The Collect and readings are omitted from this electronic edition for copyright reasons. To see the readings, click the links
First Reading Ezekiel 37.1-14
Second Reading Acts 16.9-15
Gospel John 14.23-29

We remember in our prayers
Sunday 13th May
Northern Indiana - (USA) The Rt Revd Edward Stuart Little
Duffield Deanery: Rural Dean: David Perkins, Lay Chair: Richard Chapman
Monday 14th May
Northern Luzon - (Philippines) The Rt Revd Renato M Abibico
MMA 43
Tuesday 15th May
Northern Malawi - (Central Africa) The Rt Revd Christopher John Boyle
Clergy: Robert Parsons, Elizabeth Kerr. Readers: John Walker, Margaret Baxter, Ray Taylor. Wardens: (St Peter) Patience Atkinson-Gregory, Jonathan Tillin, (St Mark) Chris Gregory, Marlene Jackson, (St Swithun) Mavis Cresswell, Fiona Fineran, (Heage) Alan Ottowell, Ray Taylor
Wednesday 16th May
Northern Mexico - (Mexico) The Rt Revd Marcelino Rivera-Delgado
Belper Christ Church, Turnditch, Ambergate with Sawmills
Thursday 17th May
Northern Michigan - (Province V, USA) The Rt Revd James Arthur Kelsey
Diocesan Prayer & Spirituality Group: Peter Swales; Bishop’s Advisers on Spiritual Direction: Peter Swales & Glenis Page
Friday 18th May
Northern Philippines - (Philippines) The Rt Revd Edward Pacyaya Malecdan
Clergy: David Perkins. Readers: Anne-Louise Hodcroft, Alan Towle, Eileen Hardy, Tony Winslade, Betty Dye, June Gascoyne. Wardens: (Christ Church) John Gill, Norman Grace, (Turnditch) Ishbel Rapkin, Monica Bridges, (Ambergate) David Rayner, John Naylor
Saturday  19th May
Northern Territory, (Australia)
Vacant
Church's Regional Development Adviser – Andrew Vaughan

Today is Rogation Sunday
Rogation means an asking of God - for blessing on the seed and land for the year ahead. It is appropriate in any emergency, war, plague, drought or foul weather.
The practice began with the Romans, who invoked the help of the gods Terminus and Ambarvalia. In those days a crowd moved in procession around the cornfields, singing and dancing, sacrificing animals, and driving away Winter with sticks. The people wanted to rid the cornfields of evil.
In about 465 Europe was suffering from earthquake, storm and epidemic. So Mamertius, Bishop of Vienne, aware of the popular pagan custom, ordered that prayers should be said in the ruined or neglected fields on the days leading up to Ascension. With his decision, ‘beating the bounds’ began to become a Christian ceremonial.
Rogation-tide arrived in England early in the eighth century, and became a fixed and perennial asking for help of the Christian God. On Rogation-tide, a little party would set out to trace the boundaries of the parish. At the head marched the bishop or the priest, with a minor official bearing a Cross, and after them the people of the parish, with schoolboys and their master trailing along. Most of them held slender wands of willow.
At certain points along the route - at well-known landmarks like a bridge or stile or ancient tree, the Cross halted, the party gathered about the priest, and a litany or rogation was said, imploring God to send seasonable wealth, keep the corn and roots and boughs in good health, and bring them to an ample harvest.
At one point beer and cheese would be waiting for the walkers. In the days when maps were neither common nor accurate, there was much to be said for ‘beating the bounds’ - still very common as late as the reign of Queen Victoria. Certainly parish boundaries rarely came into dispute, for everyone knew them. (Do you know yours today?)

NOTICES FOR THE WEEK
Sunday 13th May - 6th Sunday of Easter (Rogation Sunday)
8.30a.m. Holy Communion - Long Lane
9.30a.m. Rogation Service & Walk - Church Broughton
Please come with appropriate clothing and footwear!
11.00a.m. Holy Communion & Holy Baptism - Radbourne
11.00a.m. Mattins - Sutton
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Trusley
5.00p.m. Holy Communion - Boylestone
6.30p.m. Evensong - Longford
Wednesday 16th May
10.30a.m. Holy Communion - Long Lane
6.00p.m. Fete Planning Meeting - Radbourne
Thursday 17th May - Ascension Day
2.00p.m. Funeral of John Spalton - Sutton
7.30p.m. Holy Communion & Archdeacon’s Visitation and admission of Churchwardens for Longford Deanery - Sutton
Friday 18th May
5.00p.m. Longford School Fair
Next Sunday 20th May - 7th Sunday of Easter
8.00a.m. Holy Communion - Sutton
9.30a.m. Mattins - Boylestone
9.30a.m. Holy Communion - Church Broughton
10.00a.m. Family Service - Longford
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Dalbury
12noon Holy Communion - Trusley
1.30p.m. Holy Baptism - Boylestone
7.00p.m. Evensong - Long Lane
IMPORTANT ADVANCE NOTICE
SUNDAY 27TH MAY - PENTECOST
Please note that because of difficulty finding officiants the service of Holy Communion at Longford will be at the earlier time of 9.00a.m.. Services at Boylestone and Sutton may be late starting
The Parish Pump and the Benefice entry to the South Derbyshire Churchman can now be found on the internet at: http://churchbroughtonchurch.blog.co.uk/