Readings 1 Samuel 16.1-13; OR Exodus 2.1-10; Ephesians 5.8-14 OR 2 Corinthians 1.3-7OR Colossians 3:12-17; John 9.1-41 OR Luke 2.33-35
This week we remember in our prayers
Sunday 2nd March
Central America  The Most Revd Martin de Jesus Barahona Primate of IARCA & Bishop of El Salvador
Erewash Deanery: Rural Dean: Ian Gooding,
Monday 3rd March
Bida - (Province of Abuja, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Jonah KoloMMA 48a - Wilne, Draycott, Breaston Tuesday 4th March Birmingham - The Rt Revd David Andrew UrquhartClergy: Chris Smedley, Rachel Thompson
Wednesday 5th March
Blackburn - (York, England) The Rt Revd Nicholas Stewart Reade
Blackburn - Burnley - (York, England) The Rt Revd John William Goddard
Blackburn - Lancaster - (York, England) The Rt Revd Geoffrey Seafrave PearsonStanton-by-Dale, Dale Abbey, Risley
Thursday 6th March
Bo - (West Africa) The Rt Revd Samuel Sao Gbonda Clergy: Ian Gooding, Gary Dundas
Friday 7th March
Boga - (Congo) The Rt Revd Henry Kahwa IsingomaMapperley, West Hallam, Stanley and Stanley Common
Saturday 8th March
Bolivia - (South America) The Rt Revd Frank LyonsClergy: Simon White, Jane Facey, Peter Owen-Jones
NOTICES FOR THE WEEK
Today - Lent 4 - Mothering Sunday 2nd March
8.00a.m. Holy Communioin- Church Broughton
9.30a.m. Mattins - Boylestone10.00a.m. Family Service - Church Broughton
11.00a.m. Family Service - Long Lane
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Sutton
11.00a.m. Mattins - Trusley
11.15a.m. Holy Communion - Longfordfollowed by brief special meeting (see below)3.00p.m. Evensong - Dalbury
NO Long Lane Evensong Evensong
Wednesday 5th March
7.30p.m. Lenten Meeting: Subject The Lord's rayer - The Vicarage. ALL WELCOME
Next Sunday - Lent 5 - 9th March
8.30a.m. Holy Communion - Long Lane
9.30a.m. Holy Communion - Church Broughton
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Radbourne
followed by brief special meeting (see below)
11.00a.m. Mattins - Sutton
11.00a.m. Holy Communion - Trusley5.00p.m. Holy Communion - Boylestone
6.30p.m. Evensong - Longford
SPECIAL NOTICE
New regulations come into force this year with regard to the election of Churchwardens. The rule is now that the maximum  continuous term of service for a churchwarden is six years unless a special meeting of parishioners has agreed to resolve that this rule should not apply in their parish. As a number of our churchwardens have served for at least 6 successive terms of office, special meetings of parishioners will be held to consider such motions after Sunday service on dates indicated on notices in each church. The meetings will be brief ones and any parishioner is eligible to attend and vote and is encouraged to do so. The annual vestry meetings and Annual Parochial Church Meetings will be held separately as indicated in notices to be posted in church.
Advance Notice
Tuesday 11th March
7.30p.m. Long Lane Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Wednesday 12th March
2.00p.m. Longford  Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Mothering Sunday
There is an old Jewish saying:
..........God could not be everywhere,
..........and therefore He made mothers.
Mother Church, Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods - our human mothers - all of them have been part of the celebration of 'Mothering Sunday' - as the fourth Sunday in Lent is affectionately known.
In Roman times, great festivals were held every Spring to honour Cybele, Mother of all the Gods. Other pagan festivals in honour of Mother Earth were also celebrated. With the arrival of Christianity, the festival became one honouring Mother Church.
During the Middle Ages, young people apprenticed to craftsmen or working as 'live-in' servants were allowed only one holiday a year on which to visit their families - which is how 'Mothering Sunday' got its name. This special day became a day of family rejoicing, and the Lenten fast was broken. In some places the day was called Simnel Day, because of the sweet cakes called simnel cakes traditionally eaten on that day.
Chad (d 672)
Chad should be the patron saint of any modern bishop whose consecration is questioned by another bishop. Chad was consecrated a bishop, then deposed - and then re-consecrated!
It all began when Oswiu, king of Northumbria, made him bishop of the Northumbrian see. But due to a scarcity of appropriate bishops, two dubious bishops did the job of consecrating him. This led to Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, deciding to depose him about three years later.
Chad took his dismissal with good heart, and peacefully retired. But then Theodore had second thoughts: Chad was of excellent character: humble, devout, and zealous. So Theodore re-consecrated him - to be the first bishop of the Mercians. Second time around, Chad was a great success - again.
When Chad died he was quickly venerated as a saint. People took a great fancy to his bones, believing that they would bring healing. Even today, four large bones, dating from the 7th century, and believed to be Chad's, are in the R.C. cathedral in Birmingham.
Bishops today may still argue about consecration, but they are unlikely to have their bones disturbed.
SUNDAY GROANER
Observations on modern life
> A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a work station.
> A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem.
> A gross ignoramus: 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.
> Did you hear about the dyslexsic, agnostic, insomniac who stayed up all night trying to decide if there really is a Dog?
Mothering Sunday Thoughts
A very dirty little boy came in from playing in the garden and asked his mother: 'Who am I?'
Ready to play the game, she said, 'I don't know. Who are you?'
'WOW!'cried the child. 'Mrs Smith next door was right. She said I was so dirty that my own mother wouldn't recognise me.

Somewhere on this earth a woman is giving birth to a child every ten seconds. We must find this woman and stop her at once. (Sam Levenson)
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/