Holy Communion for the Epiphany of our Lord; celebrant the Revd Tola Badejo. The first Junior Church of 2026 takes place at the same time in the hall.

First reading: Isaiah 60.1-6
Gospel: Matthew 2.1-12

Today we celebrate Epiphany - Christ's revelation to the world beyond Israel, symbolised by the visit of the three Magi. The Magi stand in contrast to the shepherds who were the infant Christ's first visitors; whether or not they were really kings, they must have been privileged men to be able to take such a long journey and to present costly gifts. The message is that all come to Christ as they are, and before him all are equal.

The Old Testament reading from Isaiah foreshadows the Epiphany in a highly symbolic way: in a passage sometimes subtitled 'The Ingathering of the Dispersed' the prophet visualises exiled Israelites returning to a revived and flourishing country. The New Testament Magi have also come on a long journey, possibly travelling beyond the borders of the world they knew, yet they too are, in a different sense, coming home bearing gifts.