Ann Cockel and Doreen Deebank.
William Preston and Sheila Sperring.
Helen Vollans (26th).
Gift Aid: If you are a taxpayer, please maximise your giving in the Offertory Plate by using the Gift Aid envelopes provided.
St Mary’s notices can be sent to the Parish Office at info@stmarysmoseley.co.uk, or by phone: 0121 449 2243 (mornings) by 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Voicemail messages can be left at any time. Also see http://www.stmarysmoseley.co.uk.
St Anne’s notices can be sent to Revd Rosemary Donovan at info@st-annes-moseley.org.uk, or by phone: 0121 449 1071 by Thursday. Also see http://www.st-annes-moseley.org.uk.
St Mary’s has a loop system for the hard of hearing, in the centre block of seats. Turn your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
Children are taking part in the services today at both churches. Normal groups recommence in January.
Sunday 18 January at 3:00 p.m. at St Anne’s.
The Youth Group meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at St Mary’s. Meetings recommence in January.
To the tune of ‘The Holly And The Ivy’
Chorus:
The Holly and the Ivy
Are dancing in a ring
Round the berry bright red candles
And the white and shining King.
Verse 1
Oh, one is for God’s people
In every age and day
We are watching for His coming
We believe and we obey
Verse 2
And two is for the prophets,
And for the light they bring,
They are candles in the darkness
All alight for Christ the King.
Verse 3
And three is for John the Baptist;
He calls on us to sing,
‘O prepare the way for Jesus Christ,
He is coming Christ the King.’
Verse 4
And four for Mother Mary,
‘I cannot see the way,
But you promise me a baby,
I believe you, I obey.’
Verse 5
And Christ is in the Centre,
For this is His birthday,
With the shining lights of Christmas
Singing, ‘He has come today.’
Volunteers now needed for transport and other help on the day so please sign up on the lists at the back of both churches.
Members of the Ministry Team will be taking leave after Christmas Day. There will be a duty member of the team available between 26 December and 3 January. Ring 449 2243 (Benefice Office Answerphone) which will provide the contact details.
Thank you for everyone who helped decorate, take part and prepare for this event. It has been greatly appreciated by many people in church and community.
Please pick up a Christmas Letter with details of all services, events and news for Christmas, New Year and beyond.
During Christmas there will be a prayer tree in the Lady Chapel. All are invited to use the cards to write a prayer and put it on the tree.
At their recent meetings, both PCCs agreed a different pattern of worship for Sunday evenings during January and February. In an attempt to conserve energy and resources during these cold dark months there will be joint evening worship at 6:30 p.m. at St Mary’s. Evening services will resume at St Anne’s in March.
To inspire you and your Church to serve and bless the Asian Communities. Five training sessions are for all wanting to better understand and share Christ’s love with South Asians in their locality. All welcome. No charge (but donations welcome after each session). Springfield Centre, St Christopher’s Church. Wednesdays starting 14 January at 7:30 p.m. See notice board for further details of the five sessions.
| Service | First Reading | Second Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Readings For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | ||
| Either | Isaiah 9:2-7 | Luke 2:1-14 |
| or | Isaiah 52:7-10 | John 1:1-14 |
| Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry |
|
| 10:00 a.m. | Sung Eucharist with children’s group presentation Celebrants: Revd Jeremy Dussek & Revd Peter Hansell |
|
| 10:15 a.m. | Crib Service Officiants: Revd Rosemary Donovan, Cathie Carey and young people from M*A*S*S |
|
| 6:30 p.m. | Festival of Light and Carols for Christmas Officiant: Revd Peter Hansell |
Festival of Light and Carols for Christmas Officiants: Revd Jeremy Dussek & Revd Rosemary Donovan |
| Day | Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue-23-Dec | 9:00 a.m. | Holy Communion Church open until 11:00 a.m. for viewing |
|
| 11:00 a.m. | Carols at Alexander Court | ||
| 8:00 p.m. | Cider and Carols at The Fighting Cocks | ||
| Wed-24-Dec Christmas Eve |
5:00 p.m. | Christingle Service | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Sung Eucharist | Sung Eucharist | |
| Thu-25-Dec Christmas Day |
8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Sung Eucharist | ||
| 10:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist | ||
| Tue-30-Dec | No Holy Communion | ||
| Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 a.m. | Sung Eucharist | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Prayers for the New Year | |
| Sunday 4 January 2009, 2nd Sunday of Christmas | ||
| 8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Community Worship for Epiphany | |
| 10:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist | |
| 11:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Festival of Lessons and Carols for Epiphany | |
See also: Calendar of Future Events and Advent Calendar
| Date | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sun-21-Dec | 10:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. | Christmas Nativity, Crib and Carol Services The Sunday before Christmas gives us a chance to enjoy worship in our decorated churches for the season. At St Mary’s at 10:00 a.m. and St Anne’s at 10:15 a.m. there are the Children’s Play (as part of the main service) and Crib Service respectively. Later in the evening at 6:30 p.m. there are more traditional Carol Services with readings. Mulled wine and mince pies are served at St Anne’s afterwards. |
| Tue-23-Dec | 8:00 p.m. | Carol Singing at the Fighting Cocks Christmas is a time for everyone and Emily at the Fighting Cocks has invited us to sing carols this year — do come along and continue the celebrations amongst the community which begin at 8:00 p.m. |
| Wed-24-Dec | 9:00 a.m. | Preparations for Christmas Day Together at the Parish Hall Park Hill |
| 10:00 a.m. | Making Christingles in the Piggott Room at St Mary’s | |
| Wed-24-Dec | 5:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. | Christingle and Midnight Mass Once more the ever popular service of Christingle takes place at 5:00 p.m. at St Mary’s. It’s always very popular so please arrive early and by 4:50 p.m. at the latest. As with last year there will be a collection taken before the service to help people use the gift aid envelopes. Midnight Mass begins at both churches at 11:30 p.m. It will be a little darker than normal at St Mary’s, so if you find it hard to see with dimmed lights, please bring a torch. |
| Thu-25-Dec | 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. | Christmas Day Together at St Anne’s. Thanks in advance to the many people who have agreed to volunteer and all those who have generously donated money or gifts to make Christmas possible for those who would otherwise be alone. If you know of anyone who may be alone and would like to come please contact Janet Thome on 449 2243. |
| Sun-28-Dec | 10:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. | Sunday after Christmas Services Please note that there is no 8:00 a.m. service and that the services in the Benefice are the Sung Eucharist at St Mary’s at 10:00 a.m. and Prayers for New Year at St Anne’s at 6:30 p.m. |
| 1st Sunday of January and February | There will be the traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols for Epiphany and Candlemas respectively (as last year). | |
| 2nd and 3rd Sundays | There will be normal Evensong. | |
| 4th Sunday | There will be a Taizé Service in January and a Celtic Service in February. | |
| Sat-10-Jan & Sun-11-Jan | The choirs at St Mary’s and St Anne’s will be taking part in BBC Songs of Praise recordings from the beautifully restored Town Hall. This includes Handel’s Messiah for the Easter programme and favourite hymns for Pentecost. The service on Sunday 11th, therefore, will be a simple Evensong without the choir but with a homily and hymns. | |
| Tue-13-Jan | 8:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m. | Start ! - Enquirers Course at St Mary’s At St Mary’s we’re beginning Start! which is a six session course designed to help people discover the basics of the Christian faith. Each session involves watching a couple of short DVD programmes, followed by time to talk, listen and ask questions. These begins with What does life mean for you?, What are you looking for?, What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ and what difference can that make for you? If you’d like to come or know someone who’s interested or wanting to explore the Christian Faith, then please let us know by Tuesday 6 January. After the course in February we will begin preparing groups for those considering confirmation later in the year — again, please let us know whether you’d be interested in that. |
| Sun-18-Jan | 10:15 a.m. | Churches Together Service at St Anne’s Once a year, Churches Together in Moseley has a joint service which helps us to remember that despite our different traditions and denominations we are one body in Christ. This year the service is at St Anne’s Church at 10:15 a.m. THERE WILL BE NO SERVICE AT ST MARY’S AT 10:00 a.m. |
| Sun-18-Jan | 2:00 p.m. | Children’s Christmas Party Thanks to all our Children’s Groups’ helpers who have been working so hard for our Christmas Plays and their work over the last term. The Children’s Christmas Party this year is on Sunday 18 January in the Parish Hall at St Anne’s. Please do sign up on the noticeboards if you would like your children to come. It’s only fair that this is done in advance to help the organisers know how to prepare. |
| 14-22 Feb | Love Fest: I am looking for wedding dresses of the last century, one for each decade, especially old ones. Has any one got their’s in a cupboard and wouldn’t mind it being displayed? I will also need dress makers’ dummies to display them. Please see Rosemary: 449 1071. |
This week’s gospel reading — that an amazing event — that God chose that particular century, an insignificant little town in a small country, and a young girl living in humble circumstances. From the customs of the time we know that Mary was probably in her mid teens, betrothed to Joseph, and betrothals lasted a year and were binding, like marriage. What is wonderful is Mary’s acceptance of the angels message. Unsurprisingly her first reaction is puzzlement, “How can this be?” Then the complete acceptance! We don’t know how fully she understood the angel, but she accepts his words and offers herself to God, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Not, “I’m not good enough”, or “I’m too young”, or “Joseph wouldn’t like it!”
Of course we cannot compare Mary’s call to the everyday calls made on us, but it does make us think. Can we compare our attitudes, our acceptance or non-acceptance. Our local U3A is looking for new committee members after several long standing officials have had to stand down. The rank and file are not willing to accept positions of responsibility. A similar story with other institutions like WI, and youth organizations. How fortunate we are that our church wardens and other officers accept the call, and give wonderful service. Maybe, not called by angels, but certainly their acceptance is answering a call to God’s service.
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Collect For Christmas Day:
Eternal God who made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of your one true light: bring us, who have known the revelation of that light on earth, to see the radiance of your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.