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| WELCOME This Sunday reaches that point in Advent, where we begin to get excited about Christmas! It is Gaudete Sunday when we light the ‘rose’ candle and wear rose robes. The atmosphere is lightening, the coming of Christ is getting nearer! The tree is up in our house and the lights are twinkling outside the front door and the chocolates in the Advent pockets seem to be disappearing rather too quickly. We are preparing the way for the Lord! This year we are preparing in many different ways and one way we can prepare is by saying the Great ‘O’s, The Advent Antiphons. These are traditionally said or sung at evening prayer on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve, 17th-23rd,. Each Antiphon addresses a title of Christ – root, key, light, king, etc and all begin with ‘O’. These Great ‘O’ Advent Antiphons are a Latin prayer calling on Christ to come to us. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus. So go out with joy this Gaudete Sunday – Christ is coming soon! Our sermon today comes from our dear friend in Christ, Revd Louise. |
| Welcome in the name of Christ. God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you. And also with you. Lord, we praise you as our God and King. Open our hearts and minds to recognise and serve you among those who need our love and care. Amen. |
| COLLECT God for whom we watch and wait, you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son: give us courage to speak the truth, to hunger for justice, and to suffer for the cause of right, with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| READINGS – RECORDING Please click the blue button below to listen to the Old and New Testament readings |
| READINGS Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-end 1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 8 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 126 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then were we like those who dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with songs of joy. 3 Then said they among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ 4 The Lord has indeed done great things for us, and therefore we rejoiced. 5 Restore again our fortunes, O Lord, as the river beds of the desert. 6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy. 7 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed, will come back with shouts of joy, bearing their sheaves with them. 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. |
| GOSPEL READING – RECORDING Please click the blue button below to listen to the Gospel Reading |
| GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, O Lord. John 1.6-8, 19-28 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ 21 And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ 22 Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ 23 He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord” ’, as the prophet Isaiah said. 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ 26 John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. |
| REFLECTION – RECORDING Please click the blue button below to listen to the reflection |
| REVD LOUISE REFLECTION – TEXT Sermon third Sunday in Advent for Clewer St. Andrews Isaiah 61:1-4;8-11; John 1:6-8;19-28. As we draw nearer to Christmas I find myself in a dilemma over two important issues. One is what card do I choose for the people I am remembering this year? And secondly what message do I put inside the card? Of course many of you will have already sent your cards, but me, I like to get nearer to the end of advent!! For me card sending has to be a meaningful experience so that those receiving a card know I truly have thought about them and not just gone alphabetically down my address book. We all have our own system, but the choice and the message of advent and Christmas has always been important to God, he didn’t send cards, he sent prophets and gave each of them a message for the people of their day. Isaiah spoke bold words in his day to revealing to his people that the misery they were in, though it was real and difficult was in fact only temporary. The prophet declares that the distress of God’s people will soon pass. He announces that a change awaits because the anointed one is coming. He proclaims the year of the Lord’s favour for the land and the people.. instead of ashes, the oil of joy and instead of mourning, a garment of praise. But the message that Isaiah had to proclaim was even more specific to individuals..the poor were to have good news; the broken hearted were to be supported; the mourners comforted; the captives freed; John was also God’s prophet whose message was to prepare a path way for the Lord, to witness to the light that God would bring, a light he himself had already experienced otherwise how could he have testified? Specifically John was to speak to those in the wilderness. The wilderness being both a physical place near the Jordan river, where people were coming to listen and where John baptised, but also the wilderness is where people with no hope feel they are. Both Isaiah and John were called, chosen by God and they had a choice as to whether to listen to Him and obey, or walk away and do their own thing. But God ‘s world still has its prophets and still needs the message to be spoken and those prophets are you and me. The question is are we listening to God and what message he is asking us to give or are we in fact walking away and doing our own thing? As in Isaiah’s day, and John’s day there is today no less sadness, despair and people lacking hope around us. This year still being in the midst of Covid, even with hope on the horizon in the coming of the vaccines, we are asked to limit our Christmas celebrations with our families and in the church and community. Many face Christmas having experienced the death of loved ones, the break down of relationships, the loss of jobs and income, with the fear of what still may be around as a result of this pandemic. Even so the message of advent and Christmas is just as real, Jesus the light of the world will come into our world and our lives as He did that first Christmas and as he will do when he returns again. So it is still vitally important that we who can testify to this light share the message, not just in our Christmas cards but in our words and actions. Not just leaving the message to be proclaimed inside the church for those who choose to go, but being bold and being outside this year amongst your neighbours where it is safer covid wise , has not God shown us how to be different this covid year. Theresa of Avila wrote around 1550AD ‘Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on Clewer yours are the feet with which he walks to do good in Clewer yours are the hands through which he blesses Clewer (and I add, yours is the voice which shares the message of God in Clewer.) So I ask, because God asks, are you up for the message of God speaking freshly to you this year and then are you prepared to openly tell it to others? |
| TIME OF PRAYER – TREVOR MORGAN Lord God, you promised Zechariah a son filled with the spirit and power of Elijah, who would prepare the way of the Lord, we pray for reconciliation between all peoples. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. We give thanks for Elizabeth and Mary who believed God’s message and trusted him to bring his promises to fruition. Increase, we pray, our trust in the promises of our heavenly Father. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer Heavenly Father, when John was born, Zechariah’s tongue was loosened and he used the power of speech to proclaim that his son would become the prophet of the most high. We pray for all who preach the Good News that it may take root in many hearts at this time. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer John proclaimed the Lord Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As John’s disciples followed Jesus, help us also to follow him and by our words and witness, may we bring others closer to you. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer Lord God, you sent John the Baptist to be a witness to the light, to be the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord, comfort, we pray, your people and bring healing to the sick and needy, to the broken hearted and the oppressed, to those who are lonely and friendless and to prisoners and captives. Especially we commend to your Fatherly love and protection: Blake, Sam, Reuben, Margaret, David, Don, Karl, Hugh, Sarah, Elsie, Lesley, Joanna, Pam, Andy, Holly, Hugo, Frank, Oliver, Bill, Joan, Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer Heavenly Father, your servant John was tireless in his witness and service and suffered imprisonment and death in your service. We remember all who have died in recent days and commend their loved ones to your care and consolation. Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen |
| PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts; kindle in us the fire of your Spirit that when your Christ comes again we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns now and for ever. Amen |
| BLESSING Our Lord says, I am coming soon. Amen, Come Lord Jesus. May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen May God himself, the God of peace, make you perfect and holy; And keep you all safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessing of God almighty, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you always. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord In the name of Christ Amen. |
| SUNDAY COFFEE ZOOM AT 11.45am After you have attended church, or watched or listened to this Sunday’s online service of your choice, we invite you to join us for a chat over coffee via Zoom at 11.45 for about half an hour. We will resend the meeting details later. SUNDAY EVENING PRAYER AT 5pm BCP evening prayer will continue this Sunday at 5pm via a Zoom link. We will send out the order of service later. EP Readings Psalm 68.1-19 Malachi 3.1-4; 4 Philippians 4.4-7 EVENING PRAYER DURING THE WEEK We are continuing to hold Evening Prayer meetings every Tuesday and Thursday at 1700 (5.00pm) via Zoom. From Thursday this week we will be holding Evening Prayer every day, from the 17th to the 23rd December. This will include Advent Antiphons and Sonnets. The liturgy is Common Worship in contemporary language. The best way to follow along is using the Church of England’s Daily Prayer App. It can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. We will resend the meeting details later. WORSHIP FROM DECEMBER We are now able to worship in Church: Sundays, Eucharist at 10:30 Wednesdays, Holy Communion at 10:00 Wednesdays, private prayer from 10.30-12.00. |
| OXFORD DIOCESE CHURCH AT HOME https://www.oxford.anglican.org/coronavirus-covid-19/livestream 13 December 2020 10am The third Sunday of Advent is the week we hear of John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming of Christ, and our reading from Isaiah reflects the promise that the Messiah will bring the ‘oil of gladness’ and so then prophet exults us to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ It may have seemed as strange to those hearing John’s words along the banks of the Jordan in the first century as it seems to us now to rejoice in midst of a turbulent time, marked with such grief. But we rejoice precisely because it is into a troubled and broken world that God chose to come and comfort his people; not only with words and promises, but with his very presence walking among them. The Revd Serena Tajima from St Mary’s, Banbury, presides, with the Revd David Tyler, associate Archdeacon of Dorchester, preaching. Watch on Church online at 10am Download the order of service Other ways to participate Watch on YouTube Listen online To dial in to the service by telephone, dial 01865 920930 and, once connected, dial 0 for the full version of the service, or dial 1 a short version of the service. Standard call rates apply. There will be a few seconds of silence before the service starts. As ever, the order of service, together with links to view, listen or dial in to this service will be published on this page shortly. Live-streamed and ‘as live’ worship is available for everyone across the Diocese of Oxford, these services complement the prayers, meditations and worship offered bylocal churches. Our principal Diocesan services take place at 10 am each Sunday. https://www.oxford.anglican.org/coronavirus-covid-19/livestream Reflections for a Church in Lockdown Episodes are available to listen to now, or download it wherever you get your podcasts (search ‘My extraordinary family’) https://blogs.oxford.anglican.org/podcast |
| PLEASE PRAY FOR The suffering: Blake, Sam, Reuben, Margaret, David, Don, Karl, Hugh, Sarah, Elsie, Lesley, Joanna, Pam, Andy, Holly, Hugo, Frank, Oliver, Bill, Joan, Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The departed: those recently departed this life and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Community prayers: Clewer Green School, the head teacher Martin Tinsley and all the pupils, staff and governors. For all our Care Homes, for the safety of residents and staff. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live or work in Byron Court, Mayfield Close, Kimber Close, Harrington Close, Sherbourne Drive, Woodland Avenue, and Illingworth. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Pray for the Falkland Islands (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury). Please pray also for the Churches in Sodor & Man (England), El Camino Real (The Episcopal Church), Sokoto (Nigeria), El Salvador (Central America), South Ankole (Uganda), Eldoret (Kenya), South Dakota (The Episcopal Church), El-Obeid (Sudan), South Kerala (South India), Ely (England), Embu (Kenya), South Rwenzori (Uganda), Enugu (Nigeria), and Enugu North (Nigeria). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. |
| NOTICES Advance notice There will be no Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve this year. Advent Zoom We come together each Wednesday, via Zoom at 8pm, to have a chat and discussion about our favourite carols, biblical personalities, and books, and generally to see how we are all preparing for Christmas. We hope you will be able to join us. Also there is a said service of Compline/night prayer following at 9pm. You can join for both or either. Churches Together in Windsor Virtual Advent Calendar This year we are having to find new and creative ways of sharing the story of the first Christmas. Our annual visit to the Christmas story may look different but the story and the meaning is the same, a story of darkness and light, a story of hope and love. This year you are invited to join us virtually though our Advent Calendar put together by our Churches Together in Windsor community. We hope and pray that this will encourage and help you prepare for an amazing Christmas! You can find it via our email subscribers list, St Andrews website, our St Andrews facebook page and the new CTW Advent Calendar facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1629545480566400 Church Outside Carol Services There will be a few opportunities to sing carols together outside this year, mainly in the roads where this year’s funeral families live, as a way of reflecting on their first Christmas without their loved one. The Windsor Military Wives Choir will be helping us take the message of Christmas out on 14th at 6pm – Gordon Rd / Nelson Rd, 15th at 6pm on Covent Rd then along to St John’s Rd at 6.30pm. We will also be lighting up the Christmas tree in the Pirate Park on 16th at 4pm with Lodge Bros and Co Op FDs. And finally, we are hoping to sing outside The Swan on 20th at 6pm. Nine Lessons and Carols will be pre recorded this year and sent out via subscribers email and social media. The children from Clewer Green School will be our readers and Robert’s choir will provide the carols. Normal Sunday services on 20th at 10.30am Christmas Day at 10.30am -please let us know if you intend on joining us so that we can ensure there is room in the church/ Inn – no pun intended! Sunday evening prayer will continue on Zoom. There will be no Sunday service on the 27th Dec – please use online services. Evening Prayer with the Advent Antiphons and sonnets. As a way of preparing for the coming of Christ , we will be saying EP each evening for the 9 days leading to Christmas, via Zoom at 5pm from 17th to the 23rd December. Parish Mailing List If you know of anyone who would like to receive the Pews News by email, please ask them to email office@clewerparish.org to be added to the list. We currently have 91 subscribers. If you know anyone without internet access who would like to receive a printed copy of the Pews News, please send their name and address to office@clewerparish.org |
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| CHRISTMAS LIGHTS – WANTED Outdoor lights for the churchyard. If you have any that you are not using or would like to donate some new ones, please leave them with Revd Rosie at the Rectory. Our aim this year to make Christmas even more meaningful and memorable, so we’d like to light up the churchyard for everyone to walk through and enjoy. CHRISTMAS EVE – VISIT THE STABLE – 3-5pm As we won’t be having a Crib service in church this year, we will be opening the porch and turning it into the stable. King Brothers Builders have kindly gifted us a life size 12 piece nativity set. Please wrap up warm, stick to the pandemic rules, walk through the lights, have a hot chocolate with marshmallows, collect your Christingle in a bag and leave a present for The Annex Project. Their wish list is posted here and on their website https://theannexproject.com This is a wonderful charity that supports children who have suffered from trauma, bereavement, attachment issues and more. Their work with children is even more important now as the mental health issues in children is increasing considerably. The list contains items that can go straight into therapy rooms and others that could be put into packs and sent to children who are shielding or isolating and therefore will continue sessions virtually. It’s really helpful to send packs to children and for the therapist to have the same pack when they call as they can of course play together during the sessions. PLAY THERAPY WISH LIST Play dough Air drying clay Foam clay Paper/card Foam stickers/shapes Glue sticks Felt tip pens Crayons Colouring pencils Paint pens A5 note books Therapeutic/mindfulness colouring books Kinetic sand Games Jenga Uno Playing cards Trump cards Guess Who game Story dice Symbols and Small world play Rescue vehicles Rescue/key worker figures Family Group figures Religious Symbols Medical kit Books The Invisible String – Patricia Karst Letting Go ! Mindful Kids – Sharie Coombes Sophie Spikey Has a Big Problem – Sarah Naish The Boy Who Built a Wall Around Himself – Ali Redford Katie Careful and the Very Sad Smile – Sarah Naish |
| JOHN BRUCE’S WINE John has made his usual batch of elderflower wine. If you would like some, there is a suggested donation of £5 per bottle, with all proceeds going to to Church funds. If interested, please let Jane know, or email the Parish Office office@clewerparish.org, and we will try to find a Covid-safe way of getting it to you. |
| Church Finances – message from Andrew Thank you to everyone for all you have been able to give in this difficult time. Please consider continuing your regular giving by paying directly to our bank account, the details of which are: HSBC Bank, High Street, Windsor Sort Code: 40-47-37 Account number: 11373366 Account name: PCC St Andrews Church |
| CONTACTS The Parish Office is open Mondays and Fridays 9.00am-12. Out of hours office number: 07490 094261 Email: office@clewerparish.org Revd Rosie Webb: rector@clewerparish.org Tel: 01753 852334 Parish website: www.standrewsclewer.org Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Pastoral helpline number: 07946 590223 |