A busy weekend at St Marys with a most successful evening on Saturday and a well attended service on Sunday.
Saturday night we were treated to a Burns Night Supper in the Village hall. A really splendid occasion wonderfully catered by Hilary Platts and her team, the pudding being duly addressed in the traditional way, a Dram was drunk to toast the night and the arrival of a new baby grandson for Chris and Colin Field. After the wonderful food David Blackford played his accordion to accompany the singing including Auld Lang Sine. With the raffle and the sale of the lovely Primulas on the tables a total of £466 was raised for the New Rooms. Fantastic!!
The 10 o'clock service was well attended and we were joined by the Lay Chair of the Deanery Synod who is visiting all the parishes in his Deanery. In his sermon Father Stephen talked about the new Baptism Service, the wording of which no longer mentions the Devil. Father Stephen concluded that it is difficult to put words to mysteries.
The Choir sang 'The Crown of Roses' words by A.N. Pleshcheev translated by G. Dearmer and music by P.I.Tchaikovsky.

Next week, our family service will celebrate Candlemas!

Our first Mattins of 2014 took place on a beautiful sunny dry morning, such a contrast from recent times! We return to the canticles of Venite, Te Deum and Benedictus, and the psalm set for today was Psalm 40. The readings from the King James version of the Bible were from Isiah and St John's Gospel. It was the second reading, describing how the disciples moved from following St John the Baptist to following Jesus. father Stephen took up this story in his sermon, talking about how John had gone on to challenge Herod, It is as we are transformed by our relationship with Christ we also must go out and proclaim the good news.
The Choir sang 'A Closer Walk with God' setting by CV Stanford. 
Only one ticket remaining for the Burns Supper next Saturday night which promises to be an excellent event.

Winter sunshine in the Church yard

Epiphany Flowers

In our Eucharist this Sunday we commemorated the Baptism of Our Lord, Both readings related to the story of Christ's baptism in the River Jordan, In his sermon Father Stephen talked of the importance of water, including his story of swimming in the sea and loosing his footing and nearly drowning! He impressed on us how baptism symbolises drowning and being reborn to a new life in Christ.
The Choir sang 'Ave Verum. setting by W.A. Mozart.

The last few tickets for the Burns Night Supper on January 25th are available from the Church Wardens!

Happy New Year to every one!! This Sunday our family Service celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, marks the move of the Christmas celebrations into the Epiphany period. To mark this the Choir and Junior Choir sang the Twelve Days of Christmas (Traditional Arr. J Rutter) and between each verse, the narrator explained how this traditional song could be related to the Creed. Well Done Harriet for your reading, and the Choir for singing, this was instead of a sermon, and was a very jolly presentation.The adoration of the Baby Jesus by the Magi is an important part of the Christmas story, and during our Offertory Hymn the Sunday School enacted the arrival of the three Kings or Magi while the Congregation sang 'We three Kings of Orient Are'
The service, which gave us a very enjoyable start to the new year, was followed by coffee.

Don't forget to get your tickets for the Burns Night Supper on Jan25th 7pm in the Church Hall. £10 each for a 3 course supper in traditional Scottish Style. Tickets from the Church Wardens!

Three different representations of the Magi

This Sunday, the first of Christmas, was clear and frosty and the wind had died down. The Sunday after Christmas is traditionally a celebration of the Holy Family, but also in the Gospel today the story of the Massacre of the Innocents. This theme was taken up by Father Stephen in his sermon, discussing the horror of Herod's act of killing all the boy children under 2 years to try to prevent Jesus growing up. He reminded us that children are killed every day in the conflicts going on in Syria and in Africa, but that we must be the lights of Christian faith in such a dark and dreadful world.
In keeping with our thoughts of the devastation of war the Choir sang 'This Christmas Night' words by Mary Wilson music by Malcolm Williamson

Frosty grass and winter sun

Christmas Candle and our Christas glass plate

Despite horrendous weather, the congregation convened at 11:30pm on Christmas Eve for the First Mass of Christmas. The Church was lit by candles and the displays of greenery were now supplemented by white flowers. Even the organ was decorated with Christmas cheer! The traditional carols and Christmas hymns were sung, and the Choir sang 'Away in a Manger' and 'Ding Dong Merrily on High'.
In his sermon Father Stephen spoke of the perfect timing of Jesus' birth, at a time when the Roman Empire was at peace so that the news could safely be sent out. There was a common language Greek, that also allowed the whole Roman world to hear of the Saviour's birth. and still more than 2000 years later the wonderful message goes out again with the celebration of Christmas.

preparing for the Midnight service

Joanna with the decorated organ

From the Organ Loft

Candles lit ready to go

Joanna and James with the organ

On Christmas morning the Children came to tell the story of the nativity and to have their presents blessed. Their performance in full costume of the story of Jesus birth started Christmas Day beautifully. At 11:15 we had a well attended said Eucharist with Carols, the choir sang 'Away in a Manger'.

We wish every one Joy, Peace and Happiness at this Christmas tide, the Saviour is born, we will be redeemed!

Christmas morning

Our Crib

Festival flowers amongst the greenery

 

This Sunday our Eucharist included the lighting of the last of the four Advent candles, Christmas is nearly here! The church has now been decorated with greenery, in anticipation of Christmas, and looks festive. In the Sermon today Father Stephen spoke f the importance of listening to God's voice, and how the frantic activity of the pre Christmas season can prevent us from finding those quiet moments needed to hear the message God has for us. Mary had listened to this voice and had accepted the role of mother of the Christ child for us. The Choir sang 'A song of Mary' as the anthem.

In the evening we had our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. The readings, telling the story of the Messiah from beginning in Genesis through to St John's opening treatise on the nature of the incarnation were taken from the King James version of the Bible. The Choir sand 'Up! good Christen folk and listen', Words and Melody by G.R.Woodward, 'Adam lay ybounden words traditional Setting by Peter Warlock,
'Away in  Manger' arrangement by Nigel Short, in this item the Junior choir sang the first verse. The Junior Choir also sang the third verse of 'Once in Royal Davids City' Words Mrs C F Alexander, Music by H.J. Gauntlet. Other Choir Items included the Coventry Carol set by Philip Stopforth, Tomorrow shall be my Dancing day English traditional arranged by David Willcox , and Gaudete also traditional words and music.The Congregation and Choir together also sang traditional Advent Hymns and Christmas Carols. The service was a very successful start to our Christmas celebrations!

A Wintery view of rhe Church

A rare flash of winter sunshine

Just before the 9 Lessons and Carols

All the Advent Candles lit