12 January 2025
10:30 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Isaiah 43:1-7
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’
Acts 8:14-17
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent Peter and John to them.
The two went down and prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Spirit
(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
Then Peter and John laid their hands on them,
and they received the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:15-17, 21, 22
Hear the gospel of out Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
In the wilderness John proclaimed the baptism of repentance.
As the people were filled with expectation,
and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John,
whether he might be the Messiah,
John answered all of them by saying,
‘I baptize you with water;
but one who is more powerful than I is coming;
I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing-fork is in his hand,
to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary;
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Now when all the people were baptized,
and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
the heaven was opened,
and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
‘You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well pleased.’
05 January 2025
The Feast of the Epiphany was celebrated by two services. first in the morning at 10 am we had an all
age Eucharist which included the placing of the Magi at the crib by the children. Father Chris was the celebrant and he had an interactive session with the congregation looking at the story of the Three Kings and the symbolism of their gifts.
The choir sang 'In the Bleak Midwinter' words by Christina Rossetti and setting by Harold Darke, as the anthem at both services.
In the Afternoon we had evensong at 3:30pm where the setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis was that by Thomas Morley and the set psalm was Psalm 73.
After the morning Service Father Chris told us about the of making a chalk mark above the front door of our houses. This is a tradition in some countries to write 20+C+M+B +25 on the feast of the Epiphany. The numbers are the year and the letters C,M,B have 2 derivations. Firstly they represent the Latin for Christ Bless this House, but also by some it is thought they represent Caspar, Mechior, and Balthazar, the traditional names of the Magi! We were given chalk to take home if we wished to do this.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Ephesians 3:1-12
A reading from t letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus
for the sake of you Gentiles—
for surely you have already heard
of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I wrote above in a few words,
a reading of which will enable you
to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.
In former generations
this mystery was not made known to humankind,
as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit:
that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs,
members of the same body,
and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant
according to the gift of God’s grace
that was given to me by the working of his power.
Although I am the very least of all the saints,
this grace was given to me
to bring to the Gentiles
the news of the boundless riches of Christ,
and to make everyone see
what is the plan of the mystery
hidden for ages in God who created all things;
so that through the church
the wisdom of God in its rich variety
might now be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose
that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have access to God
in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
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.
29 December 2024
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
A reading from the first book of Samuel.
Samuel was ministering before the Lord,
a boy wearing a linen ephod.
His mother used to make for him a little robe
and take it to him each year,
when she went up with her husband
to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say,
‘May the Lord repay you with children by this woman
for the gift that she made to the Lord’;
and then they would return to their home.
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow
both in stature and in favour with the Lord and with the people.
Colossians 3:12-17
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians.
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Bear with one another and,
if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other;
just as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in the one body.
And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;
and with gratitude in your hearts
sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Luke 2:41-52
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Now every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem
for the festival of the Passover.
And when he was twelve years old,
they went up as usual for the festival.
When the festival was ended and they started to return,
the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Assuming that he was in the group of travellers,
they went a day’s journey.
Then they started to look for him
among their relatives and friends.
When they did not find him,
they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard him were amazed
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him they were astonished;
and his mother said to him,
‘Child, why have you treated us like this?
Look, your father and I have been searching for you
in great anxiety.’
He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’
But they did not understand what he said to them.
Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them.
His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years,
and in divine and human favour.
25 December 2024
And so we reach Christmas Morning, we had an all age Eucharist and it was lovely to see lots of families worshiping together. We wish everyone a Happy Christmas!
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Hebrews 1:1-4
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors
in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things,
through whom he also created the worlds.
He is the reflection of God’s glory
and the exact imprint of God’s very being,
and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
When he had made purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
having become as much superior to angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
John 1:1-14
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him,
and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He himself was not the light,
but he came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came into being through him;
yet the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own,
and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who received him,
who believed in his name,
he gave power to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood
or of the will of the flesh
or of the will of man,
but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us,
and we have seen his glory,
the glory as of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
24 December 2024
Our Midnight Service started at 11:30 and the Church was now decorated with green and red as we reach the Feast of the Nativity.
We sang Carols and Father Chris celebrated the Eucharist and we went out into the night wishing each other 'Happy Christmas'
 |
| Father Chris with our Junior Choristers in Christmas mood! |
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish.
In the former time he brought into contempt
the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea,
the land beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Titus 2:11-14
A reading from the letter of Paul to Titus.
The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,
training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions,
and in the present age to live lives
that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,
while we wait for the blessed hope
and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
He it is who gave himself for us
that he might redeem us from all iniquity
and purify for himself a people of his own
who are zealous for good deeds.
Luke 2:1-14
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus
that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration
and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
All went to their own towns to be registered.
Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to the city of David called Bethlehem,
because he was descended from the house and family of David.
He went to be registered with Mary,
to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to deliver her child.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in bands of cloth,
and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them,
‘Do not be afraid; for see—
I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you:
you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth
and lying in a manger.’
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
22 December 2024
At 6pm we met for our traditional service of 9 Lessons and Carols. The Church was bathed in candle light and the Congregation and choir sang well known hymns and Carols as they listened to the story of the birth of Christ starting with the fall of Man in the garden of Eden and finishing with the opening of ST Joun's gospel which puts the story in context of being beyond time and space.
The Choir sang several solo carols including 'Up good Christians' 'Jesus Christ the Apple Tree' Gabriel's Message', 'Torches' 'Ding Dong Merrily on High'
We left Church feeling that Christmas was here!
We reach the fourth Sunday of Advent and lit the last Candle of the Advent Wreath before Christmas and the white candle s added.
A lovely service full of anticipation for the events of this evening and next week.
Our Carol service is this evening at 6pm all are welcome!
Micah 5:2-5a
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
The Lord says to his people:
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred
shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
Hebrews 10:5-10
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
When Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said,
“See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’
When Christ said,
‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure
in sacrifices and offerings
and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’
(these are offered according to the law),
then he added,
‘See, I have come to do your will.’
He abolishes the first
in order to establish the second.
And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.
Luke 1:39-55
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Mary set out and went with haste
to a Judean town in the hill country,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leapt in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed with a loud cry,
‘Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And why has this happened to me,
that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting,
the child in my womb leapt for joy.
And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfilment
of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
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