Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, January 03, 2010

The Second Sunday of Christmas

Divine Office

The Office for Christmas is used until Wednesday, then the office for Epiphany is used.
Morning Prayer is said 9.00 am Monday-Friday

Order of service for Morning and Evening Prayer.

Services and Events

Opening Prayer

Almighty God,
in the birth of your Son
you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,
and shown us the fullness of your love:
help us to walk in his light and dwell in his love
that we may know the fullness of his joy;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

First Reading

Jeremiah 31.7-14
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.

7 Thus says the LORD:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Save, O LORD, your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labour, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
9 With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away; say,
‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’
11 For the LORD has ransomed Jacob,
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
and they shall never languish again.
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 147.13-21
R The Word became flesh and lived among us.

13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion;
14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you. R
15 He has established peace on your borders;
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16 He sends out his command to the earth,
and his word runs very swiftly. R
17 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs;
who can stand against his cold?
19 He sends forth his word and melts them;
he blows with his wind and the waters flow. R
20 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his judgements to Israel.
21 He has not done so to any other nation;
to them he has not revealed his judgements. R

Second Reading

Ephesians 1.3-14
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world
to be holy and blameless before him in love.
5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace
that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace
8 that he lavished on us.
With all wisdom and insight
9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,
10 as a plan for the fullness of time,
to gather up all things in Christ,
things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,
having been destined according to the purpose of him
who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,
12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ,
might live for the praise of his glory.
13 In him you also,
when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and had believed in him,
were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;
14 this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption
as God’s own people,
to the praise of his glory.

Acclamation

Alleluia! The light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light, but those who do what is true come to the light. Alleluia!

Gospel

John 1.10-18
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

9 The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world,
and the world came into being through him;
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to what was his own,
and his own people did not accept him.
12 But to all who received him,
who believed in his name,
he gave power to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood
or of the will of the flesh
or of the will of man,
but of God.
14 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.
15 (John testified to him and cried out,
‘This was he of whom I said,
“He who comes after me ranks ahead of me
because he was before me.”’)
16 From his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace.
17 The law indeed was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God.
It is God the only Son,
who is close to the Father’s heart,
who has made him known.

Closing Prayer

All praise to you,
almighty God and heavenly King,
who sent your Son into the world
to take our nature upon him
and to be born of a pure virgin:
grant that, as we are born again in him,
so he may continually dwell in us
and reign on earth as he reigns in heaven,
now and for ever.

Your Prayers are asked for

Those in particular need of healing: Stanley, Netty, Sister Mary Jean SSC, Beth, Win, Yvonne, James, Phyllis, John, Sheena, Paul, Shelia, ** Sam,Gladys, Reg, Maria, John, Leslie, Michael, Nigel, Daniel, Dominique.

Recently Departed: Rita Reed.

Anniversary of Death: Albert Woodhams, Richard Ratcliff (Priest), Frances Smith, Sidney Sharp (Priest), Rose Hunt, Joan Wells.

Notices and Future Dates

Christmas Thanks – huge thanks to everyone who has made our Christmas Sooooo special this year, the services were wonderful thanks to our Choir and Servers, the church looked fabulous thanks our Flower Girls and those who decorated the trees and arranged the crib, and delivered parish Christmas cards.

Organ update – Manders Organ Builders have sent drawings of their proposals for our new organ. These can be seen on the board at the back of Church.

E-mail list for St George’s - We are compiling an e-mailing list of Church members. This will enable the sending out of notices and other information that may be too lengthy, or too late, to include on the weekly bulletin. In addition a copy of the bulletin will be sent to all on the list for those unable to attend the Sunday service. The list will be also available for use by church groups and individuals to publish notices and items of interest. Addresses will be shown ‘blind’ to prevent access by spammers and the list will not be passed to others. Would you reply to Ken if you wish your name to be on the list. Items to be included should be submitted to Fr Stuart. A copy of each notice, other than the bulletin, will be displayed on the notice board for those not on the Internet

Note for your Diaries - The Flower Girls will be holding a Coffee Morning in aid of Flower Funds on Saturday 23rd January between 10 and 12. We also hope to have a raffle and a Bric a Brac stall so please remember us if you have any unwanted gifts to donate.

New Cleaner – after 3 yrs, Rosie has decided to stop being our Church and Centre cleaner, thanks to Rosie for all the hard work she has put in to keep our church looking so neat and tidy. However, this does mean that we need a new cleaner ASAP. If you are interested please talk to Fr Stuart or a Warden.

Children & Communion – On Wednesday 13 th Jan the PCC will decide whether or not we as a parish should allow children to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, after a teaching course, before confirmation. If you have any strong feelings on this issue please talk, or write to Fr Stuart before that date so your thoughts can be included in the discussion at that meeting of the PCC.

Walsingham 2010 – following the huge success of our first pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, we are booked in for a repeat pilgrimage from Friday 9 th – Sunday 11 th April. Please let us know in the New Year if you would like to take part in this pilgrimage.

Epiphany Mass - Solemn High Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany, Wednesday 6 th Jan 7.30pm.

Ladies Group - The ladies Group will have their first meeting of the New Year on Friday 15th Jan. (This enables the group who normally meet on the first Friday which this year falls on New Years day, to have a meeting on the 8th.)

We will comence with an evening of painting, to show us that even if we think we have no talent we can probably produce a picture to be proud of. We will see Paul demonstrate the Bob Ross method of painting and anyone interested is welcome to come and join us on this evening which may be of interest to both men and women .

J –Team- those of the leaders who’s email addresses we have, have been sent a copy of the next rota. Others please pick up a new rota from the back of church. J-Team starts again next week!

Social Team- if you would like to help enable the social life of our community and volunteer to be on the Social Team, please talk with Sheila Price.

Visiting Preachers in 2010 – March 25 th Feast of the Annunciation, Preacher - The Very Reverend Dr Jeffery John, Dean of St Albans

April 23 rd Feast of George Martyr and Patron of England, Preacher – The Right Reverend Dr Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.