Sunday School meets in the Vestry
Sunday Youth meets in the Glebe Maisonette
Small Children are welcome to play in St Thomas's Chapel, near the porch
Baptised Communicants of other Churches are encouraged to receive communion
Children and other non-communicants are invited to come to the altar for a blessing
The Ministry of Healing is offered in the Chapel, after Communion is given

We welcome the Rev Ann Claridge as celebrant and preacher today – Father Bob is on holiday.

Processional Hymn     435  Glorious things of thee are spoken    

Collect of the Day
Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as pass our understanding: pour into our hearts such love toward you that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; 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.

First Reading                 2 Samuel 7.1-14a                              (p.627)
1When David was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ 3Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you.’  4But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you, David, that the LORD will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.

Second Reading           Ephesians 2.11-22                          (p.631)
11Remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’ – a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands – 12remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

GOSPEL                         Mark 6.30-34,53-56                           (p.632)
The apostles returned from their mission. 30They gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.  53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

INTERCESSIONS

Please pray for
- The sick and suffering: especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Clive Heywood, Ron & Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, Caroline Nevill, Ruth and Tracey Davies.

Offertory Hymn             606     Thy hand, O God, has guided

Recessional Hymn      160     Thine be the glory

Coffee in Church after the service

Post Communion (6th after Trinity) ©  1985 Anglican Church of Canada: The Book of Alternative Services. Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000. Collect (6th after Trinity) ©  The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

NOTICES

THIS WEEK:

NEXT SUNDAY:        30 July 2006   Seventh Sunday after Trinity

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant – The Reverend Sarah Archer
2 Samuel 11.1-15 (p633), Ephesians 3.14-21 (p636), John 6.1-21 (p637)

Next week we are delighted to welcome Bishop Wilfred Wood and his wife Ina as they will be celebrating 40 years of marriage.  They were married at St Stephens on that day 40 years ago.  Between August 6 1962-1967, Bishop Wilfred was an Ordinary Curate at St Stephen’s.  From 1967-February 15 1974, he was an Honorary Curate here and the Bishop's Chaplain to Race Relations.  Fr Roderick Gibbs left in early 1965, and between then and Fr John Asbridge's arrival in January 1966, Bishop Wilfred was Priest-In-Charge for the interregnum.   Fr John Asbridge will be the preacher.  Bishop Wilfred has invited a number of guests and will be hosting a reception for them in the church hall after the service.

NEXT MONTH

Soul in the City concert – look out for further details in the coming weeks.

Father Bob will be away from 19th July to 6th August.

TODAY is the deadline for final payment for the Walsingham camping trip.  Please pay Elaine Yoda.

Today is also the last day of term for the Sunday School and Sunday Youth.  The new term commences on 10 September 2006.

ARE YOU ON THE EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST?

We are setting up an email distribution list to keep members of St Stephen’s in touch with a weekly prayer and much more.  If you would like to be included on this list, please email the Parish Secretary at ststephensw12@london.anglican.org.

Any enquiries about pastoral concerns, baptisms, weddings or funerals while Father Bob is away, please get in touch with Sarah Archer, the Associate-Vicar at St Michaels.

Visit the church web site at www.ststephensw12.org.