Please join us on Sunday 29th January at 10.30am for our joint service at St Michael's Church. Reverend Canon John Bundock will be taking the service and there will be refreshments afterwards.

CANDLESMAS BELLS BLOOMING

Shining white, drooping heads are appearing on Snowdrops. They are also known as Candlemas Bells for they flower on Candlemas, 2nd February, an important festival in the Christian calendar. Candlemas will observe at St Michael’s at the joint service on Sunday, 29th January at 10.30am.

Candlemas recalls Jesus being taken to the Temple in Jerusalem, the holiest place for the Jews, for the observance of two religious rituals. Mary is going there to be purified; mothers being regarded as unclean for forty days after the birth of a baby boy. Jesus, as the first-born son, is there to be presented to the Lord.

An elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, are in the Temple waiting quietly, patiently and prayerfully for the coming of God’s Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one. He takes the baby into his arms, using the words that became a canticle that we use at Evensong, the Nunc Dimittis. Simeon refers to Jesus as being a light to bring light to the whole world. It`s the practice for candles to be lit and carried at the Eucharist, the Communion Service, on this day, as we will next Sunday. Hence the festival being called Candlemas.

Please come to the service and hold a lit candle to remind us that we are called to bring the light of Christ`s love, joy and mercy into world today.