PEW SHEET 

Benefices of Blaenau Irfon and Irfon Valley

Rogation Sunday (blessing the land)

Collect

God of abiding love, you choose us as your servants and dare to call us friends, take our fragmented hearts, commanding them to love, making whole our joy, making whole the earth, and our life reborn in you; through Jesus Christ who laid down his life for us. Amen

Acts 10:44-48

Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Psalm 98

The Earth sings Joy

O sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvellous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gained him victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth
 break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

1 John 5:1-6

Loving God

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

John 15:9-17

Loving Each Other

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.







© Collect from ‘Prayers for an Inclusive Church by Steven Shakespeare, Bible readings from NRSV Bible, Prayer of the week from ‘100 hundred prayers’, by Angela Ashwin.

Notices 13th May 2012

Rev. Lucyann Ashdown can be contacted on 01591620244 or 078759 34487 or@ lucyann.ashdown@gmail.com. Her day off is normally Friday

Services next week May 20th

Joint benefice service at EOD, Beulah 11am

Confirmation service with the Right Reverend Bishop John Davies, followed by blessing of the new annexe.

Notices

• Christian meditation group 7:30 pm St. Cadmarch’s.
• May 17 Deanery Ascension Day service St. Cadmarchs 7:30pm
• Please visit our website www.irfonvalleyparish.co.uk, we are reviewing it and would welcome some feedback! Thank you to Dee our web mistress.
• Notices can be sent directly to James (jashdown44@gmail.com or parish line above) by Tuesday morning, please

Please pray f

• For Rob and Lindsey as they prepare to be confirmed.
• For the new annex at EOD

• In the diocesan cycle of prayer we are asked to pray for the Anglican Church in Melanesia and the Area Deanery of Builth (our own, on Tuesday the diocese will be praying for our benefices)

Prayer for Rogationtide

Giver of life, we give you thanks that in the richness of the soil, nature awakens your call to spring
We praise you for the smell of the earth, for good pasture and for sweet grass
We ask that you help us to be good stewards of the land. 
In the name of the one who gives us new life, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen