Holy Communion for Candlemas (the Presentation of Christ in the Temple): celebrant the Revd Tola Badejo. Junior Church takes place at the same time in the hall.

First reading: Hebrews 2. 14–18
Gospel: Luke 2. 22–40

With the Presentation, the Nativity narrative is brought to an end and the extended Christmas season finally closes. As so often happens, events have appeared in our readings in the wrong order: the Presentation would have been 40 days after Jesus's birth, and the visit of the Magi and Herod's brutal response must have taken place later.

The readings bring together two critical ideas. Firstly, Simeon recognises the child as the Messiah, 'a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel'. He is the fulfilment of Isaiah's 'light of the world' prophecies we have heard during Epiphany. At the same time, he is fully human, as dependent as other infants upon his parents and, as he grows up, subject to all the same troubles and temptations as everyone else: 'like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people'.

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The Cub and Beaver sections of our G46 Scout Group meet on Tuesday evenings: for details, please see the attachment below. The Group's HQ is behind the Church Hall.

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The G46 Scouts meet on Friday evenings, in their HQ behind the Church Hall. For further details, please see the attachment below.

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