Advent , Christmas, Epiphany and Candlemas at St Matthew with St ChadWe hope you will be able to visit or join us for the Advent to Candlemas Season. All are welcome, whether Christians, of other faiths or non. On Friday 26th November 2pm to 4.30pm and Saturday 27th November 11am to 2pm, we are holding our Christmas fete in Church with free visits to see Santa Claus (St Nicholas). There will also be sales of clothes, toys and books as well as a tombola stall and raffle. Light refreshments at reasonable prices will also be on sale. Our new Church Year begins on Sunday 28th November when we light the 1st Candle on our Advent Wreath during our 10am Communion service. Each following Sunday we shall light the other Advent candles during our 10am Communion services.Our Christmas Season begins on 24th December with our 6pm short Family Service of readings and carols, in Church, followed by light refreshments. On 25th December we shall be holding a short family friendly Communion service at 10am - all are welcome.On Sunday 4th January 2026 we shall be holding a short family Communion service to celebrate the Epiphany and remember the visit of the Magi (three Kings) at 10am. Come and see our simple pageant. Each Sunday during Epiphany, we shall be holding 10am Communion services. Our Christmastime season will end as we close our 10am Communion service on Sunday 1st February 2026.
Christ the King Readings: Jeremiah 23v1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1v11-20; Luke 23v33-43. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: Jeremiah warns that God is displeased with bad shepherds and will deal with them. This is a warning to every shepherd of God’s people who destroys, scatters or drives away God’s people. For God has a plan. A plan to gather his people back into his field with shepherds who will take good care of them. For with good care, God’s people will become a body where no-one is missing and everyone will become fruitful and multiply. A people who are no longer wounded by their shepherds and able to shed their worries. For God was promising to send a wise King into the world to save his people and then reign over them with justice and righteousness. In the psalm we hear that God is there for his people in all times of trouble. For God is steadfast and sure, helping his people as they face terrible things. For God is doing incredible things and will be praised, even as the people of the earth defy God. In Colossians, God’s people are told to be strong and patient in the face of adversity because they will share in the inheritance of the saints. For God has rescued his people from the evil powers at work in the world and transformed them. A people who are forgiven because they are saved by God’s son. A people saved by the son who is the image of God. The son who is God’s first born, the son who helped God at the time of creation. The son who brought peace and reconciliation between heaven and earth. The son who is the head of the Church, the head of God’s people, the one we know as Jesus the Christ. The same son who we hear about in Luke. The son who asked his father to forgive the people who crucified him, who forgave all those who were tortured, mocked, scoffed at and killed him. The son who promised not just to remember the criminal who knew he was a sinner, but promised that this repentant sinner would join him in Paradise. Let us Pray: Eternal Father, we give you thanks for Jesus your son. We pray that Jesus will rule here in this Church as Lord and King. We pray that this Church will work in unity and peace so that others will be gathered into this body as a people of worship and faith. We pray that this church will continue to be welcoming and do good works in this Parish of St Matthew with St Chad. We pray for faithful lay and ordained leaders who will fulfil your will in this community. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
2nd Sunday before Advent Readings: Malachi 4v1-2a; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3v6-13; Luke 21v5-19. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word: The readings remind us that a time is coming when Christ will return to the earth and all things as we know them will change. In the psalm, we are told that at the end of time God is coming to judge the world. This is the one true God who, from the beginning, has always been merciful and faithful to the whole of humankind. The one true God who has shown the people of the world how they can be saved and delivered from evil. The one true God who is wonderful, and marvellous, and worthy of our praise. In Malachi, we are warned that on this day, at the end of time, on the day of judgement: everyone who is arrogant and everyone who continues to do evil things will be done away with; but everyone who reveres God’s name, by keeping God’s instructions, will rise in exuberant joy. In Luke, Jesus tells us about this day of judgement, for it will come when he returns. This will be after a time of wars, natural disasters, famines and plagues. Then on Jesus’ return, we shall all be judged. In preparation for this, Jesus warns us not to be led astray from the good news nor to be afraid of judgement. For everyone who has been treated harshly by others because of their faith will not perish. However, whilst all those who persevered in times of persecution or were martyred for their faith, all these are safe; in Thessalonians the rest of us receive a warning. This is to be careful whose example of living we copy because not everyone who claims to be one of God’s people are living in line with God’s guidance. This is an important warning for all of us because it reminds us that we need to keep checking out how we are living our lives. Then if we find we are in error, we need to say sorry to God and do our best to comply with God’s guidance. In Paul’s time, he was concerned about people living the way they should by earning their living, by getting on quietly with their mission work and never being weary of doing what is right. These things continue to be important alongside anything else God is calling us to do in our time too. The Church’s teaching about the return of Jesus is an important part of the Christian faith, because we are forewarned that a day is coming when this earth will be drawn to its close and we will all be judged by our maker, the Lord God of All. I hope and pray that we will all keep on listening to the word of God and then put it into practice as we live out our lives. For we know that when the earth and all that we know comes to its end, we shall face God and be judged. However, we must also remember that because Jesus died to save us from our sins, that we must not be afraid of judgement. For as the scripture tells us, everyone who truly reveres God’s name by living in line with God’s calling, will be invited to rise up in exuberant joy. Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, gracious Lord, thank you for your Son Jesus, who came to earth to destroy the works of the devil, make us into the children of God and offer us eternal life. Purify our lives here on earth and fill us with hope. Make us into a people more like Jesus and bring us home to your glorious kingdom. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
