麻豆社

Presenter 鈥� Bishop Rosemarie Mallett听

The picturesque village of Old Alresford听in Hampshire is first mentioned in an听Anglo Saxon charter of 701. Today its population stands at 600, little more than in 1850 when a new Rector moved with his wife into the building behind me.听 This might have been an everyday story of everyday church folk听had not听 Mary Sumner called a group of听 local听 women听to the Rectory in 1876 to discuss how they could support one another in bringing up their children.

That meeting 150 years ago听saw the birth of 听what was to become a global woman鈥檚 organisation 鈥� the Mother鈥檚 Union. Today it has more than four million members in 84 countries, and its programmes promoting literacy, health and gender justice are transforming the lives of women around the world.

PRAYER 鈥�

Lord we give thanks for the life of Mary Sumner, for her obedience to your calling, for her vision for the Mothers鈥� Union. We pray that through the grace of your Holy Spirit we may receive renewed confidence in the power that you give us to work for justice, wholeness and peace 鈥︹�� Amen.

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Hymn. The Summons by John Bell

ROSEMARIE LINK听

Well,听I鈥檓 inside Old Alresford听 place 鈥� which was the home of Mary Sumner 鈥� it鈥檚 a huge old Rectory 鈥� and this is where she first gathered local women together for that first meeting.

And with听 me are two Mothers union members, Clare 听Howarth who runs the organisations archives in London and Annette Doel, a former chair of the local branch here in the village.

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Conversation between Rosemarie, Clare and Annette about Mary Sumner and the start and growth of the Mothers Union鈥�.

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ROSEMARIE 鈥� Shall we pray 鈥�.

Listening, like Mary, we open our minds

Let us rejoice, God is with us

Watching, like Mary, as God surprises us

Let us rejoice, God is with us

Questioning, like Mary, as we engage with the world

听Let us rejoice, God is with us

Pledging, like Mary, to lift the humble high

听Let us rejoice, God is with us

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We now hear a hymn - much loved by Mothers Union members;听听Tell Out My Soul听 -听 a modern version of the Magnificat , the song听 sung听 by 听another Mary who responded to God鈥檚 call to bear the Saviour of the world.

We鈥檝e come across the way to Old Alresford church 鈥︹��..and 鈥� why am I not surprised?! 鈥�.鈥�.there鈥檚 a welcoming party of Mothers Union members 鈥� and among them is my sister Bishop, the Bishop of Basingstoke,听 Kelly Betteridge 鈥�.

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Bishop Rosemarie and Bishop Kelly talk about Kelly鈥檚 experience of the Mothers Union.

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Well, there was no one recording that day in Tanzania 听- a few 听years ago now! 鈥�but we can listen to 听Mothers Union members in Burundi as they听 greet 听international visitors ..鈥�.鈥漌elcome, we receive you in the name of Jesus,听 You have come from far away and are tired ,听 Be at home,听 rest well.鈥�

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READING:听 Ephesians 3. 14-24鈥�..听

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

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In听 1885 Mary Sumner and her husband moved into the cathedral close in Winchester.听 Mary worshipped in this cathedral almost daily until her death听 听on this day in 1921.听听 It鈥檚 testimony to her influence听 that more than 4000 women are said to have attended her funeral.

Perhaps the most important church composer of Mary鈥檚听 time was Samuel Sebastian Wesley. 听He wrote the anthem 鈥淟ead me Lord鈥� during his tenure as Organist and Master of the Choristers 听at this cathedral. 听听听

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Anthem 鈥� Lead me Lord. By Samuel Sebastian Wesley.

We continue our worship in 听Mary Sumner House, the Mothers Union headquarters in Westminster. 听Rosemarie is joined听 by Mothers Union member from around the world to reflect on the Gospel reading.

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GOSPEL READING.听Mark chapter 5.听 Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,听a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.听Then one of the synagogue leaders,听named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.听听He pleaded earnestly with him, 鈥淢y little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on听her so that she will be healed and live.鈥澨�听So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him.听听And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding听for twelve years.听听She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.听听When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,听because she thought, 鈥淚f I just touch his clothes,听I will be healed.鈥澨�听Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

听At once Jesus realized that power听had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked,听鈥淲ho touched my clothes?鈥�

听鈥淵ou see the people crowding against you,鈥� his disciples answered, 鈥渁nd yet you can ask,听鈥榃ho touched me?鈥櫶�鈥�

听But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.听Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.听听He said to her,听鈥淒aughter, your faith has healed you.听Go in peace听and be freed from your suffering.鈥�

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.听鈥淵our daughter is dead,鈥� they said. 鈥淲hy bother the teacher anymore?鈥�

听Overhearing[]听what they said, Jesus told him,听鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid; just believe.鈥�

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 听When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,听Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.听听He went in and said to them,听鈥淲hy all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.鈥澨鼴ut they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child鈥檚 father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was.听听He took her by the hand听and said to her,听鈥淭alitha koum!鈥�听(which means听鈥淟ittle girl, I say to you, get up!鈥�).听听Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.听He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,听and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflections on the gospel reading.

Music.听 Cantare - Siyahamba 听-

听Prayers

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the bold, brilliant women you鈥檝e created 鈥� full of sparkle, spirit and strength!

Thank you for the quiet warriors and the loud laughers, the organisers, the dreamers, the givers of grace.

We praise you for the creativity that bursts out of women all over the world through art, leadership, love and laughter

Bless every woman leading change today, -听 in boardrooms, kitchens, parliaments and playgrounds.

Let joy rise in their hearts and strength in their souls.

In Jesus name,听 Amen听听听听

Loving God,听

Creator, Sustainer and Source of all grace,

We thank you for the gift of Mothers鈥� Union

Our fellowship of faith, rooted in love, reaching across the world.

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Thank you for every hand that serves, for hearts that give

For lives poured out in quiet faithfulness.

Thank you for families given rest, for prisoners supported,

For the lonely offered friendship and for the weary shown kindness.

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Thank you for the prayers said, the stories shared, the things knitted, the bread broken-听 for lives touched and communities renewed.

And we ask your continued blessing on this holy and healing work 鈥撎� AMEN

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Our Father听听

Who art in heaven听听

Hallowed be your name听听

Your kingdom come, your will be done听听

On earth as it听is听 in听heaven听听

Give us this day our daily bread听听

And forgive us our trespasses听

as we forgive those that trespass against us听

And lead us not into temptation听

but deliver us from evil听

For thine is the kingdom,听

the power and the glory听

for ever and ever, Amen听听

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All this day, O Lord,
let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;
and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken,
whether through the word I speak,
the prayer I breathe,
or the life I live.

Amen.

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CLOSING HYMN. Forth in thy name O Lord I go

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