Knowlton Circle Benefice
The Quiver Lent 2 March 1, 2026
The story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus by night is an example of John’s use of characters as teaching agents in this ‘gospel of relationship’. The time of the encounter suggests the learned man is coy about approaching Jesus for answers to his questions, but his motive is apparently sincere and opens the way for some of the most memorable and beloved of Jesus’ sayings. In other respects, Jesus is provocatively enigmatic as he appears to tense Nicodemus out of his comfort zone and challenges him to embrace the life-giving risk of being born of the Spirit. ~ Rev Anna Jones, Chaplain, Queens’ College, Cambridge
SERVICES TODAY
9.30am Breakfast Church at Gussage St Michael Village Hall
9.30am Service of the Word at Woodlands 66 357 368
11.00am High Mass at Wimborne St Giles 383 73 333 276 368
6.00pm Evensong at Cranborne Ps 121 (p.513) 456 391 245
Wash me Throughly – David Halls : Come, my Way – Malcolm Archer
Prelude on ‘Repton’ – John Bertalot (1931-2026)
Give praise and thanks to God and pray for his help and healing: For the Church: The Diocese of Salisbury and the Deanery of Wimborne The Episcopal Church of Sudan (Diocese of Nzara & Deanery of Yabongo) For the World: Nations and their leaders; justice, peace and development. Refugees and victims of war. the dispossessed, the hungry, the persecuted.The Middle East
The housebound: Gerry & Pat Cope
Those in need : Hayley Loader Katherine Woodland Zachary Jackson Sylvia Gray Frank Russell Gill Lee Michael Goold Hilary & Guy
Jax Sharp Clifford House Tereasa Harrison Jerry Laker Martin Instone Diana & Ian Mashford Donovan Docherty Fiona Armstrong Pearl Dickinson Jean & Alan Elliott Stuart Harding Rocco MacAndrew Declan Connolly Freddie Boughton Mike Yarrow Olivia Mark-Bell Lee Britten-Jones Barbara Bayes Jane Scott
THIS WEEK
Monday 7.30pm Bell Ringing at Cranborne
Pray for charity in all our dealings and for true humility of spirit
Tuesday 10.30am Lent Group at Gussage All Saints Church
5.30pm Benefice Council meets at Woodlands
Pray that we may treasure the Word of God
Wednesday 10.00am Holy Communion at Woodlands followed by Lent Group
Pray for Bible Study Groups
Thursday 10.30am Thursday Lent Walk – St Edward’s Way Part 2
7.30pm Choir Practice at Cranborne
Pray that we may live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God”
Friday 6.00pm Stations of the Cross at Woodlands
Pray for walking the way of the cross
Saturday 10.30am Lent Walk from Edmondsham Church
12 noon – 1.30pm Lent Lunch at Edmondsham Hut
1.00pm Wedding at Wimborne St Giles
Pray for the Church under persecution
SERVICES FOR NEXT SUNDAY – LENT 3
9.30am Benefice Communion at Cranborne
11.00am Celtic Meditation at Edmondsham
11.00am Morning Worship at Gussage All Saints
11.00am Elevenses at Wimborne St Giles
Exodus 17.1-7 Romans 5.1-11 John 4.5-42
There is a basket available at the back of church for the Charity of the Month. During February and March this will be for Samara’s Aid a humanitarian organization focussing on providing aid and medical support to displaced people, refugees, orphans, widows and victims of war in Syria and the Middle East. The collection for MOSAIC realized £202 – Thank you.
Lent Lunches – Village Halls – Saturdays noon – 1.30pm
March 7 – Edmondsham
March 14 – Gussage All Saints
March 28 - Wimborne St Giles
Please note that Rev'd Jan's email account has been hacked and she currently is unable to read or send emails. If you receive any emails from her please ignore them until further notice. Please contact Jan via the churchwardens or Rector.
COLLECT
Almighty God,
you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,
that they may reject those things
that are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
FIRST READING Genesis 12.1-4a
The LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.
SECOND READING Romans 4.1-5, 13-17
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") - in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
GOSPEL John 3.1-17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, "You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. “
POST COMMUNION
Almighty God,
you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:
keep us both outwardly in our bodies,
and inwardly in our souls;
that we may be defended from all adversities
which may happen to the body,
and from all evil thoughts
which may assault and hurt the soul;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.