| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 08 January 2023 Epiphany / Baptism of Christ |
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| WELCOME Happy New Year! We all shouted out in assembly at school this week. How lovely to see everyone back in school, the Christmas holiday period seems to have gone very quickly hasn’t it? We are not a family that makes new year resolutions, maybe because we never stick to them therefore, we avoid setting ourselves up to fail, but we do reflect on our hopes and dreams for the coming year. I noted in assembly that the children could not easily talk about their hopes and dreams and the staff members all focussed on ‘health and happiness’. If you ask anyone in our household the question of hopes and dreams, the response is usually….world peace! In an ordinary secular diary/planner the world would have us believe that Christmas is over. Fortunately, I have a liturgical calendar to remind me that, though the world has finished festivities, the Christmas season is still in flow, and we still have time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Christmas season runs through Epiphany to Candlemas at the beginning of February. There is still time to visit the manger and whisper our hopes and dreams, our longings for humanity, for ourselves, for our planet and to give the Christ-child the gift of our heart. Still time to rejoice and we are reminded of that as we celebrate the arrival of the magi, the wise ones who come to pay homage to the Christ-child. Imagine the magi. They had almost nothing to go on, they travelled a vast distance, probably close to 1,000 miles. On an adventure guided by God through the stars, the scriptures and a dream. And they believed that what they saw in the heavens reflected earthly activity that was of such incredible significance, somehow. They saw a new star rising, a unique star that they believed pointed to the birth of a new King of the Jews. So exciting and extraordinary that they set off into the unknown to find this new king, to pay him homage, to worship him. What are your hopes and dreams? What ‘journeys’ will you go on this year – physically, spiritually, emotionally? Who will be with you as you travel? How will you know when you have arrived? What will you find when you get there? Blessings Revd Rosie |
| COLLECT 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 last 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 for ever. All Amen |
| READINGS Isaiah 60.1-6 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Psalm 72. 1-15 Give the king your judgements, O God, and your righteousness to the son of a king. Then shall he judge your people righteously and your poor with justice. May the mountains bring forth peace, and the little hills righteousness for the people. May he defend the poor among the people, deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor. May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, like the showers that water the earth. In his time shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. May his dominion extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. May his foes kneel before him and his enemies lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts. All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall do him service. For he shall deliver the poor that cry out, the needy and those who have no helper. He shall have pity on the weak and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy. He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear shall their blood be in his sight. Long may he live; unto him may be given gold from Sheba; may prayer be made for him continually and may they bless him all the day long. Ephesians 3.1-12 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. Matthew 2.1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.5They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. |
| INTERCESSIONS Gracious God, may we rise and shine in the light that has come into the world and revel in its glory. Help us in our service today to sing forth your praises and worship you in the beauty of holiness Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Creator God we pray that the people of the world might lift up their eyes round about, and come to see your light, and that rulers and kings, drawn to the brightness of your truth, might rule with justice and mercy. We pray against the Herods of this world and all that use violence and terror to fulfil their earthy desires. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Father God, help us, to remember that the Epiphany revealed Jesus Christ to the gentile world. Show us too that through such an amazing gift, which surpassed the King’s gold, frankincense and myrrh, we can know your limitless love for us and for your church. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Brilliant God, we pray for the sick and suffering and all who are surrounded by deep darkness. We ask that they may be illuminated by your grace and love. Help us to radiate and reflect the brilliance of your light so that as it shines through us it may help to bring healing and wholeness to those in need. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Mighty God, you are the King of heaven, the hope of all who trust in you: give to the faithful departed the wonders of your salvation. Guide us to those who mourn so that we might bring joy and gladness where there is grief and sorrow. Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer Almighty God, we have given you our offering of worship and with it the service of our lives. As we move into the coming week and into the New Year may we go from this place knowing that we have met with you and have been blessed by your Spirit, to live and work to your praise and glory. 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 Canon Brian’s New Years Day Sermon |
| PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord God, the bright splendour whom the nations seek: may we who with the wise men have been drawn by your light discern the glory of your presence in your Son, the Word made flesh, 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. 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 Candlemas, ParishEucharist No evening service Sun 05 Feb 10.30am Third Sunday before Lent, All Age Eucharist 5.00pmEucharist in Church |
| PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Hugo, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Norman and Diane, Sylvia, Mary, and Gracie. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: Iris Blackburn, Vic Mitchell, 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 Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma). Please pray also for the churches these dioceses: Osaka (Japan), Osun (Nigeria), Osun North (Nigeria), Osun North East (Nigeria), Ottawa (Canada), and Otukpo (Nigeria). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. |
| WILD WORSHIP Wild Worship returns – 15th January, 12 February, 12 March at 3.00pm in Clewer Park. |
| AFTER SCHOOL CLUB The rector will be holding an after school club at Clewer on Tuesdays 3.30 to 4.30, starting 31st January, called Faith Explorers. If you would like to be a helper please let the rector know, as we need to get the ratio of adults and children right. The club will be a bit like Sunday School, exploring the story of Jesus together through activities. |
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| —————————————————————————————————————– Christian Aid Candlemas Service of Light Sunday 29 January, All Saints, Frances Road at 4pm Windsor Christian Aid Group warmly invite you to join them for this candlelit service of thanksgiving for the work of Christian Aid and for our supporters in Windsor. All our welcome – we look forward to seeing you. Sarah Gardner Chair: Windsor Christian Aid. sarah.gardnerlobo@gmail.com |
| WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare We have seen so much generosity over the whole year particularly over these harsh PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ? We are 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. Recent donations have really given us a boost for the early months of the year so we can continue to keep feeding families in need. So a massive THANK YOU . 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 |