The Christmas Story, or nativity, that we are now so familiar with is told in the gospels of Luke 2: 1-21 and Matthew 1: 18-25 and 2: 1-12. Over the years we have woven these differing accounts into one magical Christmas story, with shepherds, Wise men, angels, animals, a stable and an angry King. Christmas is a wonderful and magical time for children, but as adults we mustn’t lose the magic, or ignore the Christmas message either. The deeper message of Christmas, that Christ is the Light and love of God, and he is Emmanuel, God with us. The birth of Jesus brings a spark of new light, the offer of new possibilities, the opportunity, that when we commit to faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit can nurture and transform us. The greatest gift that God gave to the world was his son Jesus Christ. And in the troubled, and uncertain times that the world finds itself in we invite you to re-visit the accounts of the birth of Christ that are recorded in the bible and discover for yourself the ‘Kingdom of God’. We look forward to seeing you at St. Margaret’s, Fletton at one of our Christmas services. All are welcome.
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting which signifies the start of Lent. Church services are held where churchgoers receive ash on their foreheads. The wearing of ashes is seen as a sign of repentance. The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service. Psalms for Ash Wednesday Psalm 50: ‘The Mighty One Calls’ ‘All go to the same place; Psalm 51: ‘A Psalm of David’ all come from dust, Psalm 58: ‘God Judges the Earth’ and to dust all return’. Readings for Ash Wednesday Ecclesiastes 3: 20 Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17 Isaiah 58: 1-12 2 Corinthians 5: 20b-6, 10 Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21 Hymns and Worship Songs for Ash Wednesday Alas Thou Didst My Saviour Bleed My Song is Love Unknown Change My Heart, Oh God Again We keep this Solemn Fast Love Divine, All Love Excelling O For a Heart to Praise My God To Dust You Shall Return Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Kum ba yah Take My Life and Let it Be Will You Come and Follow Me All That I AmAsh Wednesday Activity Go on a walk with friends or family. Along the way find a stick and draw a cross in the earth. Make a Lenten paperchain. Each day during Lent remove a chain and do a small task for someone else in kindness and love. Light a candle as a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world. Plant a bulb or seed as a reminder that Jesus brings hope and joy.Ash Wednesday Prayer Merciful God, On this day of ashes and reflection, I come before You with a humble heart. Teach me to turn away from all which draws me from Your light, and to walk in the path of grace and truth. May the dust upon my forehead remind me that life is fragile, yet filled with Your promise. Renew my spirit, cleanse my heart, and guide me through this Lenten journey toward the hope of resurrection. Amen.Ash Wednesday Facts The date of Ash Wednesday varies and falls 46 days before Easter. The earliest date it can be is 4th February, and the latest is 10th March. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of fasting of the Lenten period. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday ‘Pancake Day’ when traditionally rich food is eaten prior to the abstinence of Lent. The Liturgical colour displayed in churches is purple, signifying the serious nature of Ash Wednesday. The key themes of Ash Wednesday are repentance, mortality and humility.
Doesn’t Christmas seem a long time ago now? the decorations have been tidied away, the lights have been taken down, and the New Year resolutions that we made, when we were filled with positivity, have been broken; life can seem a bit flat. The challenge to us all is to hold onto the joy and optimism of the nativity, not just through the Christmas season, but throughout the year. This can be difficult as it is natural to look backwards, not forwards, it is normal to doubt ourselves, rather than to be confident in our abilities, it is only human to let our failures outweigh our successes, and we often set ourselves unrealistic targets. We set ourselves up to fail. In Isaiah 43: 18-19 we are told to ‘Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland’. God reminds us that we should always have hope, even when the road ahead looks empty, and we feel that options are few. God reassures us that we should embrace change, no matter how difficult and uncomfortable that may be. And most of all God appeals for us to have faith, faith in the unseen future, faith in him, and faith in ourselves. So may you carry the joy and optimism of the nativity with you throughout this coming year in whatever you do.
Mark 3: 7-12 Crowds Follow Jesus7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.HomilyAs we explore the gospel reading together, may the written word and the spoken word become the living word, Amen.In our modern world fame is familiar to us, it’s part of our culture, of our everyday lives. Film stars, pop stars, eco warriors, influencers; these are the people who could control and guide our lives.In the gospel reading Mark 3:7-12 Jesus was at the height of his ministry, you could say at the height of his ‘fame’. Crowds from a diverse range of places had heard about his healing power, about the miracles he was performing, and they clamoured to reach him.Because of his ‘fame’ Jesus was busier than ever, the pressure on him must have been enormous, he could have sat back, and rested on his laurels, thinking, I’ve done enough now, my reputation will go before me, what I have achieved will speak for itself.But no. Jesus knew that this wouldn’t be adequate for God, his Father, he knew that this wasn’t his ultimate aim, he knew that he couldn’t give up as hundreds upon hundreds came to him to be healed. So, to reach even more people Jesus moved away from the crowds, into a boat, where he could speak to the multitudes across the water.This should bring us reassurance and comfort. No matter how busy Jesus was, how known he was, how ‘famous’ he was, he had time for the multitudes, and he still does.We are all busy, we all lead busy lives, but we also have needs, we have worries, and we have concerns. But we also have the assurance that Jesus hears us, and in our modern world Jesus can be our influencer. If we actively seek him, if we step forward and approach him, if we include him in our daily lives, if we take our struggles to him, if we put our trust in him, if we have faith in him, then he will meet us, because he has the power to change our lives.
