WELCOME TO ST MARY'S AND ALL SOULS
Thank You’s
As you are all aware we have been giving funds to various charities over the past year as part of our Charitable Giving. We often receive thank you’s from some of these charities, including recently a letter from 5 Talents, CAP and the DEC Gaza Appeal. Please see the left hand side noticeboard at the back of St Mary’s for these. Thank you for your donations at Sandy Nicholas’s funeral. £65.00 was sent to the KAB http://www.kab.org.uk/ |
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Take a look at the churches in the Benefice from the air |
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St Mary's and All Souls Services We will post any revisions to services here and on our Facebook and Twitter feeds: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysAndAllSouls |
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St Mary's and All Souls latest Newsletter |
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PCC Papers You can now download minutes and other PCC documents from the PCC page |
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Food Bank latest needs: https://bromleyborough.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/ *PLEASE DON'T SEND US FROZEN OR CHILLED ITEMS AS WE DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT STORAGE FOR IT AND IT SPOILS BEFORE WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT* WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF PASTA, CEREAL & BISCUITS
Thank you!
Judith Simmonds will be taking the Parish contributions towards the end of the month so please drop your donations into our box in the porch before then. |
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Reverend Susan writes:
We have once more just completed our journey through the Christmas season and rejoiced at the wondrous birth of our Saviour.
Now we move on and soon we will celebrate the Epiphany at which we remember the visit of the wise men/magi/kings to the baby Jesus. Of course, the familiar story line is a little condensed, but the traditional story of the Epiphany is told in the famous carol written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857, We Three Kings. The chorus tells us of a star of wonder that appeared at night to guide the kings to the Jesus.
The word Epiphany means appearance or manifestation, God makes known or “manifests” the birth of His Son to the whole world. The season of Epiphany draws our attention to the universality of Christ’s birth. The Christ-child was visited first by the shepherds and, as Matthew 2: 1 – 12 tells us, sometime later he was visited by the wise men. The shepherds came from the nearby places surrounding Bethlehem and so represent the people of Israel. The wise men or "magi" came from far away, probably Persia, they are gentiles and so represent the whole of humanity.
Towards the end of the passage we are told that first thing the magi do upon entering the stable and seeing Mary and the Child is to kneel and worship him. In other words, they give themselves. Only after this act of worship, only after giving themselves to Christ, only then do they present their material gifts. The material gifts have both symbolic and sacrificial value. Each one tells us something about the Christ-child. Gold was precious and worthy of a king; frankincense was incense worthy of a divinity; and myrrh was a spice used in burials. So, the gifts were appropriate for one who was a king, a God, and a suffering redeemer.
As we move into a new year, let us do as the magi did. Let us give the gift that they gave – let us give ourselves fully to God, let us respond to God’s love in Christ in deed, worship and prayer, knowing that whatever the year brings, we are in God’s hands.
Wishing you all a New Year filled with Peace, Love and Happiness.
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