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!

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! 

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.

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.

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!

Jeremiah  23:1-6

A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah

This morning our 10am parish eucharist included our act of Remembrance for those who gave their lives in the two world wars and conflicts since.

The church was full, with some in uniform and others wearing medals given as a result of service. In his sermon Father Chris spoke of the value of silence, how in our busy noisy world it is often lost, and as we value the 2 minutes silence for the dead  we should consider seeking out some silence in our busy lives as there we may more easily communicate with the Father.

The choir sang 'My Soul, there is a country' by CHH Parry as the anthem. The Children joined us at the distribution of the host and afterwards showed us the poppies they had made and told us of their meaning. 

There then followed the act of Remembrance, including a sounding of the  last post, two minutes of silence, and the names from our war memorial were read out  by Michael Allistone. We then left the church and walked down to the war memorial in silence for the laying of wreaths, followed by prayers and a blessing. The Sunday School children added their poppies to the memorial. This was a moving occasion with a strong feeling of community about it.

A reading from the book of the prohet Malachi

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, 

when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; 

the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, 

so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 

But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, 

with healing in its wings. 

A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

We command you, beloved, 

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

to keep away from believers who are living in idleness 

and not according to the tradition that they received from us.

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; 

we were not idle when we were with you, 

and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; 

but with toil and labour we worked night and day, 

so that we might not burden any of you. 

This was not because we do not have that right, 

but in order to give you an example to imitate. 

For even when we were with you, 

we gave you this command: 

Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 

For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, 

mere busybodies, not doing any work. 

Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ 

to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 

Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to  Luke

‘O that my words were written down!
O that they were inscribed in a book!

O that with an iron pen and with lead
they were engraved on a rock for ever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;

and after my skin has been thus destroyed,
then in my flesh I shall see God,

whom I shall see on my side,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians.

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 

and our being gathered together to him, 

we beg you, brothers and sisters, 

not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, 

either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, 

to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 

Let no one deceive you in any way; 

for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first 

and the lawless one is revealed, 

the one destined for destruction. 

He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god 

or object of worship, 

so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, 

declaring himself to be God. 

Do you not remember that I told you these things 

when I was still with you?