Last week the Sunday Youth were asked what they would like St Stephen's to pray for. They suggested that we split the prayers into 4 parts They thought that there should be an opportunity for us to pray for

1. people close to us (personal praying)
2. people we know locally in church,
3. all the poverty in the world
4. Current affairs

They also want us to pray for

• the homeless and those less fortunate than ourselves
• suffering people around us and those who have ill relations
• everyone's health (not just the ill people)
• peace in hostile nations
• stop global warming and stop cruelty
• unity in faith for all our congregation
• growth in faith of those who feel wanting
• help in obstacles in life and the problems that we face
• God to guide us through the week and all God does for us
• that we won't get bullied in class,
• that we can go to bed and know that the Lord is with us
• loyalty and a better future
• bad issues on the news - current problems eg Iraq war
• people facing personal struggles and hardships who sometimes forget that God is there for them
• persecution of innocent people, - and why don't we have any trees.

Processional Hymn 609 To God be the Glory

Collect of the Day
Merciful Lord, absolve your people from their offences, that through your bountiful goodness we may all be delivered from the chains of those sins which by our frailty we have committed; grant this, heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Reading Numbers 21.4-9 (p.519)
4The Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The people spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.' 6Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.' 9So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Second Reading Ephesians 2.1-10 (p.520)
1You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Gradual Hymn 507 Lord of all hopefulness

GOSPEL John 3.14-21 (p.521)
Jesus said to Nicodemus: 14'Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17'Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.'

INTERCESSIONS
Please pray for all those who are sick or unwell especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Felicity Balwant, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Sean Lim, Clive Heywood Ron & Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, John Asbridge, Caroline Nevill, Ruth and Tracey Davies.

Offertory Hymn 432 From heaven you came

Communion Hymn 252

Post Communion Prayer
Lord God, whose blessed Son our Saviour gave his back to the smiters
and did not hide his face from shame: give us grace to endure the sufferings of this present time with sure confidence in the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Recessional Hymn 362 Tell out my soul

Coffee in Church after the service

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 (4th of Lent) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

NOTICES

THIS WEEK:
Tues 28th 6.00-7.30 pm Youth Club - 11-13 year olds
7.30 - 9.00 pm Youth Club - 14 years +
Wed 29th 8-9.30 pm Alpha Course at St Stephen's Vicarage
Thurs 30th 6.30 pm Christian Meditation Group, St Stephen's
Sun 2nd 11.45-13.15 Confirmation Classes, St Stephen's Vicarage

TODAY
is Ivy's birthday! Many happy returns Ivy.

Today also marks the 2nd anniversary of the death of Pernel and Iona Jennings. They both died within a few weeks of each other in March 2004. Iona lived with a smile on her face; Pernel was a craftsmen. They are both greatly missed and family and friends are with us today to mark the occasion - also for their daughter Maxine Thomas who died on 14th February.

NEXT SUNDAY: 2 April 2006 Fifth Sunday of Lent
Passiontide begins

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant and Preacher - The Reverend Dr Bob Mayo
Jeremiah 31.31-34 (p 522) Hebrews 5.5-10 (p 524) John 12.20-33 (p 525)

Home Communion - Available to any unable to come on a Sunday. Talk to Father Bob (8743 3166) if you or anyone else might be interested.

Any enquiries about pastoral concerns, baptisms, weddings or funerals
please get in touch with either Bob Mayo, the vicar, or Sarah Archer, the Associate-Vicar at St Michaels. The only time that Bob will be unavailable is between Friday pm and Sunday am.

Bookings for the Parish Hall dealt with by the Parish Secretary, Jill Wigney. To make a booking please telephone Jill on 020 8740 9879 or email ststephensw12@london.anglican.org

Rev Bob Mayo, St Stephen's Vicarage, 1 Coverdale Road, W12 8JJ 8743 3166
Rev Sarah Archer, St Michael's, 1 Commonwealth Avenue, W12 7QR 8743 7100
Rev. Ann Clarridge, Curate, 07903 605 908