Joyce Stew, Ann and Chris Andrew
Fred Pace, Thelma Allen, Sam Nwaehukwu, Len Booth and Megan Webster
Raife Connolly Maddox (1st) Mike Stocks (2nd) Chloe Everett (4th) Howard Vollans, Jacob Rowley (6th) Hannah Glover, Rosemary Donovan (7th)
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 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 10:15 a.m. 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.
The Lady Chapel at St Mary’s for all to use and is situated at the top of the South Aisle. There is a place to light candles for anyone and leave prayer requests. Prayers at St Anne’s can be left on the north aisle altar Candles can be lit especially today for those who we pray for during this week of action for poverty and homelessness.
Chris and Ann Andrew would like to thank everyone in the benefice who has kindly sustained them through prayer, and with cards and messages which have been greatly appreciated. Ann is now convalescing at home.
Please note opening times for the office during this week.. This will be on;- Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays only at the following times:
Monday: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Please contact the churchwardens or a key holder if you wish to have access to St Mary’s at any other time. Further details of future opening times will be given next week.
The electoral rolls need to be revised before the next APCM on Sunday 1 March. For all enquiries concerning this please see the electoral roll officers. At St Anne’s contact Jayne Beauchamp and at St Mary’s contact Jenny Livermore.
The latest charity to receive stamps is the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre. Thank you to all who are still contributing stamps to the box which is kept at the back of church.
Please submit them as soon as possible for inclusion in this year’s joint report.
| Service | First Reading | Second Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Deuteronomy 18:15-20 | Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 |
| Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Holy Communion Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry |
|
| 10:00 a.m. | Community Worship Officiants: Revd Rosemary Donovan and members of the youth group |
|
| 10:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist Celebrant: Revd Jeremy Dussek Preacher: Revd Peter Hansell Hymns: 77,82,434,53,142 |
|
| 11:15 a.m. | Sung Eucharist Celebrant & Preacher: Revd Frank Berry |
|
| 6:30 p.m. | Festival of Light and Carols for Candlemas Officiant: Revd Jeremy Dussek Printed order of Service Please come for this candlelit service where we will be seeking the meaning of God’s Vision for us |
| Day | Time | St Mary’s | St Anne’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon-2-Feb | 9:00 a.m. | No Morning Prayer | |
| Tue-3-Feb | 9:00 a.m. | Holy Communion | |
| Wed-4-Feb | 9:00 a.m. | Morning Prayer | |
| Thu-5-Feb | 9:00 a.m. | No Morning Prayer | |
| 4:00 p.m. | M*A*S*S | ||
| Fri-6-Feb | 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 | |
| 10:15 a.m. | Community Worship | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Evensong | No Evening Services at St Anne’s during January and February |
See also: Calendar of Future Events
| Date | Time | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — 15-Feb | Asylum Seekers A collection of food is being made for destitute asylum seekers. Please can you donate gifts of nonperishable food .There will be boxes at the back of both churches with a list of suggested suitable items during this period. | |
| Tue-3-Feb | 7:30 p.m. | St Mary’s pastoral team meeting at 12, Woodrough Drive |
| 8:00 p.m. | Start ! in Rose Cottage | |
| Wed-4-Feb | 7:30 p.m. | Youth Group at Rose Cottage |
| 14 — 22-Feb | Love Fest at St Anne’s Flower festival, art exhibition and displays of wedding dresses throughout the decades. Rosemary urgently needs dress makers dummies! Please can everyone ask their friends and teachers ask at their schools!. Please contact her if you have one. The festival includes: Sun-15-Feb A service of Renewal of vows Wed-18-Feb Children’s workshop Sat-21-Feb Love Fest Party Nite including pancakes, music and battle of the sexes quiz! Quiz teams of 4-6. £10 for charity. Invite friends and families to see displays and other events too. Put the dates in your diaries now. In order to have the church open as much as possible we will need two stewards per session. Please sign up on the list at the back of both churches. |
Candlemas is a special celebration in the Christian year forty days after Jesus’s birth, marking the time when Jesus was dedicated to God in the Temple according to Jewish law (Luke 2:22-39). Mary dedicated baby Jesus to God, and Simeon proclaimed Jesus as the light to the nations of the world, the words sung weekly in the Nunc Dimittis at Evensong. The Church for many centuries has celebrated this day by the lighting of candles, hence the name candlemas. This day is a liturgical transition between the joys of Christmas and the coming pains of Lent and the Cross, of which today we get our first glimpses. In the same way Simeon rejoices and praises God at seeing and holding the Christ-child (v28), but adds prophetic words about Jesus’s suffering where a sword would pierce Mary’s own soul too (v35). Candlemas is therefore a time which celebrates transitory periods of our lives.
Today God has given us an opportunity to reflect upon the past, and look in hope to the future. We might want to give thanks to God for all the good experiences of the past, lay to rest painfully recurring situations, or perhaps try to rebuild, heal or move on from broken relationships. Then, we might, with God, want to glimpse into our future, ask God who he wants us to be, how he wants us to change and develop, and pray that he will strengthen us to walk the path with him as we prepare ourselves for the journey ahead that God has in store for us all.
God our creator, who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness: we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief, shine into the hearts of all your people and reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of 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