04 September 2022
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
It was a big day for us here at St Mary Our Lady as we had our first service with Father Chris our new vicar! We were delighted to be joined by the Archdeacon, Father Luke, Father John and our Rural Dean Martha to welcome him to Sidlesham. It was also our Patronal Festival so St Mary was very central to our prayers and worship. Father Luke preached, reflecting on the nature of a parish. The word comes from the greek meaning a colony of outsiders, and so we are that people of God a colony in the secular world, who strive to bring forth the Glory of God in our commuity and gather in the people. We look forward to the leadership of Father Chris in this mission.
The Choir are back and the Ladies sang the Ave Maria by Faure between the readings, and the whole choir sang the Ave Verum by Mozart during communion. Joanna treated us to the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J.S.Bach BWV 565 at the end of the service.
We had a lovely chat and shared some drinks and nibbles with those who had come from St Richards, Father Chris's previous church, in the parish rooms after the service.
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
The Lord says to his people:
Now you are walled around with a wall;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
upon the cheek.
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;
Romans 8:28-30
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
We know that all things work together for good
for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
in order that he might be the firstborn
within a large family.
And those whom he predestined he also called;
and those whom he called he also justified;
and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Matthew 1:18-25
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Now 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.
aOr birth
