09 March 2025
10:30 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses spoke to the peopple saying:
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you
as an inheritance to possess,
and you possess it, and settle in it,
you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground,
which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you,
and you shall put it in a basket
and go to the place
that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.
You shall go to the priest
who is in office at that time, and say to him,
‘Today I declare to the Lord your God
that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’
When the priest takes the basket from your hand
and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God,
you shall make this response before the Lord your God:
‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor;
he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number,
and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.
When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us,
by imposing hard labour on us,
we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors;
the Lord heard our voice
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
The Lord brought us out of Egypt
with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders;
and he brought us into this place and gave us this land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground
that you, O Lord, have given me.’
You shall set it down before the Lord your God
and bow down before the Lord your God.
Then you, together with the Levites
and the aliens who reside among you, s
hall celebrate with all the bounty
that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Romans 10:8b-13
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
What does scripture say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The scripture says,
‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all
and is generous to all who call on him.
For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Luke 4:1-13
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. H
e ate nothing at all during those days,
and when they were over, he was famished.
The devil said to him,
‘If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’
Jesus answered him,
‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’
Then the devil led him up
and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
And the devil said to him,
‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority;
for it has been given over to me,
and I give it to anyone I please.
If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’
Jesus answered him,
‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem,
and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,
‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said,
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’
When the devil had finished every test,
he departed from him until an opportune time.
05 March 2025
Isaiah 58:1-12
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practised righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt,
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
We entreat you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As we work together with him,
we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.
For the Lord says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time;
see, now is the day of salvation!
We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way,
so that no fault may be found with our ministry,
but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way:
through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit,
genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God;
with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
as unknown, and yet are well known;
as dying, and see—we are alive;
as punished, and yet not killed;
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing,
and yet possessing everything.
John 8:1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
Early in the morning he came again to the temple.
All the people came to him
and he sat down and began to teach them.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery;
and making her stand before all of them,
they said to Jesus,
‘Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women.
Now what do you say?’
They said this to test Jesus,
so that they might have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down
and wrote with his finger on the ground.
When they kept on questioning him,
he straightened up and said to them,
‘Let anyone among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.’
And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
When they heard it, they went away,
one by one, beginning with the elders;
and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
Jesus straightened up and said to her,
‘Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?’
She said, ‘No one, sir.’
And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you.
Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’
02 March 2025
Our 10 am Eucharist today was an all age service. Father Chris was the Celebrant, and the lessons were read by members of our Sunday School. We have recently been working on reading alowed skills with the children and their parents. We saw the fruits of this work this morning with excellent readings from Scarlet and Esme.
In the sermon Father Chris talked about the Transfiguration, how light, especially the light of God is essential to our Christian life. He illustrated how difficult things are with out light by asking one of the children to assemble a doll inside a black film unloading bag. She made a very good effort but illustrated the point well!!
In the sermon Father Chris talked about the Transfiguration, how light, especially the light of God is essential to our Christian life. He illustrated how difficult things are with out light by asking one of the children to assemble a doll inside a black film unloading bag. She made a very good effort but illustrated the point well!!
The Choir sang the Ave Verum in the setting by W.A. Mozart for the anthem.
Father Chris thanked Dr Platts for her fantastic welsh themed meal held on Saturday, St David's day. 24 people ate a three course welsh meal, which finished with the most delicious welsh cakes. We raised £300 for the church at the same time!!
There was coffe after the service.
In the Afternoon we had our Sung Evensong at 3:30. This lovely service with the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, a pslam, Hymns and prayers is a once a month occasion. It is a lovely moment of praise and prayer before the start of the week.
Spring is on its way!
A reading from the book of Exodus.
Moses came down from Mount Sinai.
As he came down from the mountain
with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand,
Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone
because he had been talking with God.
When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses,
the skin of his face was shining,
and they were afraid to come near him.
But Moses called to them;
and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him,
and Moses spoke with them.
Afterwards all the Israelites came near,
and he gave them in commandment
all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
When Moses had finished speaking with them,
he put a veil on his face;
but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him,
he would take the veil off, until he came out;
and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
the Israelites would see the face of Moses,
that the skin of his face was shining;
and Moses would put the veil on his face again,
until he went in to speak with him.
2 Corinthians 3:12- 4:2
A reading from the seconf letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Since, we have such a hope,
we act with great boldness,
not like Moses, who put a veil over his face
to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory
that was being set aside.
But their minds were hardened.
Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant,
that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.
Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read,
a veil lies over their minds;
but when one turns to the Lord,
the veil is removed.
Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,
are being transformed into the same image f
rom one degree of glory to another;
for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,
we do not lose heart.
We have renounced the shameful things that one hides;
we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word;
but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves
to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
Luke 9:28-36
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James,
and went up on the mountain to pray.
And while he was praying,
the appearance of his face changed,
and his clothes became dazzling white.
Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.
They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure,
which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep;
but since they had stayed awake,
they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus,
‘Master, it is good for us to be here;
let us make three dwellings,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah
Peter did not know what he said.
While he was saying this,
a cloud came and overshadowed them;
and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’
When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
And the disciples kept silent
and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
23 February 2025
This evening at 5pm we met at Saint Paul's Church in Chichester for a service of Celebration of the 950 th anniversary of the diocese being moved from Selsey to Chichester. Bishop Martin snd Bishop Ruth lead the service of praise and prayer with representatives of all the churches in the Chichester Deanery. We heard ftom the Dean about events of Celebration at the Cathedral this year, of planned pilgrimages, exhibitions, singing events, and with emphasis on young people, camps to be held in the summer.
Our Church Wardens Chis and Christine lead the procession of Church Wardens into the service.
We saw an excellent video of drone footage of all the Churches on the Deanery produced by our own Sam Brading. Well done Sam.
We sang lovely hymns and it was wonderful to appreciate our part in the continuity of Christianity in Sussex and yo pray for its future success.
This morning our 10 am service was a Eucharist, celebrated by Father Chris. The children left for their own session after the first hymn and rejoined us for a blessing at the slter during communion.
The choir sang The Irish Blessing (trd) setting by Bob Chilcott as the anthem.
In his sermon Father Chris told us some of the history and theology of the Nicean Creed which is 1700 years old this year. He explained that it was necessary to produce this statement of belief for all Christians because misguided heresies were springing up. The creed we all say at the Eucharist is a summary of the nature of God, his son who is of the same being, and the Holy Spirit who comes from them, the Trinity that is our one God.
The children showed us their paintings they had been studying the Gospel passage where Our Lord calms the storm. Something we can appreciate living so near to the sea!
Next weekend, Saturday 1st March a supper for Saint David's day. 3 course meal in the Parish Rooms £15 per person, tickets from the Church Wardens see you there!
A reading from the book of Genesis.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
when no plant of the field was yet in the earth
and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—
for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth,
and there was no one to till the ground;
but a stream would rise from the earth,
and water the whole face of the ground—
then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and the man became a living being.
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east;
and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree
that is pleasant to the sight and good for food,
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden,
and the tree of knowledge, of goos and evil.
The Lord God took the man
and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
And the Lord God commanded the man,
‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’
Then the Lord God said,
‘It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him a helper as his partner.’
So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field
and every bird of the air,
and brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
and whatever the man called each living creature,
that was its name.
The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air,
and to every animal of the field;
but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man,
and he slept;
then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man
he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife,
and they become one flesh.
And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Revelation 4
A reading from the boook of Revelation.
After this I looked,
and there in heaven a door stood open!
And the first voice,
which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,
‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’
At once I was in the spirit,
and there in heaven stood a throne,
with one seated on the throne!
And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian,
and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.
Around the throne are twenty-four thrones,
and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders,
dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads.
Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning,
and rumblings and peals of thunder,
and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches,
which are the seven spirits of God;
and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne,
are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
the first living creature like a lion,
the second living creature like an ox,
the third living creature with a face like a human face,
and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
are full of eyes all around and inside.
Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.’
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks
to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne
and worship the one who lives for ever and ever;
they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’
Luke 8:22-25
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Chist according to Luke.
One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples,
and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’
So they put out,
and while they were sailing he fell asleep.
A gale swept down on the lake,
and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.
They went to him and woke him up, shouting,
‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’
And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves;
they ceased, and there was a calm.
He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’
They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another,
‘Who then is this,
that he commands even the winds and the water,
and they obey him?’
<<
16 February 2025
This morning, the third Sunday in February we had 2 services at 10 am. In the Church Hall the youngsters and their families had Crafty Communion. They studied the Gospel for today and looked at the characteristics of Jesus followers as described by St Luke.
Meanwhile in Church we had Matins. This is normally a sung service, but this morning our musical director, Joanna, was unwell. So we gathered together at the front of the church and had a said service. Chris Field, our church warden, read us a reflection from Father Chris which explored the same Gospel passage from Saint Luke.
We had coffee after the service.
We are beginning the process of renewing the Electoral Role. This has to be done every 5 years.
You can be on the Electoral Roll if you are over 16yrs, baptised, and regularly worship with us.
There are forms at the back of the church, please fill in and return to the folder at the back of the church.
, as soon as is convenient, but by the 6th of April.
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse— who can understand it?
I the Lord test the mind and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corninthians.
If Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,
how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then Christ has not been raised;
and if Christ has not been raised,
then our proclamation has been in vain
and your faith has been in vain.
We are even found to be misrepresenting God,
because we testified of God that he raised Christ—
whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised,
then Christ has not been raised.
If Christ has not been raised,
your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have died in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have died.
Luke 6:17-26
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
He came down with them and stood on a level place,
with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people
from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
And all in the crowd were trying to touch him,
for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy,
for surely your reward is great in heaven; f
or that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
09 February 2025
We came together this morning at 10 o'clock for our Eucharist service. The weather has been very cold in recent weeks, but plenty of people made the effort to join with us.
Father Chris preached, exploring the Gospel story of the mighty catch of fish. We are fishers of men and go out to gather more people to the Kingdom.
The Choir sang 'The Call' setting by R. Vaughn Williams as the anthem
We had coffee and biscuits after the service
A reading from the boook of the prophet Isaiah.
In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty;
and the hem of his robe filled the temple.
Seraphs were in attendance above him;
each had six wings:
with two they covered their faces,
and with two they covered their feet,
and with two they flew.
And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices
of those who called,
and the house filled with smoke.
And I said:
‘Woe is me! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me,
holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar
with a pair of tongs.
The seraph touched my mouth with it and said:
‘Now that this has touched your lips,
your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’
And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
I would remind you, brothers and sisters,
of the good news that I proclaimed to you,
which you in turn received, in which also you stand,
through which also you are being saved,
if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—
unless you have come to believe in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance
what I in turn had received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
and that he was buried,
and that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters
at one time,
most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me.
For I am the least of the apostles,
unfit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace towards me has not been in vain.
On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—
though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
Whether then it was I or they,
so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Luke 5:1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
While Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,
and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,
he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake;
the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
and asked him to put out a little way from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
‘Put out into the deep water
and let down your nets for a catch.’
Simon answered,
‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’
When they had done this,
they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.
So they signalled to their partners in the other boat
to come and help them.
And they came and filled both boats,
so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,
‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’
For he and all who were with him were amazed
at the catch of fish that they had taken;
and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee,
who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon,
‘Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching people.’
When they had brought their boats to shore,
they left everything and followed him.
02 February 2025
The first weekend in February and our services were an all age Eucharist at 10 am. To make the story of the presentation of Our Lord in the Temple also known as Candlemas the children held lighted candles and stood to gather with Father Chris as he read the Gospel story. The choir sang the Nunc Dimitis as the Anthem in the setting by CV Stanford in C ( see music page for more information.
After the service there was a workshop for young people to learn more about reading in public, and we look forward to sering put these skills into action in future serviced.
In the Afternoon at 3:30 we has Choral Evensong where we sang the Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis (Stanford in C) and an anthem. After this lovely service of prayer and praise we had tea and cake in the rooms.
Our next event will be a St David's day supper on 1st of March. Once again Dr Platts will cook a meal this time with a Welsh theme for us to meet and eat in the Parish rooms. Tickets from the Church Wardens £15 for 3 courses!
A reading from the book of the prophet Malachi.
Thus says the Lord God:
See, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me,
and the Lord whom you seek
will suddenly come to his temple.
The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—
indeed, he is coming,
says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of his coming,
and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap;
he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
and he will purify the descendants of Levi
and refine them like gold and silver,
until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
will be pleasing to the Lord
as in the days of old and as in former years.
Then I will draw near to you for judgement;
I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers,
against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely,
against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages,
the widow, and the orphan,
against those who thrust aside the alien,
and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Hebrews 2:14-18
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Since the children share flesh and blood,
he himself likewise shared the same things,
so that through death
he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is, the devil,
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery
by the fear of death.
For it is clear that he did not come to help angels,
but the descendants of Abraham.
Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every respect,
so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest
in the service of God, t
o make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.
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.
<<
>>
We reach the last Sunday in January and our 10 am service was a Eucharist celebrated by Father Chris. We continue to look at the early life of Jesus and his ministry.
The Choir sang a setting of the Ave Verum Corpus by a contemporary composer, David Terry. (See music page for more details)
There was coffee after the service.
Next week is Candlemas and we have Choral Evensong at 3:30 in the afternoon!
A reading from the book Nehemiah.
All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate.
They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses,
which the Lord had given to Israel.
Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly,
both men and women and all who could hear with understanding.
This was on the first day of the seventh month.
He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate
from early morning until midday,
in the presence of the men and the women
and those who could understand;
and the ears of all the people were attentive
to the book of the law.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people,
for he was standing above all the people;
and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God,
and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands.
Then they bowed their heads
and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
So they read from the book,
from the law of God, with interpretation.
They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people
said to all the people,
‘This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn or weep.’
For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
Then he said to them,
‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine
and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared,
for this day is holy to our Lord;
and do not be grieved,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
For just as the body is one and has many members,
and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,
so it is with Christ.
For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—
Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—
and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot were to say,
‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’,
that would not make it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear were to say,
‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’,
that would not make it any less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye,
where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing,
where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is,
God arranged the members in the body,
each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single member, where would the body be?
As it is, there are many members, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’,
nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’
On the contrary,
the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
and those members of the body that we think less honourable
we clothe with greater honour,
and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;
whereas our more respectable members do not need this.
But God has so arranged the body,
giving the greater honour to the inferior member,
that there may be no dissension within the body,
but the members may have the same care for one another.
If one member suffers, all suffer together with it;
if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.
Now you are the body of Christ
and individually members of it.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles,
second prophets, third teachers;
then deeds of power, then gifts of healing,
forms of assistance, forms of leadership,
various kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
Do all possess gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
But strive for the greater gifts.
Luke 4:14-21
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke/
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit,
returned to Galilee,
and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
He began to teach in their synagogues
and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up,
he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day,
as was his custom.
He stood up to read,
and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll
and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll,
gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them,
‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
19 January 2025
the third Sunday in January and a choice of services at 10 am. In the Church Matins and in the Hall, crafty communion.
The choir sand the Benedictus in C by CV Stanford and the anthem was 'The Lamb' words by William Blake setting by John Tavaner. We missed Father Roger, who was at Oving this morning, but we had our Church Warden to lead the service, and Joanna our Music director to lead the singing of the sentences.
The Sunday School held their family lunch after the Crafty Communion. Meanwhile the Matins congregation had coffee and biscuits in the rooms.
Despite the cold weather we had a good number attending.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The Lord says this:
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters,
I do not want you to be uninformed.
You know that when you were pagans,
you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.
Therefore I want you to understand
that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’
and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
and there are varieties of activities,
but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good.
To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom,
and to another the utterance of knowledge
according to the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit,
to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
to another the working of miracles,
to another prophecy,
to another the discernment of spirits,
to another various kinds of tongues,
to another the interpretation of tongues.
All these are activated by one and the same Spirit,
who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
John 2:1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him,
‘They have no wine.’
And Jesus said to her,
‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?
My hour has not yet come.’
His mother said to the servants,
‘Do whatever he tells you.’
Now standing there were six stone water-jars
for the Jewish rites of purification,
each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’
And they filled them up to the brim.
He said to them, ‘Now draw some out,
and take it to the chief steward.’
So they took it.
When the steward tasted the water that had become wine,
and did not know where it came from
(though the servants who had drawn the water knew),
the steward called the bridegroom and said to him,
‘Everyone serves the good wine first,
and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.
But you have kept the good wine until now.’
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee,
and revealed his glory;
and his disciples believed in him.
12 January 2025
Isaiah 43:1-7
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’
Acts 8:14-17
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent Peter and John to them.
The two went down and prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Spirit
(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
Then Peter and John laid their hands on them,
and they received the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:15-17, 21, 22
Hear the gospel of out Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
In the wilderness John proclaimed the baptism of repentance.
As the people were filled with expectation,
and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John,
whether he might be the Messiah,
John answered all of them by saying,
‘I baptize you with water;
but one who is more powerful than I is coming;
I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing-fork is in his hand,
to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary;
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Now when all the people were baptized,
and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
the heaven was opened,
and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
‘You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well pleased.’
05 January 2025
The Feast of the Epiphany was celebrated by two services. first in the morning at 10 am we had an all
age Eucharist which included the placing of the Magi at the crib by the children. Father Chris was the celebrant and he had an interactive session with the congregation looking at the story of the Three Kings and the symbolism of their gifts.
The choir sang 'In the Bleak Midwinter' words by Christina Rossetti and setting by Harold Darke, as the anthem at both services.
In the Afternoon we had evensong at 3:30pm where the setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis was that by Thomas Morley and the set psalm was Psalm 73.
After the morning Service Father Chris told us about the of making a chalk mark above the front door of our houses. This is a tradition in some countries to write 20+C+M+B +25 on the feast of the Epiphany. The numbers are the year and the letters C,M,B have 2 derivations. Firstly they represent the Latin for Christ Bless this House, but also by some it is thought they represent Caspar, Mechior, and Balthazar, the traditional names of the Magi! We were given chalk to take home if we wished to do this.
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Ephesians 3:1-12
A reading from t letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus
for the sake of you Gentiles—
for surely you have already heard
of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I wrote above in a few words,
a reading of which will enable you
to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.
In former generations
this mystery was not made known to humankind,
as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit:
that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs,
members of the same body,
and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant
according to the gift of God’s grace
that was given to me by the working of his power.
Although I am the very least of all the saints,
this grace was given to me
to bring to the Gentiles
the news of the boundless riches of Christ,
and to make everyone see
what is the plan of the mystery
hidden for ages in God who created all things;
so that through the church
the wisdom of God in its rich variety
might now be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
This was in accordance with the eternal purpose
that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have access to God
in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Matthew 2:1-12
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
In the time of King Herod,
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking,
‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?
For we observed his star at its rising,
and have come to pay him homage.’
When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,
and all Jerusalem with him;
and calling together
all the chief priests and scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea;
for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men
and learned from them the exact time
when the star had appeared.
Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
‘Go and search diligently for the child;
and when you have found him,
bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’
When they had heard the king, they set out;
and there, ahead of them,
went the star that they had seen at its rising,
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw that the star had stopped,
they were overwhelmed with joy.
On entering the house,
they saw the child with Mary his mother;
and they knelt down and paid him homage.
Then, opening their treasure-chests,
they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they left for their own country by another road.
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