07 December 2015
12:38 | 
Posted by
Admin |
The Second Sunday in Advent is also the first Sunday in December, so this week our 10 am Eucharist included the children of the Sunday School.
We opened our Service with the lighting of the second Advent candle, representing the Old Testament Prophets, showing us the story of Our Lord's birth was predicted long before it occurred. We heard again the message to “make straight the way of the Lord”, reflected in our opening hymn Long ago, prophets knew, sung to the old
tune Personent Hodie.
This was also our Christingle service: In the late 19th century, Edward Rudolf was worried about 2 boys who suddenly did not attend Sunday School. He went looking for them, and found them begging as their father had died and had no income. He was so concerned by this he saw his Archbishop who also agreed that the Church of England should help children in this situation and then began the Children's Society, who are the instigators of Christingle. Father Stephen spoke about the modern day work of the Society
with those children who are pushed to the margins of life. At the Offertory those members of our parish
community who keep a collecting box for the Society brought them up to the
altar.
The Choir sang the Anthem 'How beautiful upon the mountains' setting by John Stainer reflecting the role of John the Baptist as a messenger sent to be the
fore-runner of Jesus and to begin preaching the message of peace:
How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth
peace; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
We look forward to a world when peace will reign
over all and people of every faith acknowledge that God is above and over us
all
Joanna, our Musical Director was presented with gifts, flowers and balloons as she celebrates a "significant" birthday later in the week. The congregation all sang her a "Happy Birthday" and she treated us to a few words before playing the organ voluntary, the Fantasia
in G minor BWV 542: by J.S.Bach, the work has long
been accorded the subtitle ‘Great’ and is regarded as one of the crown jewels
of the organ repertoire.
Our Sunday School are holding a special sale next Sunday after the10 am service in the Church Hall of sweets and coffee in aid of their 3 chosen charities:
The Sussex Snowdrop Trust (local)
Teenage Cancer Trust (national)
Goodwill Villages in South India (International)
so please go along next week and support the Sunday School.
The Church Christmas fair raised just under £1800. Well done everyone who helped.
