The Quiver Easter 4 May 11, 2025
John depicts ‘the Jews’ as ‘the baddies’ – to Christians’ shame. But here, they too long for a Messiah. The teaching that the human being Jesus is ‘one’ with the eternal God and Father sounds to them like blasphemy. But for John’s teaching about the incarnation (1.14), we Christians might have agreed with them. The bond of trust and love between the Shepherd and his sheep, though, has strengthened over two millennia. And we are one with him because he is one with the Father. We can be utterly different yet still one when bonded by love. (Rev Dr Cally Hammond, Dean of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge)
SERVICES TODAY
9.30am Benefice Communion at Cranborne 334 457 302 282 124
11.00am Morning Worship at Gussage All Saints
11.00am Elevenses at Wimborne St Giles
Give praise and thanks to God and pray for his help and healing:
For the Church: The Diocese of Salisbury and the Deanery of Wimborne
The Episcopal Church of Sudan (Diocese of Nzara & Deanery of Yabongo)
For the World: Nations and their leaders; justice, peace and development. Refugees and victims of war. the dispossessed, the hungry, the persecuted. The Middle East
The housebound: Gerry & Pat Cope Geoff Phillips
Those in need : Hayley Loader Katherine Woodland Zachary Jackson Sylvia Gray Frank Russell Gill Lee Michael Goold Hilary & Guy
Cherry Thick Jax Sharp Jim Bolton Clifford House Tereasa Harrison Sheila & Jerry Laker Gary Snelling Martin Instone Diana & Ian Mashford Donovan Docherty Fiona Armstrong Pearl Dickinson Jean & Alan Elliott Stuart Harding Rocco MacAndrew Declan Connolly Freddie Boughton
For those who have died: Becky Gates
THIS WEEK
Monday 7.30pm Bell Ringing at Wimborne St Giles
Pray for Christian Aid Week (until 17th)
Tuesday 12 noon Circle Lunch Club at Cranborne Garden Centre
Pray for the care of God’s Creation
Wednesday Matthias the Apostle [Acts 1.15-end]
10.00am Holy Communion by Extension at Woodlands
followed by Bible Study Group
Pray for the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury
Thursday 7.30pm Choir Practice at Cranborne
Pray for all who provide local services
Friday Pray for social reformers
Saturday 2.00pm Talk by Adrian Barlow on Ninian Comper in St Giles’ church followed by Afternoon Tea in the Village Hall. £10. Pray for artists & craftspeople
SERVICES FOR NEXT SUNDAY – EASTER 5
9.30am Benefice Communion at Gussage St Michael
11.00am Elevenses at Woodlands
Acts 11.1-18 Revelation 21.1-6 John 13.31-35
There is a basket available at the back of church for the Charity of the Month. During April & May this will be for Downright Perfect which supports children with Down’s Syndrome and their families in Dorset. It is possible to donate online; bit.ly/DQchofm. Choose the amount and add Gift Aid. Donations by 31/5, Thank you.
Annual Parochial Church Meetings Edmondsham May 20th, 11am; Wimborne St Giles May 25, 11.15am; Woodlands May 4, 10.30am; Benefice, May 27. 5.30pm (at St Giles’)
Sunday, May 25th Afternoon Teas at Wimborne St Giles Village Hall in aid of the Church of the Ascension, Woodlands.
Thursday, May 29th – Ascension Day Eucharist at Woodlands 7pm followed by cheese & wine.
Thank you so much to everyone at Knowlton Circle, for your recent gift of £703.85 to Embrace the Middle East. Your contributions to our partners work across the Middle East is phenomenal. Often our partners get in touch to express how thankful they are. Not just for the support you give financially but for the thoughts, prayers and love they know you are sending them. Knowing that you stand in solidarity with them as they serve those who need it most in their communities really helps support them as they do their life transforming work. We are so grateful for your prayers, your initiatives and your support. Prayer changes lives… prayer makes a difference.
COLLECT
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
FIRST READING Acts 9.36-end
In Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
SECOND READING Revelation 7.9-end
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
GOSPEL John 10.22-30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."
POST COMMUNION
Merciful Father,
you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd,
and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again:
keep us always under his protection,
and give us grace to follow in his steps;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Organ Postlude Canticle on St Fulbert” – Gordon Slater (1896-1979)
Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem
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