26 December 2022
11:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Acts 7:51-60
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Stephen said to the high priest and the council.
‘You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit,
just as your ancestors used to do.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One,
and now you have become his betrayers and murderers.
You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels,
and yet you have not kept it.’
When they heard these things,
they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.
Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’
But they covered their ears,
and with a loud shout all rushed together against him.
Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him;
and the witnesses laid their coats
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,
‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’
Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,
‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’
When he had said this, he died.
Matthew 10:17:22
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus said to the twelve:
Beware of them,
for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues;
and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me,
as a testimony to them and the Gentiles.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say;
for what you are to say will be given to you at that time;
for it is not you who speak,
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will betray brother to death,
and a father his child,
and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
and you will be hated by all because of my name.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
25 December 2022
On Christmas morning we had a Family Service at 10 am Now the crib contains the baby and the Sheperds are visiting!
Lots of people of all ages joined in the traditional carols and celebrated the birth of Our Lord.
Father Chris had help from some of the younger members of the congregation opening some very different looking presents to discover the same gift inside! We are all different but at the same time inside we are all the children of God. He also blew up a balloon, with some effort to represent our being filled with God's Love!
The Choir sang 'In the Bleak Midwinter' Words Christina Rossetti, setting Harold Darke. Hilary Platts sang the solo
We wished each other a merry Christmas and set off home for Lunch!!
Our warm space, cuppa and a chat will be available in the rooms on Thursday from 2 to 4, do come along. If transport is difficult contact us and we will arrange to get you!
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
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.
If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.
Titus 3:4-7
A reading from the letter of Paul to Titus.
When the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared,
he saved us,
not because of any works of righteousness that we had done,
but according to his mercy,
through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
This Spirit he poured out on us richly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
so that, having been justified by his grace,
we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
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!’
24 December 2022
We met at 11:30 for the Midnight Service. The Church now decorated in White and Gold to mark this Major Festival. The Crib is now in place and the flowers are now added to our decorations to mark the incarnation and arrival of Our Lord in human form.
The Choir sang The Sussex Carol after communion and we ended the service with Hark the Herald Angel Sing. A splendid start to 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 (5-12)
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.
(For to which of the angels did God ever say,
‘You are my Son;
today I have begotten you’?
Or again,
‘I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son’?
And again,
when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’
Of the angels he says,
‘He makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire.’
But of the Son he says,
‘Your throne, O God,
is for ever and ever,
and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God,
has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’
And, ‘In the beginning, Lord,
you founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like clothing;
like a cloak you will roll them up,
and like clothing they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will never end.’)
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.
18 December 2022
This evening at 6pm we had our service of Carols and Readings, following the traditional pattern.
We gathered on a wet and windy evening to enter the Church decorated for the season and in Candle light. The first hymn, Once in Royal David's City was sung by everyone. Father Chris welcomed everyone and said the bidding prayer. The service then proceeded with the readings from the Old and New Testament. The Choir sang a variety of Carols including; The Boar's Head Carol, Adam lay y bounden,
Away in a Manger, with the Junior Choristers singing the words with harmony added by the Seniors. Ding Dong Merrily on High, Torches, and The Sussex Carol. The congregation and Choir together sang O Little Town of Bethlehem, While Shepard's Watched their Flocks, O Come All ye Faithful and to end God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
The words of the Christmas Story are fresh and joyful each time we hear them, no matter how many Christmases we have been to such a service, the message is always exciting and brings us hope for the future.
Join us for Midnight Service on Christmas Eve at 11:30, or 10 am on Christmas Day for a Family Communion.
God announces in the garden of Eden that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Genesis 22:15-18
God promises to the faithful Abraham that in his seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
Christ's birth and kingdom are foretold by Isaiah.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 11:1-9
The peace that Christ will bring us is foreshown.
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Luke 1:26-38
The Angel Gabriel salutes the Virgin Mary.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Matthew 1:18-25
St Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Luke 2:8-20
The shepherds go to the manger.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Matthew 2:1-11
The wise men are led by a star to Jesus.
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
John 1:1-15
St John unfolds the mystery of the Incarnation.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
The fourth Sunday in advent and we lit the last purple candle. Today we thought about Mary and her amazing experience, and the story of Joseph receiving an angelic message in a dream to look after Mary and her son who was to be the Messiah. Father Chris talked more about Joseph in his sermon, we tend to neglect his part in the story, but he was an ordinary man, a carpenter, a kind man who did not want to make a public shaming of his pregnant wife before they married. He heard the message and married her anyway and provided an earthly home for the Son of God. A fine example!
As this was the third Sunday in December the service was Mattins, and as it is Advent we sang the Benedicite and the Jubilate Deo as the canticles.
We left Church after a cup of coffee as the weather was warming up but getting wetter!
8AM
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
Ask a sign of the Lord your God;
let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
But Ahaz said, I will not ask,
and I will not put the Lord to the test.
Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David!
Is it too little for you to weary mortals,
that you weary my God also?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son,
and shall name him Immanuel.
He shall eat curds and honey by the time
he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good,
the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.
Romans 1:1-7
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle,
set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
the gospel concerning his Son,
who was descended from David according to the flesh
and was declared to be Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness
by resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
Through Christ we have received grace and apostleship
to bring about the obedience of faith
among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome,
who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:18-25
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
The birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.
When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man
and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly.
But just when he had resolved to do this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
‘Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,
for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son,
and you are to name him Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.’
All this took place
to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’
When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him;
he took her as his wife,
but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;
and he named him Jesus.
10AM Matins
Isaiah 7:10-16
10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
We arrived at church this morning on a very frosty and cold day. This is the third Sunday in Lent, called Gaudate Sunday, when we have a little break from our solomn Advent thoughts to 'Rejoice' as this is the meaning of the Latin word Gaudate. The candle on the Advent Wreath for this Sunday is rose coloured as a change from purple to reflect this lightening of mood.
We started by lighting the Candles on the Wreath, and proceeded with the Eucharist. We are now into Year A of the readings, so our Gospel was from St Mathew telling of John the Baptist's imprisonment and him sending his disciples to Our Lord to as him 'Are you the One that is to come?' Father Chris developed this story in his sermon, discussing whether John actually knew the answer, but wanted his disciples to find out for themselves from Our Lord, or was he asking because he wasn't sure? We are sometimes unsure, and when doubts come to us speaking to Our Lord in prayer will bring assurance.
The Choir sang 'The Truth from Above' words are Traditional and the music is based on an English folk tune collected by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
After the service the Sunday school held their Christmas sale in the Parish rooms. All proceeds go to their chosen 3 charities.
If you are bringing a Christmas present for a child being cared for by the Diocesan Support Workers, please bring the unwrapped present to church, donations can be left in the church at any time.
Isaiah 35:1-10
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
James 5:7-10
A reading from the letter of James.
Be patient, beloved, therefore, until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth,
being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
You also must be patient.
Strengthen your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is near.
Beloved, do not grumble against one another,
so that you may not be judged.
See, the Judge is standing at the doors!
As an example of suffering and patience, beloved,
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 11:2-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing,
he sent word by his disciples
and said to Jesus,
‘Are you the one who is to come,
or are we to wait for another?’
Jesus answered them,
‘Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind receive their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the poor have good news brought to them.
And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
As they went away,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:
‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at?
A reed shaken by the wind?
What then did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in soft robes?
Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.
What then did you go out to see?
A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
Truly I tell you, among those born of women
no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
04 December 2022
It really feels like winter is finally here. Not quite frosty yet, but very close.
Today was an important day for us in the church family as we welcomed William to the fold. He was able to make his own promises and as Fr Chris said, in some respects he was lucky as he would be able to remember his baptism, as most of us baptised as babies would not. Many of the congregation commented positively on having a baptism as part of our family service and we look forward to many more.
Thank you to everyone who made our Christmas Fayre a huge success, both those stall holders, bakers of cakes, maker of crafts and the lovely folk who came and spent their hard earned cash. We made a total of £2178. How amazing is that! This does not include the Grand Draw. Ticket stubs and money to the church wardens by the 13th please. Flower arrangers are asked to help decorate the church with greenery on the morning of the 17th December. Refreshments will be provided.
Isaiah 11:1-10
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand
as a signal to the peoples;
the nations shall inquire of him, a
nd his dwelling shall be glorious.
Romans 15:4-13 (8am only)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Whatever was written in former days
was written for our instruction,
so that by steadfastness
and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement
grant you to live in harmony with one another,
in accordance with Christ Jesus,
so that together you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I tell you
that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised
on behalf of the truth of God
in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3 1-12
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ accroding to Matthew.
In those days John the Baptist
appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,
‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke
when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.” ’
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair
with a leather belt around his waist,
and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea
were going out to him,
and all the region along the Jordan,
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan,
confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism,
he said to them,
‘You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bear fruit worthy of repentance.
Do not presume to say to yourselves,
“We have Abraham as our ancestor”;
for I tell you, God is able from these stones
to raise up children to Abraham.
Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees;
every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire.
‘I baptize you with water for repentance,
but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me;
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing-fork is in his hand,
and he will clear his threshing-floor
and will gather his wheat into the granary;
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Advent Sunday today, the beginning of the Church year, so Happy New Year! Our 10 am Eucharist was celebrated by Father Chris. The children joined us in church where we started the service by lighting the first candle of the Advent wreath. The children then left us for their own activities in the rooms, of which more news later. We sang a new kyrie for this solemn season, and in his sermon Father Chris gave us a question consisting of 3 very large numbers, what were they? The number of seconds, minutes and hours between now and Christmas! The season of waiting and anticipation is here! But he also urged us to live in the moment, the past has gone, we do not know what the future will bring, and the Gospel tells us Our Lord will return in ordinary time, so we must live every day in expectation of his return in Glory!
The choir sang an Advent carol ' In Nights Dim Shadow Lying' by George Guest as the Anthem.
The children returned for the distribution of the host, and told us about their activities. They had been making cakes! The Sunday School are holding a coffee morning after church on the 11th of December in aid of their chosen charities and cakes will be for sale! Please come and support them.
Before that don't forget the Christmas market next Saturday from 11 to 3 in the rooms and church. Come and enjoy a German style lunch and buy some presents!
Isaiah 2:1-5
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Romans 13:11-14
A reading form the letter of Paul to the Romans
Brothers and sister,
you know what time it is,
how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now
than when we became believers;
the night is far gone, the day is near.
Let us then lay aside the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light;
let us live honourably as in the day,
not in revelling and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarrelling and jealousy.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 24:36-44
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus sopke to his disciples:
‘About that day and hour no one knows,
neither the angels of heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father.
For as the days of Noah were,
so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
For as in those days before the flood
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day Noah entered the ark,
and they knew nothing
until the flood came and swept them all away,
so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Then two will be in the field;
one will be taken and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding meal together;
one will be taken and one will be left.
Keep awake therefore,
for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
But understand this: i
f the owner of the house had known
in what part of the night the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and would not have let his house be broken into.
Therefore you also must be ready, f
or the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
20 November 2022
This morning our 10 am service was a sung Mattins as we are at the third Sunday of the month. The service was taken by Janet, our church warden as Father Chris is busy this weekend organising a conference. We sang the psalm and canticle and the responses, and the Choir sang an anthem. As it is Christ the King this Sunday the Anthem was 'Above all Praise' by Felix Mendelsson.
With no sermon we were finished earlier than usual so coffee was shared with the Sunday School who were finishing with juice and a biscuit, it was lovely to all be together! The children had made crowns to mark Christ the King as shown in the picture.
The Christmas Market is fast approaching it will be on Saturday 3rd December from 11am to 3 pm. If you have donations for the stalls, we will be most grateful, come along on the day and enjoy the German themed refreshments and pick up some Christmas presents!
8 am Service
Jeremiah 23:1-6
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah
Woe to the shepherds
who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!
says the Lord.
Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,
concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people:
It is you who have scattered my flock,
and have driven them away,
and you have not attended to them.
So I will attend to you for your evil doings,
says the Lord.
Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
out of all the lands where I have driven them,
and I will bring them back to their fold,
and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them,
and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed,
nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely,
and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.
And this is the name by which he will be called:
‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Colossians 1:11-20
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians
Brothers and sisters;
May you be made strong
with all the strength that comes from his glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience,
while joyfully giving thanks to the Father,
who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
He has rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation;
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Luke 23:33-43
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull,
they crucified Jesus there with the criminals,
one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said,
‘Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.’
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
And the people stood by, watching;
but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,
‘He saved others;
let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’
The soldiers also mocked him,
coming up and offering him sour wine,
and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’
There was also an inscription over him,
‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who were hanged there
kept deriding him and saying,
‘Are you not the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!’
But the other rebuked him, saying,
‘Do you not fear God,
since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
And we indeed have been condemned justly,
for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but this man has done nothing wrong.’
Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
Jesus replied,
‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Matins
Jeremiah 23:1-6
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Luke 23:33-43
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
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