31 December 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3
A reading from the book of Genesis.
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision,
‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield;
your reward shall be very great.’
But Abram said,
‘O Lord God, what will you give me,
for I continue childless,
and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’
And Abram said,
‘You have given me no offspring,
and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’
But the word of the Lord came to him,
‘This man shall not be your heir;
no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’
He brought Abraham outside and said,
‘Look towards heaven and count the stars,
if you are able to count them.’
Then he said to him,
‘So shall your descendants be.’
And he believed the Lord;
and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said,
and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised.
Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age,
at the time of which God had spoken to him.
Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.
Colossians 3:12-17
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colosssians.
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 2:22-40
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When the time came for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
they brought him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord
(as it is written in the law of the Lord,
‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’),
and they offered a sacrifice
according to what is stated in the law of the Lord,
‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;
this man was righteous and devout,
looking forward to the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him what was customary under the law,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother
were amazed at what was being said about him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary,
‘This child is destined
for the falling and the rising of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be opposed
so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—
and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was of a great age,
having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,
then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.
She never left the temple
but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day.
At that moment she came, and began to praise God
and to speak about the child
to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything
required by the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
25 December 2023
We have had a busy Christmas at St Marys! Our 9 Lessons and Carol Service was held on the 17th of December, with traditional Lessons and Carols plus some carols sung by the Choir. This was followed by refreshments for everyone on the church rooms. Then on the 24th of December we started off with the Eucharist for the 4th Sunday in Advent, and then in the afternoon turned our attention to Christmas Eve with a crib service, starting in the church hall and processing with candle lanterns to the the Church where the Holy Family were to be found sitting in front of the altar! Songs and prayers and a blessing sent everyone on their way. At 11:30 we held our Midnight Mass with Carols, the Choir sang 'Torches' after communion.
On Christmas morning an all age Eucharist was held to celebrate the birth of our redeemer!
Happy Christmas to everyone!
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 1:1-15
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 2023
Isaiah 9:1-7
A reading from the book 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!’
2 Samuel 7:1-11,16
A reading from the second book of Samuel.
Now when David,the king was settled in his house,
and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
the king said to the prophet Nathan,
‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar,
but the ark of God stays in a tent.’
Nathan said to the king,
‘Go, do all that you have in mind;
for the Lord is with you.’
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
Go and tell my servant David:
Thus says the Lord:
Are you the one to build me a house to live in?
I have not lived in a house
since the day I brought up the people of Israel
from Egypt to this day,
but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.
Wherever I have moved about
among all the people of Israel,
did I ever speak a word
with any of the tribal leaders of Israel,
whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel,
saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’
Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David:
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
I took you from the pasture,
from following the sheep
to be prince over my people Israel;
and I have been with you wherever you went,
and have cut off all your enemies from before you;
and I will make for you a great name,
like the name of the great ones of the earth.
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel
and will plant them,
so that they may live in their own place,
and be disturbed no more;
and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel;
and I will give you rest from all your enemies.
Moreover, the Lord declares to you, David,
that the Lord will make you a house.
Your house and your kingdom
shall be made sure for ever before me;
your throne shall be established for ever.
Romans 16:25-27
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
To God who is able to strengthen you
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
that was kept secret for long ages
but is now disclosed,
and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith—
to the only wise God,
through Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.
Luke 1:26-38
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said,
‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’
But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her,
‘Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favour with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.’
Mary said to the angel,
‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’
The angel said to her,
‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be holy;
he will be called Son of God.
And now,
your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son;
and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God.’
Then Mary said,
‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be with me according to your word.’
Then the angel departed from her.
17 December 2023
The third sunday of Advent, so we lit the pink candle. Father Roger took sung Matins at the Church and Father Christ held a Crafty Mass in the church hall, were lanterns were made to use in the procession on Christmas eve afternoon.
The Choir sang the Jubilate setting by C V Stanford, and Gabriel's message setting by Edward Pettyman as the anthem
In the rooms after the service Father Roger drew out the winning tickets from the Christmas Draw.
Do join us for the first of our Christmas Services this evening at 6pm The Carol Service 9 lessons and Carols.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The servant of the Lord said:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians.
My brothers and sisters,
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything;
hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely;
and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
John 1:6-8,19-28
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
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.
This is the testimony given by John
when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem
to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
He confessed and did not deny it,
but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’
And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’
He said, ‘I am not.’
‘Are you the prophet?’
He answered, ‘No.’
Then they said to him, ‘Who are you?
Let us have an answer for those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?’
He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing
if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’
John answered them, ‘I baptize with water.
Among you stands one whom you do not know,
the one who is coming after me;
I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’
This took place in Bethany across the Jordan
where John was baptizing.
10 December 2023
The second Sunday of Advent and we lit the second Purple Candle on the Advent Wreath.
Father Chris celebrated the Eucharist and the Choir sang 'How Beautiful upon the Mountains,' words from the book of Isaiah setting by John Stainer as the anthem.
After the service the Sunday School held their Coffee morning and sale in aid of 3 charities, TH
he Snowdrop Trust, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Goodwill Hospital in India. It was a very successful and jolly occasion
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A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
A voice says, ‘Cry out!’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
2 Peter 3:8-15a
A reading from the second letter of Peter.
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years,
and a thousand years are like one day.
The Lord is not slow about his promise,
as some think of slowness,
but is patient with you,
not wanting any to perish,
but all to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise,
and the elements will be dissolved with fire,
and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of people ought you to be
in leading lives of holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved,
and the elements will melt with fire?
But, in accordance with his promise,
we wait for new heavens and a new earth,
where righteousness is at home.
Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things,
strive to be found by him at peace,
without spot or blemish;
and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.
Mark 1:1-8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
And people from the whole Judean countryside
and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him,
and were baptized by him in the river Jordan,
confessing their sins.
Now John was clothed with camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist,
and he ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed,
‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me;
I am not worthy to stoop down
and untie the thong of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
03 December 2023
Happy New Year! Advent Sunday is the beginning of the Church Year, and is a period of looking forward and waiting for the coming of the Christ Child. So we are in our solomn colour , purple, and we lit the first candle on the Advent Wreath.
Our all age Eucharist was celebrated by Father Chris and the choir sang In Night's dim shadows lying words Charles Coffin, setting and arrangement by George Guest from the Katholisches Gessangbush as the anthem.
There was coffee after the service.
Isaiah 64:1-9
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity for ever.
Now consider, we are all your people.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
My brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you
because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,
for in every way you have been enriched in him,
in speech and knowledge of every kind—
just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will also strengthen you to the end,
so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful;
by him you were called
into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mark 13:24-37
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Jesus said to his disciples:
In those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds”
with great power and glory.
Then he will send out the angels,
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
‘From the fig tree learn its lesson:
as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves,
you know that summer is near.
So also, when you see these things taking place,
you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
‘But about that day or hour no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father.
Beware, keep alert;
for you do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man going on a journey,
when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge,
each with his work,
and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
Therefore, keep awake—
for you do not know when the master of the house will come,
in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or at dawn,
or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.
And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’
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