A very warm welcome to all
Refrain for Psalm 80: “Turn us again, O God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.”
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Readings: Micah 5: 2-5a; Hebrews 10: 5-10
Gospel: Luke 1: 39-45, (46-55)
In our Gospel today
God might have chosen many ways in which to take human form and become known to us. By inhabiting the womb of Mary a very clear message is made about where God’s priorities lie. There is no bias towards respectability, wealth, prestige, indeed all the things which we might value seem to have been deliberately avoided.
Imagine today an unmarried peasant girl praising God for honouring her with a child in this way, would any of us listen? Perhaps one of the things which we need to learn from Christmas is to expect God in unlikely places.
Advent to Candlemas Course
If you are looking for spiritual focus during Advent, Christmas and Epiphany you might like to try the Diocesan ‘Advent to Candlemas’ course that has been prepared by our friend Revd Canon Dr Jenny Holden the Diocesan Advisor for Christian Life. There is a little something to stimulate thought and prayer each day. The link to this from the Diocesan website is below. I warmly commend this to you. Revd Roger Dyer (Assistant Priest).
https://aoepiscopal.scot/diocesan-advent-to-candlemas-course-2025/
Christmas Services
Please note the following dates for your diaries:
Carol Service: 6pm Sunday 22nd December, St Mary’s
Nativity Crib Service: 6pm Tuesday 24th December, St Johns
Christmas Eve Midnight Service: 11:30pm Tuesday 24th December, St Clements
Christmas Day Holy Communion: 10am Wednesday 25th December, St Mary’s
Crossover Service: 11:15pm Tuesday 31st December, St James
Christmas Selection Box Collection
A very big thank you to all who donated Christmas Selection Boxes. These were donated to Barnardos this week and were very much appreciated.
Tin Christmas Tree
This year we are hoping to build a Tin Christmas Tree from donated tins of soup and other food stuffs. Our building efforts will go on throughout December (1st to 31st). Please note we’re looking for standard tins, like a Heinz tomato soup tin – not little ones or oddly shaped ones, for the integrity of construction! Please think about donating any form of tinned food and have fun building a Tin Christmas Tree. The tins will be distributed to local charities or foodbanks. Thank you in advance for your donations!
Church Calendar and Christmas Cards
Our 2025 Calendars have now arrived and a new batch of Christmas Cards with three new views of St Mary’s in the snow. Calendars are £10 each and a pack of six Christmas Cards is £5. All donations go to church funds.
East Garden Project
Good news! We have received formal approvals for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for the formation of the new East Garden Project at St Mary’s. We can now concentrate on funding applications in the new year.
Services and events commencing this Sunday and for the coming week
Sunday 22nd December 8am Holy Communion (1970 Liturgy): Revd Roger Dyer
Sunday 22nd December 10am Sung Eucharist (1982 Liturgy): Revd Kate Gibson
Sunday 22nd December 6pm Carol Service: Revd Jason Hobbs
Wednesday 25th December 10am Sung Eucharist: Bishop Anne Dyer
Friday 27th December No Compline
Sunday 29th December No 8am Service
Sunday 29th December 10am Sung Eucharist (1982 Liturgy): Revd Canon Dr Jenny Holden
Next Sunday’s readings: 1 Samuel 2: 18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3: 12-17
Gospel: Luke 2: 41-52
“God is not ashamed of human lowliness but goes right into the middle of it.”
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
For any pastoral matters please contact our Assistant Priest Revd Roger Dyer on 07719 458571 or revrogdyer@btinternet.com