Steve Nicholson
Mothering Sunday 2025
Mothering Sunday 2025
Steve Nicholson
Hope Safety & Peace
Hope Safety & Peace
Steve Nicholson
Sharing Loss Together
Sharing Loss Together
Steve Nicholson
Term card: Spring 2025
Term card: Spring 2025
Steve Nicholson
Gobowen Community Cafe
Gobowen Community Cafe

Prayer Supper

6pm Sunday evening (3rd Sunday of the month)
Joint St Mary's and All Saints' Prayer Supper, in the All Saints' Church Hall
Join us for a simple supper of bread, soup and cake as we eat and pray together. If you're not confident in prayer or would rather not pray out loud, don't worry. You won't be put on the spot. We want to seek God for our church, community and world.

Covid: Important information

""God raised Christ from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion"
(Ephesians 1:20–21)


You are very welcome to join us at any of our services or events and we understand that each of us need to make our own decision about what we join in with. The Church of England guidance explains:

"Within the Church we believe that everyone is known and loved individually by God and that as many members within one body we are called to be responsible to and for one another, respecting the more vulnerable whose suffering is our suffering (1 Cor 12:12-27).
We are given more freedoms and we want to use our freedoms to love and serve our neighbour. “

Currently, there are no legal restrictions and we are leaving it a matter of personal choice whether the wear a face covering, as you feel comfortable (updated February 2022). If you’d like to get in touch with any questions or concerns, we’d love to hear from you.

Harvest 2021

We’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Harvest this year in our services, in assemblies at Gobowen Primary School and with a church family lunch together. Thank you to all those who helped. And thank you to all those who contributed towards the Oswestry and Borders Foodbank collection with such great gifts. THANK YOU!

Easter 2021

We are hoping to hold the following services over Easter weekend. It would be great if you can join us:

7pm Maundy Thursday Service with the Lord’s Supper, 1st April, at All Saints’ Gobowen.

Family Good Friday Trail telling the Easter message:

  • St Mary’s Churchyard: 10am-12 noon

  • All Saints’ Churchyard: 2pm-4pm

Easter Sunday, 9.30am, St Mary’s, Celebration Service with the Lord’s Supper.

Easter Sunday, 11.00am, All Saints’, Celebration Service with the Lord’s Supper.

Easter Sunday 4th April 2021

You are welcome to join our in-person services each week, but here are some resources for those who aren’t yet able to join us in person. This is the last of these online service resources while we think about how best to continue to care for people as we begin returning to church. If you would like to be in touch, I’d love to hear from you.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

From the Te Deum

You, Christ, are the King of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.
When you took our flesh to set us free you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Confession

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour in thought and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.

May the God of love and power forgive you from your sins, and restore you in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Word of God

Please read Acts 10:34-43 and John 20:1-18, available here.

Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Easter Sunday Reflection 

I’m very thankful for people who remind me of what is really true. This past year has been an emotional and spiritual rollercoaster for many of us. I remember as a teenager being on a ride at Drayton Manor theme park and part way through realising it was too much for me.  I didn’t know it was possible to feel so dizzy. I was very thankful to be back on firm ground afterwards, and spent some time lying down on the grass. The message of Easter is our firm bedrock in a troubled world.

See the folded graveclothes

John is keen for us to hear the eye-witness details of that first Easter morning, and what they see is an empty tomb: the stone rolled away, the graveclothes left behind. Why do you think we are given so many details about the graveclothes in verses 5-8?

Firstly, there was not much else to see. There was no body in those graveclothes. Many people have tried to disprove the resurrection, many have ended up being convinced that Jesus did physically rise from the dead. They have been convinced by this very testimony.

This eye-witness testimony is one part of the evidence proving that Jesus has beaten sin and death. He has not merely been resuscitated, but won victory over death forever. He will not need these graveclothes again.

In Chirk, is the canal aqueduct and after it is a very long canal tunnel. From one end, it’s hard to see the light at the other end. Death can be like that tunnel. Someone like Lazarus entered that tunnel of death but Jesus reached into the grave and brought him safely back out of the tunnel to live again.  Jesus did something different. He went right through the tunnel and came out the other side, entering the new physical life of God’s new world. He is the first to rise and to know life like this.  He has forged the way for all who trust him to follow into his resurrection life. He will never need graveclothes again.

Hear the voice of Jesus

We are told Peter and John “saw and believed” (John 20:8) but Mary stands outside the empty tomb weeping. Sometimes people wish God would make himself clearer to us.  If he could just appear in front of us or make some clear sign.  John is writing to people just like us, who know we cannot ‘see’ for ourselves.  He writes:

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:29–31)

John is showing us God’s word is enough for us – we hear the risen Jesus and we receive life in his name. Mary saw the empty tomb, heard of the graveclothes, saw two angels in the tomb and then turned and saw Jesus alive.  And yet all that was not enough for her to truly see, through her tear-filled eyes.  Only when Jesus says her name, “Mary”, does she realise who it is. It was through an encounter with the risen Jesus that she was convinced of his resurrection.  That happens for us today: as we read the accounts of Jesus’ life in the pages of the gospel, we encounter Jesus. We cannot relate to a dead figure of history, but we know and encounter Jesus by faith today because he is risen.  One day every one us will be face-to-face with him. We will be with him sharing his resurrection life.

Jesus’ resurrection reminds us of the bedrock of our faith. He is risen! Alleluia!

Prayers

Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.

You may like to continue with your own prayers and the Lord’s Prayer. You may wish to pray for one or two from our church family by name, and for mercy for our world facing Covid-19.

Conclusion

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always.  Amen.

Palm Sunday 28th March 2021

You are welcome to join our in-person services each week, but here are some resources for those who would rather stay at home for now. This week they are prepared by John Chapman who will be leading our services in church.

You can download a Children’s Sunday Sheet to accompany this service here.

Hymn

Confession

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: the first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We have not loved you with our whole heart. Lord, have mercy.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.  Christ, have mercy.
We have not kept your good and righteous commands to us. Lord, have mercy.

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1–2)

Word of God

Please read 2 Samuel 7:5-16 and John 12:12–16

Creed

We believe in Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. (from Philippians 2:6-11 NIV)

Palm Sunday Reflection, by John Chapman:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9

 Jesus, the legitimate king of Israel promised by Old Testament prophets, enters Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of his enthusiastic followers. Within a few days the cry changes to ‘Crucify him!’ and he is executed as a common criminal. The wonder is that through his brutal rejection by his own people, his kingdom is extended to the whole world. There are some important lessons we can learn from this passage.

  1. In the ancient Middle East leaders rode to battle on horses, but on donkeys when they came in peace. Zechariah’s prophecy makes it clear that God would send a king whose mission was to bring peace (‘Zech 9: 10 - I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle-bow will be broken.
    He will proclaim peace to the nations.’) That peace would come about not through conflict, nor through the power of personality, but through a shameful death upon a cross.

  2. Waving palm branches signified a welcome to a conquering hero; the crowd had heard about Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life and probably saw Jesus as a powerful liberator rather than a lowly and suffering servant. John tells us (verse 16) that even the disciples did not understand the meaning of the event at that point. It’s good to know that misunderstanding and even rejection are no obstacle to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ reign is unstoppable, because the Father has promised him a kingdom. (read Psalm 2)

  3. Jesus earns his kingdom through lowly service, suffering and death for sinners like us. The Father rewards his obedience – and we, despite our weak faith and slowness to understand, are the beneficiaries. We can enter the kingdom of God only because ‘The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.’ (John 3:35)

  4. The way to honour Jesus is not just to hail him as a hero but to trust him as Saviour and submit to him as Lord. The beauty and perfection of his person are enough to melt even the hardest heart.

Prayers

Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; 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.

You may like to continue with your own prayers and the Lord’s Prayer. You may wish to pray for one or two from our church family by name, and for mercy for our world facing Covid-19.

Conclusion

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.  Amen. (based on 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Sunday 21st March 2021

You are welcome to join our in person services each week, but here are some resources for those who would rather stay at home for now.

You can download a Children’s Sunday Sheet to accompany this service here.

Preparation

"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God," (Psalm 51:9–10)

Heavenly Father, as we gather today help us to sing your praise, confess our sins, hear your word and bring our prayer for others to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn

Summary of the Law

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: the first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We have not loved you with our whole heart. Lord, have mercy.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.  Christ, have mercy.

We have not kept your good and righteous commands to us. Lord, have mercy.

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1–2)

Word of God

Please read Jeremiah 31:31-34 and John 12:20-33.

Reflection: The Prophesied Kingdom

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” ― John Newton

The Christian journey is about change. By God’s grace, I know ways that I am not what I used to be like. What we do, what we say, what we think, even what we want changes by God’s work in us. How does that change happen? When we’re in the trenches of life, progress can feel impossible. It can seem beyond us to respond well to the daily challenges and temptations. Often, we’re not sure what is wise and good to do. I find it so easy to despair unless I remember that real change is promised by God for us.

This lent we are journeying through the Old Testament to trace the promises of God’s kingdom. Today we’re thinking about the prophets, and particularly Jeremiah 31. But first we need to remind ourselves where we are in the story.

Where are we in the story?

After the fall of Adam and Eve, God promised that he would re-gather his people in his glorious and perfect place under his good rule and blessing. Those promises had a partial fulfilment when the nation of Israel lived as his people in the promised land, under the blessing of his king and covenant.  The high point of this was the reigns of David and his son Solomon.

But from here things dramatically declined.  On Solomon’s death the kingdom split in two. Many of their kings led the people away from God to idolatry, most were not wholehearted for the Lord and their history was marred by corruption and compromise. God’s promises looked in tatters. Even though God had done so much for them, they had turned away from him: “I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt … they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:32)

The prophets speak throughout this history. The prophets spoke God’s words to the people and enforced the covenant: calling them back to true worship of God and warning them of turning away.  They show how God’s promises have not failed but they point to a greater and lasting fulfilment of his promise: his people, in his place, under his rule and blessing.

We need to hear this message of hope, that we might trust God’s powerful work in us to change us.

God’s New Covenant

Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant that would not be like the first covenant. It would tackle the heart of their problem forever.

A renewed heart forever:

We know our hearts are often wayward.  Even when we know what is right, we can find it hard to do. None of us have perfectly kept God’s law even though his commands are clear. The desires of our hearts continually wander from God’s good ways. When we feel like that, we are experiencing the problem of the first covenant: external rules don’t change my heart.

God’s solution is to write his law inside us: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33). That doesn’t just mean that we know his law but that our hearts are shaped to want his ways.

Some in our culture claim that our desires shape who we are: that what I love and want is an essential part of me. When God’s law is written on our hearts, his ways shape who we are: he works to change what we want and love. He changes our anger and fears, our selfishness and our boasts so that we become more like him in every way.

A renewed relationship forever:

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people had been offered relationship with God as he says,         “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

Yet that relationship was fragile (needing perpetual sacrifices to deal with ongoing sin), distant (through the mediation of priest and regular sacrifices) and ultimately failed in exile for their covenant unfaithfulness.

Yet Jeremiah looks forward to what we enjoy by Christ and will experience in full in the new Creation. Everyone personally knows God: secure, unmediated, “‘they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

A renewed start forever:

Finally, God promises the fresh start of total forgiveness. Not the partial and temporary forgiveness of the Old Testament sacrifices but a forever forgiveness. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

When God says he won’t remember our sins, he’s not forgetful, but he’s promising never to bring it up against us. When we forgive someone, we don’t need to pretend that it didn’t happen but we do make a commitment not to bring it up again.  Not bring it up with them in accusation, not with others in gossip or with ourselves in grumbling and bitterness. Also with God: he offers us complete forgiveness. Our sins and wickedness will never be brought up against us.

A renewed heart, a renewed relationship and a renewed start forever. Jeremiah’s readers, like us sometimes, may have been very aware of their own weak and wavering hearts.  But hope and change come from God. He promises “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33). With Newton we can say “I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”

Prayers

Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory; 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.

You may like to continue with your own prayers and the Lord’s Prayer. You may wish to pray for one or two from our church family by name, and for mercy for our world facing Covid-19.

Conclusion

May Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him; and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen.



Hymn

We are committed to making All Saints’ a safe place for all and especially to safeguarding children, young people, victims of domestic abuse and vulnerable adults. Please see our safeguarding page for more details.