St Mary Our Lady: 2021

Home Schooling for Sunday School

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As we are in Lockdown at the moment the Sunday School is not meeting, but the learning goes on! The team of Sunday School leaders prepare work for the children to do and parents and grandparents have been helping and encouraging the youngsters with the tasks.

Here are some pictures of the work underway and a lovely picture of John the Baptist baptising Our Lord.

Many thanks to all the team and all the youngsters and their families for keeping going during the pandemic!

The Sunday School will be sharing more of their activities with us in weeks to come!

Sunday, 10 January 2021

Sunday 10th January 2021 Epiphany 1 Baptism of Christ

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK’ FROM THE REVEREND STEPHEN GUISE, PRIEST IN CHARGE – SUNDAY, 10 JANUARY, THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Piero della Francesca, ‘The Baptism of Christ’, National Gallery, London

Dear Friends

We have now reached the second week of Epiphany. ‘Epiphany’, of course, means ‘manifestation’ – in this case, the manifestation of Christ’s glory - and the theologically rich and complex themes of this time of year are explored through three discrete but interlinked episodes from the Gospels. On the first Sunday of Epiphany we tend to focus on the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus, and the presentation of their gifts. Today, we join with other Christian churches in reflecting upon the manifestation of Christ ‘in Jordan’s stream’ – ie at this baptism, when his divine Sonship is revealed. Subsequently, we shall be celebrating the way in which Christ’s glory was first disclosed to his disciples at the miracle of the transformation of water into wine during the wedding feast at Cana – a pivotal moment, as recounted in the Gospel of John, in which his disciples began to ‘believe in him’.

All three manifestations are covered in the Sundays of Epiphany-tide, which continues until the Feast of the Presentation at Candlemass, and all three include the imperative for us, as Christian disciples, not only to believe, but also to obey the Lord’s call to spread the word – to evangelize, in other words. This is something which we Anglicans can be hesitant about, but we can, at least, recognize situations when a ‘word in season’ could help others to make a step towards their own discipleship. Of course, this is not easy during the current lockdown situation, but I can’t help thinking that there are many ‘out there’ who might be just waiting for us to share the joy and hope we derive, during dark times such as these, from being followers of Christ.

A little later this month, between 18 and 25 January, we shall be observing the week of prayer for Christian unity, during which the Collect for the Confession of St Peter is often used. The Collect recalls the incident at Caesarea Philippi when Peter was inspired to confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:13-20) and perhaps helps us to reflect upon our own role, as disciples, in mission and evangelism:-

‘Almighty God, who inspired your Apostle Saint Peter to confess Jesus as Christ and Son of the living God: build up your Church upon this rock, that in unity and peace it may proclaim one truth and follow one Lord, your Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Fr Stephen

Collect

Eternal Father,

who at the baptism of Jesus

revealed him to be your son,

annointing him with the Holy Spirit:

grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,

that we may be faithful to our calling

as your adopted children;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive with you, in the unityof the Holy Spirit,

one Gos, now and forever.

Amen

Acts 19:1-7

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

While Apollos was in Corinth,

Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus,

where he found some disciples.

He said to them,

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?"

They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?"

They answered, "Into John's baptism."

Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance,

telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,

that is, in Jesus."

On hearing this,

they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul had laid his hands on them,

the Holy Spirit came upon them,

and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—

altogether there were about twelve of them.

Mark 1:4-11

Hear the gospel o our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness,

proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

And people from the whole Judean countryside

and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him,

and were baptized by him in the river Jordan,

confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair,

with a leather belt around his waist,

and he ate locusts and wild honey.

He proclaimed,

"The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me;

I am not worthy to stoop down

and untie the thong of his sandals.

I have baptized you with water;

but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee

and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

And just as he was coming up out of the water,

he saw the heavens torn apart

and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

And a voice came from heaven,

"You are my Son, the Beloved;

with you I am well pleased."

Saturday, 9 January 2021

Suspension of Church services

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Dear All,

I do hope everyone is well and not too bored!

I would like to let you know that Fr Stephen, the churchwardens and PCC have taken the decision to suspend Sunday church services at St Mary’s until the pandemic situation improves.

There are a number of ways in which we can worship at home please see Useful Links on the top right of this page for ideas.

The church will be open during daylight hours for private prayer and weddings and funeral can take place if required and under the regulations applicable at the time.

Fr Stephen will, of course, be available if you require his support. Please ring the Vicarage or contact one of the churchwardens if you wish. If you need any practical help with anything during the lockdown do ring or email Janet or I and we will arrange help for you.

I have got to submit a form to the Church of England authorities giving numbers of how we managed to worship at home during the previous 2 lockdowns last year - spring and autumn. – with numbers! If you listened to services on the radio, watched services on the television, attended another church or live streamed – however you tried to stay in touch with church and worship, would you be kind enough to let me know how and during which lockdown – I would be very grateful.

Take care and stay safe,

Chris

Fr Stephen and the church wardens telephone numbers are in the Church magazine. Or you can email us on the Contact us page.

Sunday, 3 January 2021

Sunday 3rd January 2021 The Feast of the Epiphany (transfered from 6th January)

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This sunday we had a Family Eucharistic, at which we celebrated the Epiphany. We would normally have a procession of the Maji by the sunday school children, but this was not allowed with Covid 19 restrictions, and Mrs Field gave a talk instead of the children. The celebrant was Father Roger as Father Stephen is shielding. We had no choir but Joanna chose some lovely recorded mudic for us.

As it now transpires this is the last service we can hold for the time being. We pray that every one can keep safe and healthy in these terrible times. We will continue to post the set readings for each week, and any news that we have. God Bless every one and we look forward to every one being vaccinated and safe from the Corona virus.

Matthew 2:1-12

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

In the time of King Herod,

after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking,

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?

For we observed his star at its rising,

and have come to pay him homage."

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,

and all Jerusalem with him;

and calling together

all the chief priests and scribes of the people,

he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea;

for so it has been written by the prophet:

"And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.' "

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men

and learned from them the exact time

when the star had appeared.

Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,

"Go and search diligently for the child;

and when you have found him,

bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."

When they had heard the king, they set out;

and there, ahead of them,

went the star that they had seen at its rising,

until it stopped over the place where the child was.

When they saw that the star had stopped,

they were overwhelmed with joy.

On entering the house,

they saw the child with Mary his mother;

and they knelt down and paid him homage.

Then, opening their treasure chests,

they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they left for their own country by another road.

Useful links

Here are some links to resources you may find helpful:

Chichester Cathedral will be live streaming services. For the Eucharist and order of service Click here before 10:00am Sunday and follow the instructions.
The BBC Daily Service is available here.
Prayer for today.
The C of E youtube channel.
We will be updating Fr Stephens Message page on a regular basis.
Hearing You is a new phone help line launched by the Diocese of Chichester in partnership with Together in Sussex in response to the impact that Covid 19 has had on Just about the whole community. It aims to provide pastoral support and a listening ear to the recently bereaved and people directly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 advice from the Diocese of Chichester here.

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