Services for this coming week
Sunday, 16th February, The Third Sunday before Lent
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
10.00 am Parish Communion
10.00 am Holy Communion at Marishes
6.00 pm Evensong
Wednesday, 19th February
10.00 am Holy Communion
Sunday, 23rd February, The Second Sunday before Lent
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
9.30 am Holy Communion at Levisham
10.00 am Parish Communion
6.00 pm Evensong
Welcome to our worship for
Sunday, 15th February,
the Third Sunday before Lent
Eternal God, whose Son went among the crowds and brought healing with his touch: help us to show his love, in your Church as we gather together, and by our lives as they are transformed into the image of Christ our Lord.
Collect
Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity:
give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found;
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
give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found;
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
Readings for Today
First Reading: Jeremiah 17. 5-10
Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
Psalm 1
Response: For the Lord knows the way, the way of the righteous
Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful. Their delight is in the law of the Lord and they meditate on his law day and night. R
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, whatever they do, it shall prosper. As for the wicked, it is not so with them; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. R
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. R
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15. 12-20
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
Gospel Reading: Luke 6. 17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
Psalm 1
Response: For the Lord knows the way, the way of the righteous
Blessed are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the assembly of the scornful. Their delight is in the law of the Lord and they meditate on his law day and night. R
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, whatever they do, it shall prosper. As for the wicked, it is not so with them; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. R
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. R
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15. 12-20
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
Gospel Reading: Luke 6. 17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Reflection on these readings
from Rev Gareth Atha
The Chinese philosopher Confucius once said “life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” On a slightly different level, social media star Pokimane also once said “Life is complicated… time to become a unicorn”. Well, mythological creatures notwithstanding, there is some wisdom in both of these sayings. Life is often complicated, either because of circumstances out of our control or because we ourselves make things more complex. When things get this way, many people retreat from these complexities of life into escapism, not always in a healthy way. Simplicity sometimes seems like a dream, something many of us crave. At times even our Christian lives may feel overwhelming, and our church life certainly so, with all its rules and regulations, rituals and traditions. However, God calls us to a life of simplicity—one that is focused on Him and free from unnecessary burdens.
So how can we reconcile these two truths?
There is a wonderful saying which I’m sure many of you will have heard: “Keep It Simple”. Some people add the word “Stupid” on to the end though this always strikes me as a little unkind. Ultimately the “KISS principle” as it is known is a reminder not to make things needlessly complicated. Simplicity is not about deprivation; it is about focus. It is about centring our lives on what truly matters, which for us Christians, is God and his Kingdom.
There will always be things which are beyond our control and which impact our lives; we cannot ever change that. However, there is always much in our lives we can control, and if we look to Jesus we find that we may be able to keep things much simpler. Jesus Himself modelled a simple life, not just materially, but spiritually as well. His teachings used simple images from daily life that his hearers were familiar with. He used stories and parables so that he lessons could be remembered by those who heard him.
Ultimately, the Gospel message is a very simple one: God loves us, and he desires a relationship with us. Yet often we make things overly complicated for ourselves, thinking we must do things in a certain way or pray in a certain way. The message of Jesus is much simpler than that: have faith, believe in him, and be saved. Paul, when writing to the early church, was very concerned about other parties making things overly complicated. When he wrote his second letter to the Corinthian church he wrote: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3). Many people at the time were trying to add to the gospel, making it complex with rules and traditions. Yet, Jesus called his hearers and followers to a faith which is rich in childlike simplicity (Matthew 18:3). When we examine our own faith, are we needlessly complicating it? Are we modelling the simplicity of Jesus in our own gospel proclamation?
There are many benefits to keeping things simple: simplicity focuses our hearts on God. A cluttered life often leads to a cluttered heart, at least that’s what they tell me – or sometimes people say a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind – obviously someone who has witnessed the study in the Vicarage! Though in seriousness there is wisdom here. When we try to make things overly complicated, then we spend more time focussing on making sure things are done the correct way, and less time on focussing on God. Our overly complicated prayers, or rituals, can become distractions, and when we remove distractions, we create space for God to work in us. Again, as we examine our faith, are there any areas of “spiritual clutter” which we might wish to do away with?
However, simplicity in our faith is one of those things that it is easy to preach a sermon on, but much harder to do in real life. There are many obstacles to simplicity, we are all too easily drawn away from the peace of simplicity and tempted by greed, pride, and busyness. Our culture equates success with wealth, but the accumulation of wealth is never a simple process. Even if we are lucky enough to acquire any measure of wealth, it brings its own complexities. Now of course money isn’t necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but if it distracts us from focussing on God and how we might serve Him, then we should seek a simpler way of doing things. This goes for institutions as well as individuals, how often have we seen the institutional church get overly complicated on matters of finance?
Another obstacle to keeping things simple is busyness – rushing about hither and thither in an effort to get everything done. Sometimes we are better at being Martha than Mary. Of course we must fulfil our obligations, but is there a way we can fulfil them without increasing their complexity and missing out on the “better part”?
Finally, we often create complexity for ourselves because it makes us feel safe. By ensuring that things are kept complex, we can, perhaps unconsciously, put our trust in our own efforts rather than in God. None of us like feeling out of control or out of our comfort zones, and by creating our own (often very convoluted) way of doing things can give us a sense of security. Yet our security lies in God alone, not in anything we can do for ourselves.
A simple life is a Christ-cantered life. As we strip away the unnecessary and focus on the eternal, we will find deeper joy, greater peace, and a stronger relationship with God. Let us ask ourselves today: What is distracting me from living simply and wholeheartedly for Christ? Can anyone help us simplify things? Sometimes it is the bravest thing in the world to ask others for help, yet it is often the very thing we must do most of all.
May we embrace the beauty of simplicity and walk in the abundant life Jesus has promised us.
Prayer:
"Lord, help us to let go of unnecessary burdens and distractions. Teach us to walk in the simplicity of faith, trusting in You completely. May our hearts be centred on You, and may we live in a way that reflects Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen."
So how can we reconcile these two truths?
There is a wonderful saying which I’m sure many of you will have heard: “Keep It Simple”. Some people add the word “Stupid” on to the end though this always strikes me as a little unkind. Ultimately the “KISS principle” as it is known is a reminder not to make things needlessly complicated. Simplicity is not about deprivation; it is about focus. It is about centring our lives on what truly matters, which for us Christians, is God and his Kingdom.
There will always be things which are beyond our control and which impact our lives; we cannot ever change that. However, there is always much in our lives we can control, and if we look to Jesus we find that we may be able to keep things much simpler. Jesus Himself modelled a simple life, not just materially, but spiritually as well. His teachings used simple images from daily life that his hearers were familiar with. He used stories and parables so that he lessons could be remembered by those who heard him.
Ultimately, the Gospel message is a very simple one: God loves us, and he desires a relationship with us. Yet often we make things overly complicated for ourselves, thinking we must do things in a certain way or pray in a certain way. The message of Jesus is much simpler than that: have faith, believe in him, and be saved. Paul, when writing to the early church, was very concerned about other parties making things overly complicated. When he wrote his second letter to the Corinthian church he wrote: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3). Many people at the time were trying to add to the gospel, making it complex with rules and traditions. Yet, Jesus called his hearers and followers to a faith which is rich in childlike simplicity (Matthew 18:3). When we examine our own faith, are we needlessly complicating it? Are we modelling the simplicity of Jesus in our own gospel proclamation?
There are many benefits to keeping things simple: simplicity focuses our hearts on God. A cluttered life often leads to a cluttered heart, at least that’s what they tell me – or sometimes people say a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind – obviously someone who has witnessed the study in the Vicarage! Though in seriousness there is wisdom here. When we try to make things overly complicated, then we spend more time focussing on making sure things are done the correct way, and less time on focussing on God. Our overly complicated prayers, or rituals, can become distractions, and when we remove distractions, we create space for God to work in us. Again, as we examine our faith, are there any areas of “spiritual clutter” which we might wish to do away with?
However, simplicity in our faith is one of those things that it is easy to preach a sermon on, but much harder to do in real life. There are many obstacles to simplicity, we are all too easily drawn away from the peace of simplicity and tempted by greed, pride, and busyness. Our culture equates success with wealth, but the accumulation of wealth is never a simple process. Even if we are lucky enough to acquire any measure of wealth, it brings its own complexities. Now of course money isn’t necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but if it distracts us from focussing on God and how we might serve Him, then we should seek a simpler way of doing things. This goes for institutions as well as individuals, how often have we seen the institutional church get overly complicated on matters of finance?
Another obstacle to keeping things simple is busyness – rushing about hither and thither in an effort to get everything done. Sometimes we are better at being Martha than Mary. Of course we must fulfil our obligations, but is there a way we can fulfil them without increasing their complexity and missing out on the “better part”?
Finally, we often create complexity for ourselves because it makes us feel safe. By ensuring that things are kept complex, we can, perhaps unconsciously, put our trust in our own efforts rather than in God. None of us like feeling out of control or out of our comfort zones, and by creating our own (often very convoluted) way of doing things can give us a sense of security. Yet our security lies in God alone, not in anything we can do for ourselves.
A simple life is a Christ-cantered life. As we strip away the unnecessary and focus on the eternal, we will find deeper joy, greater peace, and a stronger relationship with God. Let us ask ourselves today: What is distracting me from living simply and wholeheartedly for Christ? Can anyone help us simplify things? Sometimes it is the bravest thing in the world to ask others for help, yet it is often the very thing we must do most of all.
May we embrace the beauty of simplicity and walk in the abundant life Jesus has promised us.
Prayer:
"Lord, help us to let go of unnecessary burdens and distractions. Teach us to walk in the simplicity of faith, trusting in You completely. May our hearts be centred on You, and may we live in a way that reflects Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen."
You can watch the reflection from the Diocese of York here - click link below
vimeo.com/dioceseofyork
vimeo.com/dioceseofyork
Prayers for today
from Gina Southey
Knowing our need of God, let us pray.
Father, we bring to mind our church here in Pickering and throughout the world. It is for right values and right priorities, that we pray you will help us discern, in all we decide and do, to further your Kingdom here on earth.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind all who lead and govern, all meetings where important decisions are made. At this time where there are turbulent political situations across the world, we pray that justice and mercy are upheld in line with your loving will.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind our circle of family and friends with whom we share the good and the difficult times. We give thanks for all the positive developments within our community, thinking especially of the work of the Pickering CIC, food bank, the environmental group and churches together. We pray and give thanks for all the different groups in the town who are working with young children and their families, within church settings and also through the library. We pray for the grace to discern more readily the good in each person and the gifts that they have to offer.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind those caught up in the frenetic pressures of life, and those who are stressed to breaking point. We pray for insight and courage to change things. We pray for those who are ill, thinking especially for those whose names are in our pew leaflet and for those who leave prayers and light candles in church asking for our prayers.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind the dying, especially those who are alone, and we remember those who have recently died. May they and we share in the everlasting joy of your presence.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We thank you Father, for all the wise teaching you have given us through Jesus, your son. Give us the grace to be those who do in the world and not just those who hear. Let us actively show our faith to the world in whatever way we can, using our own God given gifts.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Father, we bring to mind our church here in Pickering and throughout the world. It is for right values and right priorities, that we pray you will help us discern, in all we decide and do, to further your Kingdom here on earth.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind all who lead and govern, all meetings where important decisions are made. At this time where there are turbulent political situations across the world, we pray that justice and mercy are upheld in line with your loving will.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind our circle of family and friends with whom we share the good and the difficult times. We give thanks for all the positive developments within our community, thinking especially of the work of the Pickering CIC, food bank, the environmental group and churches together. We pray and give thanks for all the different groups in the town who are working with young children and their families, within church settings and also through the library. We pray for the grace to discern more readily the good in each person and the gifts that they have to offer.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind those caught up in the frenetic pressures of life, and those who are stressed to breaking point. We pray for insight and courage to change things. We pray for those who are ill, thinking especially for those whose names are in our pew leaflet and for those who leave prayers and light candles in church asking for our prayers.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We bring to mind the dying, especially those who are alone, and we remember those who have recently died. May they and we share in the everlasting joy of your presence.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us.
We thank you Father, for all the wise teaching you have given us through Jesus, your son. Give us the grace to be those who do in the world and not just those who hear. Let us actively show our faith to the world in whatever way we can, using our own God given gifts.
Lord our God, in you we put our trust.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Please pray for:-
the sick, and those who care for them, including Patricia Gordon-Duff, Tony Lindsay, Cheryl Dulson, Michelle Copperthwaite, and Philip Smith
those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit
those who have recently died, including Ray Cordery, Susan Cook, Liz Clark and Anthony Hammond
those whose anniversary of death falls at this time, including Raymond Geoffrey Capes, Keith Anthony Rands and George Victor Nicholson
Post Communion Prayer
Merciful Father, who gave Jesus Christ to be for us the bread of life, that those who come to him should never hunger:
draw us to the Lord in faith and love, that we may eat and drink with him at his table in the kingdom,
where he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen
draw us to the Lord in faith and love, that we may eat and drink with him at his table in the kingdom,
where he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen

From The Church of England
You are invited to our Live service on Sunday from 9am on our website, Facebook or YouTube . It will be available for playback immediately after as well.
All of our weekly service content is manually subtitled and contains British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation throughout.