| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 24 December 2023 4th Sunday of Advent / Christmas Eve |
 (Artwork by Anthony VanArsdale for the National Black Catholic Congress) WELCOME Pews News 24th December Today is one of those calendar days that mixes up with the liturgical calendar. The 24th Dec this year also holds for us the 4th Sunday in Advent, before moving rapidly into the Crib service and then Midnight Mass and Christmas day Eucharist. So the question is which text do we include in this weekend’s Pews News? Where is our focus? The actual days of the week get lost at this time of year don’t they? Is it Monday, or Wednesday? Our virtual WhatsApp advent calendar this year has included a picture, a verse from scripture and a reflective question. Some of us have been commenting on which picture we have enjoyed the most so far. And it is by using pictures that has enabled us to share our faith and get to know each other at our Advent Together sessions. The pictures used were from a box of postcards: Face to Face with Jesus. Cards portraying images of Jesus through the ages and around the world, images to help us reflect on the question ‘who is this man?’ We all know the Christmas story so well that we are in danger of missing the point of it and one can get very ‘carol weary’ by the time Christmas day finally arrives, when we all collapse in heap in front of the telly having eaten too much! For some, Christmas day is like any other day, a day of working, making ends meet, a day of uncertainty, a day of painful memories, a day of darkness and loneliness. Also a point in the year when we are very short of daylight hours and we long for light. The Christmas story is about how love came down, how God came to us through a tiny baby, to live a life experiencing everything that we experience, every emotion we experience. The messages came through angels and visions, a message that changed the ordinary into extraordinary. Mary’s song of praise, the Magnificat, reminds us of the darkness and injustice in the world. She affirms that our God is a God of justice who wishes to lift up the lowly and fill the hungry with good things. A popular image of Mary is being meek and mild…I think she was far from it! But the tone of her song reflects that of a young woman who understood the reality of the world in which she lived. People were hungry and lonely, there was war and tyrant rulers. And still we see this happening in our world today. Mary, an ordinary young woman who listened to the message, was obedient to God’s call and knew what she had to do and did it with unquestionable love. Mary brought The Light into the world, so that we too can hear the message of love, joy, peace and hope. Whatever ‘picture’ you have of Jesus, and we do need one, the real picture is of the Word made flesh and dwelling among us, so that we can see what God is like in a way that makes sense to us. So trust that human and divine person, to change the ordinary into extrordinary in your life and let Him lead you through Christmas and into the coming new year. Christmas blessings to you all. Revd Rosie COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS Almighty God, you have given us your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; 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. Amen THE GOSPEL READING FOR CHRISTMAS Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, O Lord. John 1.1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS FOR THE CHRISTMAS – TIMES & SEASONS H4 Let us pray to our incarnate Lord, who has brought us out of darkness and into his own marvellous light. Christ born for us, Son of God given for us: help us to know you, to worship and to serve you … Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Wonderful counsellor, you order all things with your wisdom: help the Church to reveal the mystery of your love and fill her with the Spirit of truth … Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Mighty God, the government is on your shoulders: guide the leaders of the nations and bring in your kingdom of justice and righteousness … Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Everlasting Father, you call us to live together in unity: protect by your mercy all your children, bless our families and renew our communities … Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Prince of peace, you bring reconciliation through the cross: by your healing power give to all who suffer … your gift of wholeness and peace. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, full of the Spirit, hear our prayer, receive our praises, fill our lives. Amen. POST COMMUNION God our Father, whose Word has come among us in the Holy Child of Bethlehem: may the light of faith illumine our hearts and shine in our words and deeds; through him who is Christ the Lord. Amen NOTICES EVENING SERVICE ON SUNDAY Sunday’s Evening Service will be Midnight Mass Eucharist at 11.00pm, with Carols beforehand from 10.30pm. SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS Church Open every day 10.00am to Dusk Sun 24 Dec 10.30am Parish Eucharist – Advent 4 3.00pm Crib Service 11.00pm Midnight Mass (Carols from 10.30) Mon 25 Dec10.30am Parish Eucharist – Christmas Day Sun 31 Dec10.30am Parish Eucharist – 1st Sunday of Christmas Sun 07 Jan 10.30am All Age Eucharist – 1st Sunday of Epiphany 5.00pm Eucharist – Baptism of Christ Sun 14 Jan 10.30am All Age Eucharist – 2nd Sunday of Epiphany 5.00pm Evening Prayer – Zoom PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Hugo, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Diane, Sylvia, Mary, Gracie, Carmel, Christine, and Vivienne. 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: Weddings: 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 Byron Court, Mayfield Close, Kimber Close, Harrington Close, Sherbourne Drive, Woodland Avenue, and Illingworth Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for the Church of the Philippines. Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Birmingham (England), Blackburn (England), Bo (West Africa), Boga (Congo), Bolivia, and Bondo (Kenya).Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. FUNDRAISING FOR A NEW SOUND SYSTEM We are raising money to pay for a new sound system for St Andrews, to replace the aging system we use currently. If you can help, please use our bank account (details in Andrew’s message below).   A Warm Hub will be running at the Alma Beacon starting on the 7th of January. Please share the poster where you can. Download here: https://www.standrewsclewer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Alma-Beacon-Warm-Hub.pdf WINDSOR FOODSHARE  From their Facebook, Twittter and Website Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare https://www.windsorfoodshare.org.uk CAN YOU HELP? We are currently very short ofCooking SaucesUHT MilkBiscuitsTinned FruitTea bagsWe get less food donations in the spring and summer, even though we are still feeding the same amount of people. We have a permanent donation box at Tesco Superstore and also at Waitrose & Partners. So if you are shopping it is easy to pop a carton or 2 in. Or why not try our Wishlist on Common Good and Amazon. https://www.forcommongood.co.uk/…/giftr…/registry/215636 https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23EUESGGRMAVZ… You can drop off to us on Wednesdays 9.30-1.30 or Thursdays 9.30-3.00 at Dedworth Green Baptist Church. We do not like to ask as we know times are tough for lots of people right now. Imagine if your whole street donated one tin each to us how this would help our stocks. CHURCH FINANCES – MESSAGE FROM ANDREW Thank you to everyone for all you have been able to give in this difficult time. We prefer 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 in Church, or contact the Parish Office by email office@clewerparish.org Alternatively, 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 CONTACTS The Parish Office is now closed. email: office@clewerparish.org Revd Rosie 01753 852334 email rector@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Rector: Revd Rosie Webb 01753 852334 rector@clewerparish.org Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Contact via email: office@clewerparish.org Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |