Diocese of Chester Cycle of Prayer Sunday, 28 February to Saturday, 27 March 2021
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Diocese of Chester
Cycle of Prayer
Sunday, 28 February to Saturday, 27 March 2021Sunday, 28 February 2021
Second Sunday of Lent
In the passage from Mark 8 notice two things about the cross of Jesus: first, Jesus
speaks of it quite openly, in a way that includes not just the disciples, but the crowd
and those who pass-by − this is a public call to discipleship. Those who would follow
this way are asked to do something that is open and public. The three imperatives of
discipleship are 1) deny yourself, 2) take up your cross, and 3) follow me, and they are
public acts.
Second, there is no confusion about what ‘cross’ means to those who are listening to
Jesus. It has but one association in the Roman Empire − it was the way dissidents were
executed. There’s no getting away from the political ramifications of it. Two thousand
years of piety pushes the cross safely into religious experience, but when Jesus used
the word he was talking about a political and military punishment. It was inflicted on
slaves, violent criminals, and unruly elements in rebellious provinces − not least
Palestine. It was inflicted on those who had no rights; those who had to be suppressed
to maintain the empire; those who were expendable to safeguard law and order.
Jesus asks his followers to face the consequences of daring to challenge the all-
encompassing power of imperial Rome and not to sell-out to it. The self-denial is that
required of the one standing accused in the courtroom making the choice for Jesus
and knowing the likely consequences. That brilliant commentator, Ched Myers, from
whom I get this exegesis, explains it this way, ‘The threat to punish by death is the bottom
line of the power of the state; fear of this threat keeps the dominant order intact. By resisting
this fear and pursuing kingdom practice even at the cost of death, the disciple contributes to
shattering the powers’ reign of death in history.’
Pursuing kingdom practice shatters the power of death, overturns all those things that
allows greedy, violent power to have its way. Pursuing kingdom practice allows us to
engage in the struggle against all those things that stop the reign of God breaking into
human experience and society. It simply asks us to resist always putting our self-
interest first. Pursuing kingdom practice always means public, political, physical, social
things − yes, and my soul and God, but NEVER just my soul and God.
[Ched Myers, (1997), Binding the Strong Man. New York: Orbis Books]
Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de AmericaMonday, 1 March 2021
0901 Backford
C: Steve Mansfield.
Mollington St Oswald's C of E School
Armidale, The Anglican Church of Australia
Tuesday, 2 March 2021
0902 Bromborough
C: Jenny Gillies. LM: Lynne Whittaker.
Arochukwu / Ohafia, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Wednesday, 3 March 2021
0903 Burton
C: Cathy Helm. LM: Ann Rudd, Ruth Abbott, Basil Keys, John Morris-Best.
Burton Bishop Wilson C of E School
Aru, Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo
Thursday, 4 March 2021
0904 Capenhurst
C: Steve Mansfield. LM: Jo Pemberton.
Capenhurst C of E School
Asaba, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)Friday, 5 March 2021
0905 Eastham
C: Beth Glover, Mark Turner. LM: Ray Bonnard, Andrew Bradley-Gibbons, Anne York,
David Colenso, Dot Christiansen, Simone Llewellyn, Nikki Matthews.
Please pray for us, that we may truly know how to; 'Sing the Lord's song in a strange
land' and to work with God as he says to us; 'Behold, I will make all things new'.
Millfields C of E School
Asante-Mampong, The Church of the Province of West Africa
Saturday, 6 March 2021
0906 Ellesmere Port
C: Gordon McGuinness, Gordon Welch, Gill Foster. LM: Julia McGuinness, Sue Johnson,
Ricky Montgomery, Frank Mawdsley.
Ellesmere Port Christ Church C of E School
Saint Asaph, The Church in Wales
Sunday, 7 March 2021
Third Sunday of Lent
Today the Diocese offers thanks for Bishop Keith’s ministry. We pray for Rosie and Keith’s move
to their new home, for joy and fulfilment in their changed circumstances, and for fruitfulness in
new ministry opportunities.
Speaking at a service to celebrate ‘Open the Book’ in 2019, Bishop Keith described his own
‘Open the Book’ version of the parable of the two sons (often called the Parable of the Prodigal)
in Luke’s Gospel, as part of the presentation he said,
‘Will the older brother allow himself to be brought back? Is he being led by the Father here; will
he experience the love and forgiveness of Jesus; will he let the Holy Spirit come within him? We
don’t know. We’re not told how the story ends, and we we’re not told because Jesus wants us
to answer that the question for ourselves. Will we be led by the Father? Will we experience the
love and forgiveness of Jesus? Will we be enfolded by the Holy Spirit?’
(From notes taken at the address). We give thanks for Bishop Keith’s constancy in putting
before us Christ’s claim on lives.
As Bishop Mark writes,‘We have so much to give thanks for as we bless Keith and Rosie into this next stage of their life
and ministry. Bishops are called to love and serve the people of God, to be diligent in prayer, to
seek out the lost, to be gentle and merciful, and to ‘pass on entire the faith that is entrusted to
us.’ Bishop Keith has been such a gift in this and so much more and although we are sorry to
see him leave, we are deeply grateful for his and Rosie’s time with us.’
Province de L'Eglise Anglicane Du Congo
Monday, 8 March 2021
Bishop Keith
Consecrated Bishop of Birkenhead in York Minster on this day in 2007. Pray for the
fruits of that long ministry among us.
Athabasca, The Anglican Church of Canada
Tuesday, 9 March 2021
0907 Great Saughall
C: Steve Mansfield. LM: Robert Brook.
Saughall All Saints C of E School
Athooch, The Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Wednesday, 10 March 2021
0908 Great Sutton
C: Antony Dutton.
Atlanta, The Episcopal Church, USAThursday, 11 March 2021
0909 Hooton
C: Keith Howard. LM: Peter Vaughan.
Little Sutton C of E School
Auckland, The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Friday, 12 March 2021
0910 Neston
C: Alan Dawson, Judith Calvert. LM: Tony Cooke, Elizabeth Joyce, Lesley Irvin.
As a vision crystalizes of the mission and ministry of this community of the Church:
Dear Lord Jesus guide us in our next steps as we emerge from the rigours of the last
year. Help, direct and strengthen your Church to do your will in this parish.
North West Australia, The Anglican Church of Australia
Saturday, 13 March 2021
0911 Shotwick
C: Cathy Helm. LM: Ruth Abbott, Basil Keys, John Morris-Best.
Aweil, The Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Sunday, 14 March 2021
Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday)
In addition to traditional prayer intentions prompted by Mothering Sunday, at this mid-
point in Lent your prayers are also asked for the ongoing process of discernment
towards the apppointment of two new suffragan bishops. Please pray for all those
involved directly – for their insight, wisdom and clear-sightedness. And also for the
communities of this diocese and geographical area – that the process and the
appointments may serve God’s mission in its widest sense.
Bishop Mark writes in the appointment pack,
‘The new bishops will be inspiring communicators, hospitable pastors, missionally
focused, prayerful, imaginative, and humble disciples of Christ. They will need to be
resilient, strategic, and collaborative as they join us at a time of considerable change in
the diocese. They will also be much loved and regularly held in prayer.’We pray together for individuals called by God to serve his Kingdom here.
A prayer for the discernment process:
Almighty God,
who sent Jesus Christ
to be the cornerstone of your Kingdom
and calls us to follow him.
Guide your Church, by the Holy Spirit,
to show humility, love and mercy as we seek your Kingdom.
We pray for those you are calling
to be the next bishops of Stockport and Birkenhead
and for those discerning that call.
Lead and strengthen them to answer your call;
in the name of Jesus Christ.
(With thanks to Andy Stinson)
Iglesia Anglicana de Chile
Monday, 15 March 2021
0912 Thornton Hough
C: Vicky Barrett.
Awerial, The Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Tuesday, 16 March 2021
0913 Willaston
C: Steven Bazely, Lyndon Bannon.
Pray for our church to grow in our love for God through Lent; to find ways to love
others during the lockdown and beyond; to commit to making and being disciples of
Christ; and for the Revd Stephen Bazely and his family as they prepare to leave the
church on Easter Sunday.
Willaston C of E School
Awgu / Aninri, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)Wednesday, 17 March 2021
The Ellesmere Port C of E Academy
Awka, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Thursday, 18 March 2021
Stockport Deanery
Awori, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Friday, 19 March 2021
1801 Stockport with Brinnington
C: Lynne Cullens, Jessica Piper, Marie Flint. LM: Brenda Baxendale, Rita Waters.
We give thanks for the opportunities to reach out to our community during lockdown,
and for the people in our parish who have generously given of their time and talent to
make this possible. We pray for the future shape of our parish once we emerge from
lockdown, and ask that God might reveal to us the things he wants us to do. And we
pray for the schools in our parish during this demandingly difficult time − that they
might know the peace and presence of Christ.
Brinnington St Paul's C of E School
Ayod, The Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan
Saturday, 20 March 2021
1802 Offerton
C: Christine Rablen.
Badagry, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)Sunday, 21 March 2021
Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passiontide begins)
Notice how pre-occupied Jesus appears to be in our Gospel reading from John 12.
Andrew and Philip come with a perfectly sensible request, but Jesus’ answer goes off in
completely a different direction. His mind is full of his impending death − you might call
him fixated − and who can blame him. Like any of us faced with great hurt and pain, his
whole horizon is dominated by this thing, or so it first seems. And he says, ‘What am I
to say, Father save me from this hour?’ Yes, he is tempted to the ‘if onlys.’ ‘If only’ I’d
done it differently; ‘if only’ I had made a different choice; ‘if only’ circumstances had
been different. He is tempted, but he doesn’t go that route.
Instead, he faces the difference he makes. No in my dying, in my suffering, something
else is going to be born, something that is of life, life in a richness that is beyond your
dreams. Forget the ‘if onlys,’ instead take what comes and turn it, transfigure it, re-
order it, make of it something. How can a cross be glorified? Yet it will be.
Perhaps Jesus does answer Andrew and Philip’s request after all. ‘Sir, we wish to see
Jesus.’ ‘When I am lifted up,’ says Jesus, ‘I will draw all people to myself.’ Then they will
be able to see Jesus alright − Jesus reigns from the wooden beams others have
determined shall be his end − but they are not. The terror it, the hurt of it, the failure of
it − is turned.
‘Where I am, there will my servant be also.’ In the turning, in the taking of the crosses of
this world and making them into thrones of love. That’s the seed that bears fruit, that’s
the law written in our hearts, that’s the turning that makes of a troubled soul not my
personal failure, but the chance of glory because God never leaves us to wallow in the
mire of despondency.
Salvation really does mean salvation − that all those blind, hurting dead ends of life can
be turned, can be salvaged, can be redeemed. What must die is that old self that locks
itself into a circle of failure, harm and hurt. What must be born is that seedling of the
eternal self, that knows it is loved by God, always, and everywhere, and forever.
The Church of EnglandMonday, 22 March 2021
1803 Edgeley and Cheadle Heath
C: David Brewster. LM: Heather Adams, David Brown.
Edgeley St Matthew's C of E School
The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands, The Church in the Province of the West
Indies
Tuesday, 23 March 2021
1808 Stockport St Peter
C: Vacant.
Bakuru, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Wednesday, 24 March 2021
1809 Stockport St Saviour
C: Diane Cookson. LM: Madeleine Watts.
Please pray for all as we struggle with the pressures of COVID-19 and the damage this
virus has done to people and finance. As we give thanks for the NHS let us also pray for
the ministry of Parish Nursing Uk Ministries and for Madeleine our Parish Nurse.
Ballarat, The Anglican Church of Australia
Thursday, 25 March 2021
The Annunciation of Our Lord to the BVM
1811 Stockport St George
C: Elaine Chegwin Hall, Janine Arnott. LM: Peter Hall.
Ask for God’s help in enabling us to continue exploring creative ways of engaging with
all of our community particularly those without internet access.
Stockport St George's C of E School
Bangor, The Church in WalesFriday, 26 March 2021
1812 Norbury Hazel Grove
C: Josh Askwith, Val Hindmarsh. LM: Richard Crocker, Lynn Smith, Val Gilchrist, Alan
Brown, Peter Cheslett.
Banks & Torres, The Anglican Church of Melanesia
Saturday, 27 March 2021
Chester Cathedral
C: Tim Stratford, Jane Brooke, Jeremy Dussek, Sarah Fenby.
Pray for the Cathedral as it begins Holy Week with worship online and in person; for
+Tim Stevens who will give reflections through the week on Covid and the Cross. Pray
that everyone can reflect on their journey of bearing the Cross over the last year and
for hope as we witness the transforming power of God in Jesus, giving us hope through
love, death, and resurrection.
Barbados, The Church in the Province of the West IndiesYou can also read
