| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 01 January 2023 Naming and Circumcision of Jesus |
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| WELCOME 1st January 2023 Today we see the beginning of a new year, what does that mean for you? It seems everyone has been so ill over the Christmas period and our household has finally succumbed to COVID! So many people come through church during the last few weeks that it has been really encouraging, and I never cease to be surprised by who comes through our doors at St Andrews, but the Crib Service on Christmas eve was astonishing! All I can say is a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped make this Christmas another special event, the lights, the trees, the hospitality, the music, the readers, the decorations … everything … thank you. Thank you for your kindness, your gifts and well wishes, they are very much appreciated. This was shared with me and I think it sums up my thoughts as we enter a new year: ‘FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW’ Jesus, Lord of time. As we celebrate Christmas and the wonder of your birth; as we prepare to enter a new year. Hold us in your eternity. Jesus, the Word made flesh, travel with us the life of faith. Jesus, Light of the world, break into our darkness, heal the brokenness of our world. Jesus, Lord of our today and our tomorrow, draw us into the future and the hope of new life with you. Amen. ‘IT’S A NEW YEAR’ I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months. All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination. All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have— I am your opportunity to renew your promises, in him who said, “Behold, I am about to do a new thing.” With all love and blessings, as we travel together into 2023 Revd Rosie, Andrew and family. THOUGHTS ON THE READINGS FOR THE NAMING AND CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS Our first reading is from Numbers, chapter 6, vv 22-end Known as the Aaronic Blessing, these words have always been precious to God’s people. The Hebrew is carefully crafted, with each line building in length, but no less important is the conclusion, ‘So they shall put my name on the Israelites’. Attachment to God’s name comes at a cost, but it is a blessing. The second reading is Galations, chapter 4, vv 4-7 A perfect and succinct statement of the Gospel and its purpose in our lives. Here we have incarnation, full humanity, redemption, adoption, sanctification, our lives caught up in personal relationship within the Trinity, vocation and destiny. None of this is purely individual, but in the context of God’s cosmic plan. The Gospel is St Luke, chapter 2, vv 15-21 The angels have gone back into heaven. The flurry of the birth is over. Now the Son of God submits to the fleshly realities of humanity. Yet his divine origin is never forgotten, nor his divine purpose. Canon Brian |
| COLLECT Almighty God, whose blessed Son was circumcised in obedience to the law for our sake and given the Name that is above every name: give us grace faithfully to bear his Name, to worship him in the freedom of the Spirit, and to proclaim him as the Saviour of the world; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen |
| READINGS Numbers 6.22-end The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 8 O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world! Your majesty above the heavens is praised out of the mouths of babes at the breast. You have founded a stronghold against your foes, that you might still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have ordained, What is man, that you should be mindful of him; the son of man, that you should seek him out? You have made him little lower than the angels and crown him with glory and honour. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands and put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, even the wild beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fish of the sea and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea. O Lord our governor, how glorious is your name in all the world! Galatians 4.4-7 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, O Lord. Luke 2.15-21 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. |
| INTERCESSIONS Everlasting God, at the start of a New Year we may find ourselves apprehensive for what it might bring. Reassure us with your loving presence that whatever we might experience in the coming 12 months will not be more than we can bear and that you will never be more than a prayer away from us. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Holy God we raise before you our Parish here in Clewer. We lay before you our plans, our hopes and the problems that we might face. Constantly remind us that in our church, results are never measured in terms of winners and losers but in how much our activities glorify your name and bring your son Jesus Christ closer to others. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Creator God, help us to know and to understand what it means and what it takes to make disciples and so help to transform the world. May this New year bring peace to those parts of the world where it has been absent for far too long especially in Ukraine. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Father God, as we reach out into the community through our worship and social activities, inspire us and enhance our creativity, as we seek to develop and fund the ministries of our parish, and draw others in to know and love your ways. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer We pray for the sick in their hour of need especially if the New Year fills them with doubts and fears. May they be aware of your presence holding them and encouraging them towards healing and wholeness. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Merciful God as we remember before you those who will not journey into this New Year we thank you for the gift of hope beyond death that you have given us through the life, death and resurrection of your Son. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new and so we thank you for this New Year, for all the potential it holds. Move us every single morning throughout 2023 to look forward to the future with hope and to give you thanks for the wonders of your creation and the wonderful gifts that you have given to us. Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen From the Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit Costa Blanca |
| Listen to Revd Rosie’s Christmas Eve Sermon |
| PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Eternal God, whose incarnate Son was given the Name of Saviour: grant that we who have shared in this sacrament of our salvation may live out our years in the power of the Name above all other names, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen |
| NOTICES |
| SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Tuesdays and Thursdays, Evening Prayer at 5.00pm via Zoom Church Open every Wednesday 10.00am – 12.00 Evening Prayer on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th Sundays of the month is back in Church. Services and times to be confirmed. Provisionally: Sun 01 Jan 10.30am New Years Day, All AgeEucharist No evening service Sun 08 Jan 10.30am Epiphany, ParishEucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer in Church Sun 15 Jan 10.30am Second Sunday of Epiphany, ParishEucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer in Church Sun 22 Jan 10.30am Third Sunday of Epiphany, ParishEucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer in Church Sun 29 Jan 10.30am Presentation of Christ in the temple, ParishEucharist No evening service |
| PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Hugo, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Norman and Diane, Sylvia, and Mary. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Those baptised this month: 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. We pray also for Windsor Christian Action, and the work of the Homeless Project, Street Angels, FoodShare, and The Night Shelter. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live or work in St Leonards Hill, Bridewell, Chestnut Drive, Gratton Drive, Fairlawn Park, Dower Park, Poolmans Road, Snowdon Close, Turnoak Park, and Brudenell. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for the La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico. Please pray also for the churches these dioceses: Ondo (Nigeria), Ontario (Canada), Oregon (USA), Eastern Oregon (USA), Orlu (Nigeria), and Oru (Nigeria). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. |
| BRF NOTES Anyone who is interested in a copy of the Bible Reading Fellowship notes for Jan-April to let Mulle know. It is a very good way of reading the Bible with a daily extract and commentary. |
| ST ANDREWS CHRISTMAS MARKET Our Christmas Market this year raised over £1,650. Thank you and well done to everyone who helped. |
| WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ? We’re currently short of tinned meat, UHT milk,Tinned Fruit and Desserts. We are also very very low on carrier bags if you have some stashed in a cupboard please can we have them. All items can be dropped off to the church: Dedworth Green Baptist Church, Smiths Lane, Windsor, SL4 5PE 9.30am-1.30pm Wednesdays 9.30am -3.00pm Thursdays. or alternatively they can be brought from our Amazon wish list. The address they are delivered to are saved to Amazon to make your life a little easier  .https://amzn.to/3a1IMAk Thank you all for your continued support and for helping to feed local families. More information, and to donate online: https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk/food-donations Did you know that Windsor Foodshare has its own just giving page. If you are donating with just giving don’t forget to tick the gift aid box, that way we get an extra 25% on top of your donation. Every single penny we get given goes to help feed local families. https://www.justgiving.com/windsorfoodshare If you would like any further information please contact manager@windsorfoodshare.org.uk |
| 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 or if your bank doesn’t like this Parochial Church Council St Andrews Clewer Parish You may wish to consider transferring to the Parish Giving Scheme, which we promoted in previous years. Details are on our page on their web site: https://bit.ly/2XCLuCr [https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/clewer-st-andrew-windsor/] We also have the printed application forms available, please contact the Parish Office by email. |
| CONTACTS The Parish Office is now closed. The Office Number is: 07490 094261 Email: office@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |