2021 January 3 - Pew News
ServicesChanges to the January calendar in the magazine. At 08:00 there will be NO SERVICE. At 18:00 we offer a service of said Evening Prayer (BCP) in the Parish Church. The presiding minister at our 09:30 service is Andrew Doye, with the assistance of Martin Brown and Marjorie Kipling. The 18:00 service will be led by Andrew Doye. The readings in our morning service are Jeremiah 31. 7-14 and John 1.1-5, 10-18. Our music has been played and recorded by Stewart Taylor, on the organ of our parish church. The Introit and Agnus Dei are each recorded by members of our choir. The preacher at 09:30 is the Right Reverend Ruth Bushyager, Bishop of Horsham. Words from the Rector
I can not help feeling what a strange time it must have been for her and Bishop Will, of Lewes, as they take up the reins of new responsibility within this period of covid. Ruth, whose responsibility includes our own part of the Diocese has proved available, accessible and decisive, in the few contacts that I have had with her; but the whole task of taking up the various sector responsibilities of the role will inevitably have been slowed by the shortage of face-to-face meetings. Add to this recent speculation that the Church of England will wish to reconfigure its senior ministries in response to the massive loss of income suffered in the last 10 months (£140 million, as I recall); and the role of the episcopate must seem a little bewildering. We pray for our new suffragan bishops, nonetheless, as they grow into their new posts. Of course a new year is in itself a time for reassessment and asking searching questions of how we are directing our efforts and priorities. That all seems a little cruel, almost, when we have so many other concerns to distract us. However, it surely is possible to ask those self-same questions of ourselves, however gently, at this time. I recall how many commentators were quick to suggest, last Spring, that the pandemic might be teaching us some good lessons, putting us right on a few things, and, in a phrase that I do like, helping nations, neighbourhoods and households to press the re-set button. As long as we are thoughtful and compassionate about the drawn-out circumstances of the world’s suffering, this might still helpfully feed into our new year’s recalibrations. It is very easy for us to have slipped into an uncritical survivor-mode, and maybe we can, with refreshment, ask again of ourselves are their ways in which we can ‘be’ a little differently. Material and emotional need may be ours, and may certainly be around us. Let us be challenged to respond freshly as 2021 gets underway. We all deeply hope to see things happen differently in the coming months: both for us, and for others. New vaccines offer hope, though we do not usher them in with naivety. But this is the season of Christian newness, too; of the birth and realisation of Jesus Christ - and of a light shining where there has been liturgical darkness. The grace of God is here to be appreciated; celebrated; and shared. That is the transforming tone of both of our readings this A very happy new year, to you and yours. Revd Andrew Doye Worship for the week aheadMonday to Friday 08:30am Morning Prayer (or Communion on Thursday). 10 January 2021 For our prayers (contact the Rector or Wardens to add names to this list) If there are causes or people that you wish to bring to the attention of the Church and its praying NoticesAndrew and Karen Doye thank you further for your kind wishes and greetings at Christmas. Services in the weeks ahead. Our churches’ plans for acts of worship for the period to the end of January are now revised from those set out in the current magazine, and in response to the increased concern regarding new variant Covid. These are now as follows: Open Church: Our Parish Church presently remains open to visitors, but we are reducing those hours again to two occasions each week: from 10am-3pm on Thursday; and 12 noon-3pm on Sunday. Whilst this remains so, we continue to ask all who come to wear face coverings and to write their details on the sheet to help us fulfil our Test and Trace responsibilities. For smartphone users, we have displayed our own venue QR code which can be used to record your visit. Please enter by The local church continues to worship at 08:30 (for half an hour), Mondays to Fridays. As restrictions on our movements increase presently, it is suggested this might be of interest to additional members of our congregations or village. You can ‘attend’ with Westbourne Help, which did such a good job locally in the earlier months of the pandemic has been called back into being by the Parish Council to help those who are isolating or have no other support over the winter because of Covid-19. Notices are being posted around the village.
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