It’s something that, in truth, we all strive and hope for in our lives, yet can often fail to have, for whatever reason. Whether it’s some external issues that we have no control over, personal issues that are affecting us or just simply “life,” we seem to be without it.

Yet the peace of God is more than all this. The resurrected Jesus, when He appears to the disciples says, “Peace be with you” and offers that gift to us. A “shalom” based on love, that brings wholeness and fulness of life which is eternal and not just a passing moment, if we care to receive it. A peace that passing all our human understanding then shows forth in our lives, and so in the world.

Show us, good Lord,
the peace we should seek,
the peace we must give,
the peace we can keep,
the peace we must forgo,
and the peace you have given
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Caryl Micklem

Peace of the running waves to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the shades of night to you,
Moon and stars always giving light to you,
Deep peace of Christ, the Son of Peace, to you.

Traditional Gaelic Blessing

Unable to access technology?

Even if individuals don’t have a computer or tablet, most people will have some sort of phone. The Church of England has the ‘Daily Hope Line.’ The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind. Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line.

If you know someone without access to technology, they may be interested in this facility.

April Magazine

The April 2021 issue of our magazine No Doubt is available on our Magazine page.

St Thomas's School Easter Service

Easter Day is over but Eastertide is just beginning!

Our school's Easter Service is always a chance to experience the familiar events of Easter in a different way. This year's online version, with each class taking a different aspect of the story and representing it with their own unique blend of enthusiasm and sincerity, is no exception. A refreshing, and often very moving, look at Easter through children's eyes. Which is always worth doing ....

Luke 18:16-17
But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The service is available on YouTube. Do take a look if you can.

Form of Prayer March to June

This new prayer resource Form of Prayer March to June is also available on our Downloads page.

A FORM OF PRAYER FOR SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS APRIL TO JUNE

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that I may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Easter Anthems (4^th April to 23^rd May)

1	Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us: so let us celebrate the feast,
2	not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
3	Christ once raised from the dead dies no more: death has no more dominion over him.
4	In dying he died to sin once for all: in living he lives to God.
5	See yourselves therefore as dead to sin: and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
6	Christ has been raised from the dead: the first-fruits of those who sleep.
7	For as by man came death: by man has come also the resurrection of the dead;
8	for as in Adam all die: even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
	Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The psalm and reading for the day or
one of the readings from the weekly sheet.

Easter Day

Psalm 118 verses 14-24

John Chap.20:1-10 or 1-18

11^th April Easter 2

Psalm 133. John 20:19-29

18^th April Easter 3

Psalm 4. Luke24 verses 36 b to 48

25^th April Easter 4

Psalm 23. John 10:11-18

2^nd May Easter 5

Psalm 22 verses 25 to end. John 15 verses 1-8

9^th May Easter 6

Psalm 98. John 15 verses 9-17

13^th May Ascension Day

Psalm 93. Acts 1:6-11

16^th May Easter 7

Psalm 1. John 17 verses 6-19

23^rd May Pentecost

Psalm 104 verses 26 to end. Acts 2:1-13

30^th May Trinity Sunday

Psalm 29. John 3 verses 1-17

6^th June Trinity 1

Psalm 130. Mark 3 verses 20 to end

13^th June Trinity 2

Psalm 92:1-8. Mark 4: 26-34

20^th June Trinity 3

Psalm 107: 23-32. Mark 4:35-41

27^th June Trinity 4

Psalm 30. Mark 5:21 to end.

Prayers

4^th April to 23^rd May

Risen Christ,
You filled your disciples with boldness
and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life
and fill us with your peace to the glory
of God the Father. Amen.

Ascension

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pentecost

God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all thing
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty
to worship the Unity
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;
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.

Other Sundays

Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you that you have brought us safely
to the beginning of this week.
Keep us from falling into sin
or running into danger,
order us in all our doings
and guide us to do always
what is righteous in your sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Your own prayers and the Lord’s Prayer

The Grace

Prince Philip: letter from the vicar

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Like most people, I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. The devoted support he showed to Her Majesty the Queen during their more than seventy years of married life and his commitment to the service of this country should undoubtedly give rise to a great sense of gratitude and thanksgiving.

The danger of living such a long life is of course that most people, especially younger people, only remember the straight backed elderly gentleman walking a few steps behind the Queen and see Prince Philip as a figure from the past. In that case you may wonder about his relevance for, for instance, the children at our school. What might be forgotten is that Prince Philip was a passionate advocate of modernisation, both in the way the monarchy functions and in the life of Britain as a whole, with a deep interest in the development of new technology. He was one of the first public figures to speak out about the environment and global warming. A refugee himself, he was particularly concerned for those who felt themselves outsiders.

Prince Philip had a deep concern for young people and his creation of the Duke of Edinburgh awards, symbolises his concern that young people should develop new skills and talents, stretching themselves to find strengths they didn’t know they had.

Despite living a life which (at least after his marriage) one might consider very privileged, people who met him talk of Prince Philip as a down to earth, approachable man who disliked fuss. Though sometimes he seemed to have a short fuse, he could also laugh at himself.

The Duke also had a deeply spiritual side to his life and of course the Queen herself is a deeply committed Christian. She will be comforted at this sad time by the promise of Easter that death has been defeated and the end of this life can be the beginning of new and eternal life.

As we give thanks for Prince Philip’s life, we also pray that he may rest in peace and rise in glory.

Revd. Chris Scargill

Vicar of St Thomas’ Church

The empty cross and the empty tomb.

Alleluia. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Saviour!

Psalm 18:46