Priory News, December 2004

From the Vicar

Hark, the Glad Sound

How much do you look forward to Christmas? There are those who live for Christmas and for whom the rest of the year is just the gap before the next extravaganza (and for whom some hotels now cater the year-round Christmas dinners!), and there are those for whom it is all too much and who would really rather be doing something else.

And how much are you looking forward to meeting Christ at the end of your time? There are those who live for Christ and for whom all this life is a preparation for that final, glorious encounter, and there are those for whom the thought of meeting the perfection of Christ is all too much and they would really rather shove it to the back of their minds and do something else.

Well, Christmas is coming, like it or not, so please try to enjoy this celebration of the amazing truth that God is human in the child of Bethlehem and the man of Calvary, and the encounter with the risen and ascended Christ is coming, too, and this season of Advent is a time to give it some thought, to get it out of it's hiding place at the back of our minds and prepare ourselves. Central to that preparation will be a contemplation of what Jesus has done for us in his life, death and resurrection. The God who has died for us is not one to fear if we approach him in humility and gratitude, if we can say, when we meet, not, "I did it my way," but rather, "Well, I tried to do it your way but I did make a bit of a hash of it and I must apologize for getting it so wrong so often, and for the times when I gave into temptation and did do it my own way."

The coming of Christ is always joyful: look forward to it both now and at the end of your earthly life.

Merry Christmas!

Readings for December

5th December, 2nd Sunday of Advent:

• Morning: Isaiah 11: 1-10; Romans 15: 4-13 (08:00 only); Matthew 3: 1-12

12th December, 3rd Sunday of Advent:

• Morning: Isaiah 35: 1-10; James 5: 7-10; Matthew 11: 2-11
• Evening: Isaiah 5: 8-end; John 5: 31-40

19th December, 4th Sunday of Advent:

• Morning: Isaiah 7: 10-16; Romans 1: 1-7; Matthew 1: 18-end

24/5th December, Christmas:

• Midnight: Isaiah 52: 7-10; Hebrews 1: 1-4; John 1: 1-14
• Morning: Isaiah 62: 6-end (08:00 only); Titus 3: 4-7; Luke 2: (1-7 08:00 only), 8-20

26th December, Stephen, deacon, martyr:

• Morning: 2 Chronicles 24: 20-22; Acts 7: 51-end; Matthew 10: 17-22 (08:00 only)

Services for Christmas

The Eucharist for Christmas will be celebrated on Christmas Night at 23:30 (sung with carols) and on Christmas Day at 08:00 (said in traditional form) and 10:00 (sung, family celebration with carols).

On Sunday 26th December, St Stephen's Day, there will be sung Morning Prayer (2000 Common Worship version) at 10:00, with the Eucharist (said in traditional form) at 08:00 only.

Other Additions and Alterations for December

Baptism will be on the first Sunday in December (5th) rather than the second. The annual Christingle Celebration in aid of The Children's Society will be on 12th December at 15:00.

House Groups

• Bible Study: Fridays at 10am at the Vicarage
• Priory Prayer Group: 4th and 18rd November at 19 Ascendale
• House Group: Every Wednesday, 7.30 pm at 45 Crowson Way Everyone welcome

COOKING WITH MARGARET

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