Epiphany - 3rd January 2021Readings: Isaiah 60.1-6; Psalm 72.1-15; Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew 2.1-12Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight O lord, our strength and our redeemer. AmenA word from Lucy: Today we remember that the King of all the World was revealed to gentiles known as the Magi. This was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah, and must have been known by the people in the land where the wise men lived.Arise, shine out, for your light has come; the glory of the Lord is rising upon you.The nations will come to your light, and kings to your dawning brightness.They shall bring gold and frankincense, and proclaim the praise of the Lord.Your gates will lie open continually, shut neither by day nor by night.No more will the sun give you daylight, nor moonlight shine upon you.But the Lord will be your everlasting light, your God will be your splendour. cf Isaiah 60The Magi were men of science who watched the heavens and understood the patterns of the stars in the heavens. These astronomers were on the lookout and they saw something in the heavens that was so remarkable that it prompted them to set out on a journey following the star that they believed would lead them to the Christ-child. The wise men travelled a long way and for probably about 3 years as they searched for the Holy Family. Sadly, they made a serious mistake, they went to the local palace to ask to see the child they had been foretold about, who would be the King of the Judeans, the Messiah, the Christ. Their mistake led to the death of little children in Bethlehem and its surrounds. However, even though they made such a dreadful mistake, they did eventually find the Messiah and brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.Today in a time of Pandemic we cannot have our Nativity Pageant at which we dress up and offer gifts at the crib. Instead, we shall reflect on the gifts and their meaning and then end with a prayer.The gift of Gold - Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe: to you be praise and glory for ever. As gold in the furnace is tried and purified seven times in the fire, so purify our hearts and minds that we may be a royal priesthood acceptable in the service of your kingdom.The gift of Frankincense - Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe: to you be praise and glory for ever. As our prayer rises up before you as incense, so may we be presented before you with penitent hearts and uplifted hands to offer ourselves in your priestly service.The gift of Myrrh - Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe: to you be praise and glory for ever. As you give medicine to heal our sickness and the leaves of the tree of life for the healing of the nations, so anoint us with your healing power that we may be the first-fruits of your new creation.Let us pray. Eternal God, who by the shining of a star led the wise men to the worship of your Son: guide by his light the nations of the earth, that the whole world may behold your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Church is open for a short service on Sunday at 10am but for those of you worshipping from home find some resources to support you.Readings: Isaiah 40.1-11; Psalm 85.1-2,8-13; 2 Peter 3.8-15a; Mark 1.1-8Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, o lord, our strength and our Redeemer. AmenA Word from Lucy: Isaiah foretells of time when God comforts his people by sending a herald to prepare them for His coming. A time when the way will be prepared for the glory of the Lord to be revealed. A time when God comes to feed his flock, to gather his straying lambs and gently lead the mother sheep. As Christians we believe that this time has been fulfilled because in his gospel Mark tells us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that his cousin John fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy about a messenger who would prepare the way for God’s Messiah. For John called people to turn away from their sins and be baptised as a sign of their forgiveness. John also proclaimed that: ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ In his letter, Peter forewarns about the day of the lord that we are all waiting for. Peter teaches that time for God is different to ours and that God is patient with us rather than slow. This is because God wants us to turn away from our ungodly lives and become a people of holiness and righteousness who are ready when the day of the lord arrives. For, as we heard in the psalm, God wants his people to be ready by being faithful and at peace with him.Let us pray: Come, Lord Jesus, without delay; give courage to your people, who trust in your love. So that at your coming, you will raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom. Now, as we look forward to that day; give us the grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, that on the last day, when he shall come again in glorious majesty, to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal. Amen
I have visited Holy Island in preparation for Advent in 2018 and 2016 and was hoping to go again in November 2020. This was not possible due to the Pandemic that took our world by storm causing chaos and death in its wake. So I took time to recall and remember my visits to this quiet little island of calm and blessing as I have prepared for the new Church year with its opening feast of Advent, its joyous feasts of Christmas and Epiphany and its closing feast of Candlemas.For me, Holy Island is a place that breathes with God through the incoming and outgoing tide that cuts the island off from the mainland twice a day. It is a place that breathes with humanity as visitors pour in and then pour out again as the causeway opens and closes with the tides. It is a place that breathes with worship through the regular daily patterns of worship at St Mary's Anglican Church. It is a place that breathes with nature through the wildlife that visit the Island.It is a place of beauty, a place of strength, a place of courage, a place of ruggedness and a place where I found peace. Not just any peace but the peace that surpasses all understanding. In order to help you gain insight into what I mean you will find attached a PDF document of photographs from previous visits to download along with my reflections from the safety of my own home. I hope you enjoy them.
Remembrance Sunday 8th November 2020Join us for a service of Remembrance from St Matthew with St Chad Church at https://youtu.be/CYeRqBQNb1QIn 2020, we had wreaths for all those who have died from the Military services, the Emergency services, the NHS, Care and Social services as well as those from Essential and Key services.
