Dear all

This Sunday is a 5th Sunday in the month, and so we will be celebrating with a Benefice Service at St Michael & All Angel’s, Chaffcombe, at 1030am. ALL WELCOME!

It is also the Sunday we celebrate Candlemas; also known as the feast of the Presentation of Christ at the Temple. It is the official end of Epiphany and the wider Christmas Season. If you haven’t taken down your Christmas decorations yet – now is the time to do it!

During the service on Sunday we will say some special responses together that include the call, “We turn from the crib to the cross”; to which the congregation will respond, “Let us shine with the light of your love”

At Christmas my son Andrew and I made a nativity scene out of Lego (other generic plastic building bricks are available…) We were immensely proud of it and it had pride of place on the landing outside the kids bedrooms. As far as I know, there is no ‘off the shelf’ Lego kit for a full nativity scene, so we made it up entirely ourselves using bricks from other kits. This required much improvisation – for example we needed wings for an angel, and the best we could do was attach a set of Lego turkey wings, which worked just fine!

Lego is a constant activity in our house as both the boys (and dad…) are a little bit obsessive about it. And so, over the past couple of weeks the nativity scene has gradually been taken apart as new things are built and those parts are needed. The stable roof was needed to make the wings for a spaceship…

Candlemas has an echo of this for our journey of faith now. We have celebrated Christmas and Epiphany and now it is time to take what we have witnessed, what has been revealed to us, and what we have been taken joy in, and allow that to carry us on the journey towards Easter. We have what we need; most importantly the light of Christ; and now we take that for a new purpose – the living out of our faith.

It is not an easy journey – it will find its way to the cross itself. But neither will it stop there, for that is the next landmark on a journey of a lifetime – in this life and the next, where we know we can tread boldly on the path lit by the love of Christ.

Sunday 29th January - BENEFICE SERVICE - Candlemas:

1030am at St Michael's & All Angels's, Chaffcombe. Rev'd Philip

Readings for Candlemas:

Malachi 3:1-4 - Malachi 3:1-4 NRSVA - The Coming Messenger - See, I am - Bible Gateway

Hebrews 2:14-end - Hebrews 2:14-18 NRSVA - Since, therefore, the children share - Bible Gateway

Luke 2:22-40 - Luke 2:22-40 NRSVA - Jesus Is Presented in the Temple - When - Bible Gateway

Wild Church:

Wild Church is back on Saturday February 4th! 3pm outside St John's, Tatworth. An outdoors expression of church for all - especially the young at heart who love to be active outside! Fun, fellowship and food!

Prayers:

Please hold in your prayers all you know who are struggling in any way, in body, mind or spirit. We are asked to pray by name for:

Dave Boyland; Terri Boyland; Sheila Clement; Wendy Cotton; Hannah Knott; Jan Knott; Mary Marsh; Tony Taylor; Margaret Bandy; Dorothy White, Tony Meech, Di Nicholls, Hester Down, Stella Hutchison; Oskar Lee; Margaret Shields; Andrew de Pury; Frank Long; Jean Dodd.

We remember all those whom we love but see no longer, especially at this time Margaret Bowditch, Amy Barr, Nick Frankau, Vernon Martin, and Margaret Jeanes. We hold all those who are bereaved in our prayers.

Collect for Candlemas:

Almighty and ever-living God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple,
in substance of our flesh:
grant that we may be presented to you
with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Blessings

Philip

The Reverend Philip Butcher

Rector - Two Shires Benefice (Tatworth, Thorncombe, Winsham, Chaffcombe & Cricket Malherbie)

The Vicarage

3 Home Farm

Tatworth

Chard

TA20 2SH

01460 221286

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HOME PRAYER & WORSHIP: https://twoshires.wordpress.com

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