Lead us heavenly Father, lead usO’er the world’s tempestuous sea;

Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,For we have no help but thee;Yet possessing every blessing

If our God our Father be.

Saviour breathe forgiveness o’er us;All our weakness thou dost know,

Thou didst tread this earth before us,Thou dids’t feel its keenest woe;

Lone and dreary, faint and weary,Through the desert thou didst go.

Spirit of our God descending,Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,

Love with every passion blending,Pleasure that can never cloy;

Thus provided, pardoned, guided,Nothing can our peace destroy.

[James Edmeston, 1791-1867]

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, andentered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in theway of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through JesusChrist your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the HolySpirit, one God, now and for ever. .

A very warm welcome to our services today.

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

The Lord says this: Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have nomoney, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and withoutprice. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour forthat which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delightyourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, Imade him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See,you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shallrun to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorifiedyou. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let thewicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to theLord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantlypardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says theLord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yourways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For the word of the Lord.

A reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were allunder the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses inthe cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the samespiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rockwas Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they werestruck down in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples for us, so thatwe might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; asit is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We mustnot indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fellin a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and weredestroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were de-stroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, andthey were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Soif you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtakenyou that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be testedbeyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so thatyou may be able to endure it.

For the word of the Lord.

Synesius of Cyrene 365-414 Allen William Chatfield, 1808-1896

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. The Lord is a great God, O that today youwould listen to his voice. Harden not your hearts.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

There were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate hadmingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galile-ans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you;but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who werekilled when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think that they were worseoffenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent,you will all perish just as they did.’ Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig treeplanted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he saidto the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree,and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir,let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruitnext year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

1. Lord Jesus, think on me, and purge away my sin; from earthborn passions set me free, and make me pure within.

2. Lord Jesus, think on me with many a care opprest; let me thy loving servant be, and taste thy promised rest.

3. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray; through darkness and perplexity point thou the heavenly way.

4. Lord Jesus, think on me, that, when the flood is past, I may the eternal brightness see, and share thy joy at last.

5. So shall my walk be close with God calm and serene my frame; so purer light shall mark the road that leads me to the lamb.

[William Cowper, 1731-1800]

O God of Mercy -

O God, you search me and you know me.All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.

When I walk or lie down, you are before me,Ever the maker and keeper of my days.

You know my resting and my rising.You discern my purpose from afar,

and with love everlasting you besiege me:In every moment of life or death, you are.

Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,you have known its meaning through and through.

You are with me beyond my understanding:God of my present, my past and future too.

1. O for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame;a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb!

2. What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still!But they have left an aching void the world can never fill.

3. Return, O holy Dove, return, sweet messenger of rest:I hate the sins that made thee mourn, and drove thee from my breast.

4. The dearest idol I have known, whate'er that idol be,help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee.

Although your Spirit is upon me,still I search for shelter from your light.

There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.

For you created me and shaped me,gave me life within my mother's womb.

For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.

[Bernadette Farrell, b.1957Based on Psalm 139]

Merciful Lord, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, theflesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; throughJesus Christ our Lord.

[Bernhard Severin Ingemann , 1789-1862 Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924]

Please take this service sheet and pew bulletin home with you & please leave the service booklet when you leave. Thank you.

1. Through the night of doubt and sorrow onward goes the pilgrim band,singing songs of expectation, marching to the promised land.

2. Clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light;brother clasps the hand of brother, stepping fearless through the night.

3. One the light of God’s own presence o’er his ransomed people shed,chasing far the gloom and terror, brightening all the path we tread:

4. One the gladness of rejoicing on the far eternal shore,where the one almighty Father reigns in love for evermore.

5. Onward, therefore, Christian pilgrims, onward with the cross our aid;bear its shame, and fight its battle, till we rest beneath its shade.

6. Soon shall come the great awaking, soon the rending of the tomb;then the scattering of all shadows, and the end of toil and gloom.

●Worship God●Welcome All●Reach out to the world

vicar@pershoreabbey.org.uk Mr Bill Newman (01386 640497) Mrs Suzanne Clarke (01386 553293)

Alveston House, 11, Broad Street, Pershore, WR10 1BB (01386 552071) office@pershoreabbey.org.uk www.pershoreabbey.org.uk

Please come and join usfor this special service which is for everyone. During the service we can give thanks for allthose who are close to us and who support us today and those who have supported us inthe past. Our young people will be sharing in the service and there will be delicious simnelcake served afterwards.

Please join us atBirlingham as we bless all creatures great and small! This will be a informal service that willinclude a blessing of all the pets that people bring with them. Refreshments will be servedin the church afterwards.

After playing faithfully for seventeen years and working with three Vicars ofPershore Mike has decided to step down from his role as Organist and Director of Music atthe Abbey on Easter Day. We are indebted to him for all that he has contributed to theworshipping life of the Abbey, faithfully turning out for our regular services as well as manyspecial services. Thank you Mike. From 28th April our Organist and Director of Music will beJohn Wilderspin.

All those who are celebrating their wedding within the Pershore Benefice, those whoare 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.

(Annual Parochial Church Meeting). Please notethat the APCM for 2019 will be held in St Andrew’s Centre on Thursday 11th April, at 19:00.Please email reports if possible to office@pershoreabbey.org.uk The final date for inclusionwill be tomorrow, 25th March. Thank you very much for all the reports we have receivedalready.

The quarterly rota booklet has been distributed by email, hard copiesare available in the letter rack for those who don’t have email or can be collected from theAbbey Office. Thank you.

Suzanne would be very grateful for some help this year at StAndrew’s Centre at 10:00, preparing the posies. Donations of flowers and greenerywould be also very greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

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 serviceon top of Bredon Hill on Good Friday, but is now unable to do so. If you have the right sortof car that could transport the cross up to Woollas Hall could you please let me know? It ishoped that the person bringing the cross could share the carrying of the cross up the hill withothers! Thank you.

I have just received my first order of Traidcraft Easter eggs andwill put these onto our stall on 7th April. These will be the REAL Easter egg with a bookletabout Easter, some small eggs ideal for Easter egg hunts, and two flavoured eggs that lookedvery tempting ! If you want a special egg, please look at the Traidcraft website,www.traidcraftshop.co.uk. for the complete collection. .Hurry or they may sell out.

April 6th the Daleian Male Voice Choir concert in the Abbey at 19:00 witha theme of “Hope”. Tickets £12 from all the usual places (Blue, Town Hall and the Library).The second is a play at Pershore Baptist Church by “Two’s Company” called Love Letter andis on Saturday 13th April at 19:00 Tickets are £10 as above. Both are in aid of the ProstateCancer Support Group.

Calling all fairytale characters! Carnival time will soon be upon us all onceagain, therefore if you are free on May 27th (May Bank Holiday) and would like to join awalking float made up from the Abbey Congregation for a lot of laughs, please contact eitherBeth or Eloise Seale or the Abbey Office. They have a great idea for our float. The Vicar andChurchwardens will of course be taking part!

Thank you for your continued support. It is greatlyappreciated. This month we would like UHT milk, fruit juice(long life), tinned cold meat,tomato ketchup, breakfast cereal and sugar.

...\Spring flower...

For the first time in many years the floodlights at the Abbey will beswitched off - but just for an hour. Earth Hour on Saturday 30th March is part of a worldwideevent to "call attention to the looming threat of climate change". It has been organised bythe World Wide Fund for Nature who asked that iconic buildings everywhere will havefloodlights switched off. Everyone is asked to use as little energy as possible in their ownhomes for the hour, starting at 20:30. The Abbey floodlighting uses low-energy LED lightsand is funded entirely from donations. Many nights of illumination are sponsored inmemory of family members. Contact Angela Gerrard or Eddie Howell, or emailoffice@pershoreabbey.org.uk

If you'd like to find out more about Eco Church, thescheme which helps churches care for creation in all aspects of church life, come along to StAndrew's on Tuesday the 30th of April. There will be refreshments from 19:00 and openingprayers at 19:15, followed by a presentation to explain the scheme and a chance to askpeople who have been involved, about their experiences.

Look out for the freeChristian Aid booklets available in the Abbey. Through brief, daily reflections you can learnabout the courageous fisherfolk who face typhoons and environmental damage. ChristianAid is providing funding, which is enabling them to use solar powered lighting to monitorillegal, destructive fishing, replant mangrove forests, learn new skills and much more. Theirstruggle to live and work in an environmentally friendly way and cope with increasinglyadverse weather, is humbling. They invite us to walk with them this Lent.

Plans are underway for another diocesan 'Kingdom People Day' inWorcester on Saturday 28th September. More details to follow, but please put the date inyour diary!

On the Mondays during Lent therewill be the opportunity to share in the quiet and peace ofCompline with a short reflection. As during Advent, thisservice will start at 19:00 and will last no longer than halfan 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 helpserve soup on 4th April. This year our soup makers will berequired to list ALL the ingredients used (including alladditives) in their soup for allergy sufferers. If you can helpplease contact Jane Knox.

Rather than producing a single Lent message fromBishop John, this year the diocese are publishing a series of video Lent reflections from thesenior staff in the Diocese. They can be downloaded from the Diocesan website www.cofe-worcester.org.uk

Tickets are still available! Please speak to Julie Newman if you wouldlike to reserve a place.

Our Easter Service cards are now available at the back of the Abbeygiving 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 decoratethe Abbey this Easter please put your gift in a marked envelope which will be available inthe Abbey. If your donation is in memory of a loved one and you would like that person’sname displayed in the Abbey please let us have the name to be remembered and we willinclude it on the list to be framed and on show in the Abbey over the Easter period. Thankyou.

08:00 Eucharist

10:30 All-Age Eucharist for Mothering Sunday

08:00 Eucharist09:30 Morning Praise10:30 Sung Eucharist

14:00 Pianoscapes with Chris Long (St A)15:00 Pet Service at St James', Birlingham

09:15 Musical Explorers (St A)10:30 Bells (St A)13:00 Organ Practice -JK (A)18:30 Weight Watchers (St A)18:30 Bells (A)19:00 Compline (A)19:30 Bells (St A)

11:00 CTIP Food Bank (St A)13:00 CTIP Foodbank QA Meeting (St A U)14:30 Mothers' Union (St A)18:30 Friends of St James' Church AGM (B)19:30 CTIP Lent Group 'Six of the Best Loved

Hymns' at Pershore Baptist Church19:30 CTIP Lent Group ‘Broken’ at the Abbey

10:00 Pastoral Meeting (1 Hunter Rise)19:30 Iona Service (A)19:30 Pinvin PCC (P)20:00 Vale Harmony (St A)

09:15 Weight Watchers (St A)09:30 Vicar & Wardens' Meeting (St A U)11:00 SAEC Meeting (St A U)12:00 CTIP Lent Lunch (St A)13:15 Art Club with Becca (St A U)13:30 CTIP Lent Group ‘Broken’ at

St Andrew's Centre19:00 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)15:00 Bells (A)18:00 Choir Practice (A)19:30 Bells (St A)

10:00 Mothering Sunday Posy Making (St A)10:30 Bells (St A)18:00 Private Booking (St A)20:30 - 21:30 Earth Hour 2019 -

Abbey Floodlights to be switched off