Ann Cockel and Doreen Deebank
William Preston and Sheila Sperring
Jenny Livermore (30th), Eddie White (31st), Dawn O’Mahoney and Edwin Kaye (2nd), Sophie Shakeshaft and Steve Maddox (3rd), Camilla Macliver (5th), John Dowell, Kevin Parry and Arden Rowley (6th), John Pritchard (7th), Harry Rawlings (9th).
With apologies to those whose birthdays fell during last week as there was no leaflet produced. We hope that they had a Happy Birthday.
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.
Benefice Children’s Party: Sunday 18 January: 3:00 p.m. at St Anne’s
Children aged 3-11 meet on the 2nd 3rd and 4th Sundays during the 10:00 a.m. service. They continue worship in their groups and meet their leaders at the back of the church after the collect for the day. All children are welcome. There is a crèche facility at all 10:00 a.m. services.
Children meet on the 1st 3rd and 4th Sundays during the 10.15am service. They leave with their leaders after the first hymn. All children are welcome.
The Youth Group meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Piggott Room at St Mary’s.
Thanks to all who contributed in any way to this event which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Volunteers are too numerous to mention but without them the event could not have taken place. Thank you all!
Please check your pigeon hole for a copy of the 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 6:30pm 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.
Discovery Christianity in six small-group sessions
Where? Rose Cottage, St Mary’s Church, 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
When? 13, 20 and 27 January, 3, 10 and 17 February.
This course is free. Please contact Jeremy or Rosemary for further details. Pick up a flyer and give it to someone else.
| Service | First Reading | Second Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Isaiah 60:1-6 | Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 |
| Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry |
|
| 10:00 a.m. | Community Worship Officiant: Revd Peter Hansell Printed Order of Service |
|
| 10:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry Hymns: 394,41,71,537,317 |
|
| 11:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Peter Hansell |
|
| 6:30 p.m. | Festival of Light and Carols for Epiphany Officiants: Revd Frank Berry Printed Order of Service |
| Day | Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-5-Jan | 9:00 a.m. | Morning Prayer | |
| Tue-6-Jan | 9:00 a.m. | Holy Communion | |
| Wed-7-Jan | 9:00 a.m. | Morning Prayer | |
| Thu-8-Jan | 9:00 a.m. | Morning Prayer | |
| Fri-9-Jan | 9:00 a.m. | Morning Prayer |
| Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Sung Eucharist with Holy Baptism | |
| 10:15 a.m. | Community Worship | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Said Evensong | No Evening Services during January and February |
See also: Calendar of Future Events and Advent Calendar
| Date | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon-12-Jan | 7:30 p.m. | Children’s Sub committee |
| Tue-13-Jan | 8:00 p.m. | First session of Start! |
| Wed-14-Jan | 7:30 p.m. | Youth Group recommences. |
| 7:30 p.m. | Asian Awareness session at Springfield Centre | |
| Sun-18-Jan | 3:00 p.m. | Benefice Children’s Party. This will take place on at St Anne’s. Please sign the lists today at the back of the churches if you wish your child to attend. |
| Tue-20-Jan | 8:00 p.m. | Benefice Prayer Circle, Recommencing for 2009 in the Piggott Room at St Mary’s. Hansa Shah and Elizabeth Way will lead a meditation on the subject of asylum seekers and refugees. Do they get a welcome? Please note starting time for this session. |
| 14-22-Feb | Love Fest Rosemary is looking for wedding dresses of the last century, one for each decade, especially old ones pre 1960. Has anyone got one in a cupboard and wouldn’t mind it being displayed? Also needed, dress makers’ dummies to display them. Please check your lofts! Please contact Rosemary on 449 1071. |
A few weeks ago a friend from another Faith asked me, “Are you suspicious?” When I hesitated, she added, “It’s about the decorations, when you put them up and when you must take them down, it’s difficult.” I quickly understood and said that I put mine up as near to Christmas as possible, but added that I do take the cards and tree down at Twelfth Night. Has Epiphany just become the time to take down our decorations?
I recall the moving sight of the Epiphany procession in Grenada, which I saw some years ago, with the Kings riding on camels, also the cakes with the marzipan and crowns which fill the French patisserie windows at this season, and my favourite carol of them all, The Kings by Cornelius with its haunting chorale in the background. The Gospel story, only recorded in Matthew, is by contrast in simple language and mentions the fear and suspicion felt by Herod, which lead to his treachery and brutality.
We must also consider the gifts of the Kings which are such a feature of primary School and church nativity plays. Gervase Phinn, in A Wayne in a manger tells of the third King in one school play, who knelt at the manger saying, “I am the King of the East and Frank sent me.” Our gifts to Jesus can perhaps mirror those of the Wise men. Gold can represent our stewardship, both of money and of time. Incense represents our prayer life and devotions. Another carol says ,“what can I give him, give my heart.” For us, myrrh represents not only our present life, but that which is to come.
In the Journey of the Magi, T.S.Eliot is realistic about their travelling:
A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
… were we led all that way for
Birth or Death?
… this birth was
hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
Eliot describes the experiences as changing for the lives of the Magi, an extension of their understanding of the great events they witnessed. Do they change us too?
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at least behold your glory face to face; 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 forever.