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Pew News w/b Sundays 21st and 28th December
Advent 4 and Christmas 1
Dear All
I hope this finds you keeping well and warm.
This Sunday is Advent 4, the last Sunday in Advent, when we remember Mary and Joseph and the naming of Jesus.
The first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel is all about names. We get a whole family tree’s worth of names and then it narrows down to one very specific name—actually, to two very specific names—almost as a way to say that all of history has been leading up to this one point when someone would finally come with a name above all names, a name that will never be forgotten, a name that will spell life itself: Emmanuel- Jesus: translated ‘God with us- God saves’
In fact both the beginning and the ending of Matthew’s Gospel bookend with the holy promise: God with us/ I am with you to the end of the age.
Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us” even in those times when you are so angry with God that you refuse to meet his eyes. But even when you feel like you can’t look at him, he never looks away from you.He can’t.His name says it all.
(Source unknown)
Isaiah 7:10-16
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18- end
CHRISTMAS EVE 11pm Midnight Mass
Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2: 1-20
CHRISTMAS DAY 8 & 10am Holy Communion
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-12
John 1:1-14
THIS WEEK
Distribution of Christmas parcels
Sunday 21st December Advent 4
8am Holy Communion
10am All Age Worship with coffee afterwards
6 pm Village Carol Service, followed by refreshments
Wednesday 24th Christmas Eve
9am Parish Prayer
4 pm Family Crib Service
11 pm Christmas Midnight Mass
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday 25th Christmas Day
8 am Holy Communion (traditional language)
10 am Christmas Family Communion
4-5.30pm Tea and Cake served in church-especially for anyone who finds themselves on their own.
NEXT WEEK
Revd Gaenor is on leave from Friday 26th Dec-Tuesday13th Jan. Please contact Judith or Barrie if you have an urgent pastoral concern
Sunday 28th December Christmas 1
No 8am Eucharist
10am Service of the Word with coffee afterwards
Weds 31st
9am Parish Prayer
LOOKING AHEAD
Sunday 4th January Epiphany
8am Holy Communion (traditional language)
10am Parish Communion with coffee afterwards
Revd Angela Syer presiding, Judith preaching
Weds 7th
9am Parish Prayer
11am Holy Communion: Revd Joe Edwards presiding
Sunday 11th Baptism of Christ/Epiphany 1
8am Holy Communion (traditional language)
10am Parish Communion with coffee afterwards
Revd Angela Syer presiding and preaching
Sunday 18th
8am Holy Communion
10am We join Marnhull Methodist Church for their Covenant Service- so no 10am service at St Gregs
Sunday 1st February Candlemas
4 pm Christingle Service
OTHER NEWS
- Please see the poem attached which Judith will be using in her sermon at Midnight Mass. Please read and reflect on it beforehand.
- There is a Christmas noticeboard for you to place cards and share your Christmas greetings.
- The PCC have agreed that all gift offerings on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be divided between our current 3 charities: The Vale Pantry, Prison Fellowship and the Bible Society
- A big THANK YOU to our flower team and the Johnson family for decorating the church so beautifully
- And a big THANK YOU to Rachel Cherrington our creative Sacristan since 2022 and her talented daughter Rosie who are moving to Gillingham. We will miss you!
PRAYERS
- Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters worldwide as we join to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ- for God’s joy, light and hope
- Pray for our Christmas worship here at St Greg’s- both corporate and individual- that it may be life changing and life giving
- Pray for all those receiving our Christmas parcels- that they may know God’s limitless love for them
- Please pray for all in or from our parish who are currently ill in body, mind or spirit- for healing and wholeness
CONTACT US
Rector Revd Gaenor Hockey
01258 821605 [email protected]
Licensed Lay Minister Judith Male
07852 780517 [email protected]
Churchwarden Barrie Jenks
01258 821604 [email protected]
Parish Safeguarding Officer Miriam Gaston
01258 821573 [email protected]
Organist Gordon Amery
07817 379006 [email protected]
Singing Group Louise Cousins
ONLINE
Parish: www.stgregorysmarnhull.org.uk
Facebook: ‘stgregschurch’ & ‘musicatstgregs’
Diocese: www.salisbury.anglican.org
Church is open daily: 9am – 4.30pm
Top left an angel by R.S. Thomas
Top left an angel
Hovering. Top right the attendance
Of a star. From both
Bottom corners devils
Look up, relishing
In prospect a divine
Meal. How old at the centre
The children’s face gazing
Into love’s too human
Face, like one prepared
For it to have its way
And continue smiling?
R S Thomas
from Counterpoint 2. Incarnation (1990)
Advent Antiphons
The ‘O Antiphons’ are refrains that are said or sung before and after the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve (17–23 December). They all begin ‘O…’ hence their name and have been used in Christian worship at least since the Middle Ages.
The Antiphons are addressed to God and use Bible passages, both Old and New Testament, that Christians understand to refer to Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah and call on Jesus using a title- Wisdom, Key of David, Morning Star…Each one speaks of a different aspect of Jesus’ identity.
When read in reverse, the first letters of each title (Sapientia, Adonai etc) form an acrostic ERO CRAS which is Latin for ‘I will be [with you] tomorrow’.This hidden message reinforces the promise of Christ’s coming.
This year
We have Midday Prayer held at St Greg’s on Weds 10th and 17th December at 12pm-12.40pm which include these reflections and open to all.
There are also online national resources- including reflections, activities and specially commissioned music of the Antiphons:
https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/exploring-faith/everyday-faith
We encourage you to use these Advent Antiphons resources for reflection and prayer at home during Advent and especially the last days before Christmas:
17 December – O Sapientia
O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence. Read: Isaiah 55:8-9
18 December – O Adonai
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm. Read: Exodus 3.2; 24.12
19 December – O Radix Jesse
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer. Read: Isaiah 11.10; 45.14; 52.15; Romans 15.12
20 December – O Clavis David
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Read: Isaiah 22.22; 42.7
21 December – O Oriens
O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death. Read: Malachi 4.2
22 December – O Rex Gentium
O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay. Read: Isaiah 28.16; Ephesians 2.14
23 December – O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our King and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God. Read: Isaiah 7.14
