https.wrington.net
Wrington Website
David Gent: 01934 862348 or 07773 537626 <david@rectory.org.uk>
Andrew Hemming:
07584 124198 <andrewmhemming@btinternet.com>
Sue Hoskins: 07771 579543 <sue@rectory.org.uk>
The Church Office, currently closed 01934 861294
Please continue to contact Sarah by e-mail: <rector@rectory.org.uk>
<https://wrington.net/allsaints/dailyretreat/>
BENEFICE DIARY
Please bring a facemask with you
Don't forget our Sunday on-line Benefice service too
Please remember that the Benefice Office remains closed during this lockdown.
Please contact a member of the clergy with any queries (contact details below)
Thursday 10th December
5pm Zoom Evening Prayers <https://zoom.us/j/7521073898>
Friday 11th December
8.30am Holy Communion
Sunday 13th December 2020 – Advent 3
9.30am Parish Communion at All Saints’ Wrington
9.30am Gift Sunday at St Mary’s Langford
11am BCP Matins at Holy Trinity, Burrington
11.15 am Parish Communion at St Michael’s Butcombe
No services at Christ Church, Redhill this Sunday
Unwell/Recovering within the Benefice: Mervyn Alexander, John Bennett, Robin Brooks, Alan Green,Bob May, Martin O'Connor,
Beryl Petty, Jean Pitt, Valerie Tincknell, Mike Wool
Outside the Benefice: Sheila Aumiller, Harry Banks, Sheila Campbell, Danny Carroll, Sheila Doleman, Phoebe Dowling, Tom Ekin,
Tracey Gray, Howard Petherick, Henry Schofield, Janet Richards, Emily Warburton, Ann, Niki, Sara, Sarah
Those who have recently died: Ann Gowan, Colin Lewis, Colin Watts
Years’ Mind: Stanley Bryant, Neal Crowe, Sandra Bevan, Stephen Croker, Iris Smith, Gerald Bird, Michael Matley,
Geoffrey Ogborne, Pamela Cockram, Philip Fish
For those working on a vaccine against coronavirus; our healthworkers - many so tired after a year on the 'frontline'; For a peaceful
transition of power in the USA; For those who are suffering as a result of this second lockdown; For those who are
reduced to rough sleeping on our streets and in our hedgerows, and for those who seek to help them: the Clevedon Foodbank and
The Trussell Trust, Somewhere to Go - the drop-in centre in Weston-super-Mare; For those who are sick or ill as a result of the
coronavirus and those who have been bereaved; Those worried for their financial future; Bishop Peter, and his family, as he
continues his treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia; Students and staff at schools and universities amid the uncertainty of
Covid-19
Prayers for the Week
Useful Benefice Contacts
Reflection : Comfort
Around the Benefice
We’re back !
Most of the churches around the benefice are opening up following the end of lockdown. For the full schedule of services (no
services in Christ Church yet), see the Benefice diary (below). However please don't feel that you must come. The R rate is
locally is still relatively high and, with vaccines now in sight, it's important that we balance the risk for ourselves appropriately
Bookings for Christmas Services
Because of the coronavirus and the need to maintain social distancing, all our churches have had to impose restrictions on the
number of households allowed into a service. We have therefore taken the unprecedented step of asking people to book a place
at our most popular services over the Christmas period (there is no. These are:-
Sunday 20th December 6.30 p.m. Christmas Musical Celebration at All Saints’ Wrington
6.30pm Christmas Musical Celebration at Holy Trinity, Burrington
Christmas Eve 3pm Crib Service at All Saints’ Wrington
4.30pm Crib Service at All Saints’ Wrington
Please e-mail <rector@rectory.org.uk> or phone 01761-462310 from Tuesday 8th December
Unfortunately, under the Covid guidance, there will be no congregational carols in the church this Christmas.
Gift service at St. Mary's, Langford on Sun 13th Dec, 9.30am:-
As in the past, Christmas gifts which are donated will be taken to St. Andrew's Church, Bournville, for distribution to families in
their locality . Gifts for all ages are acceptable- for children and adults alike. Please do not wrap the gifts.
If you are unable to be at the service, just leave any gifts at St. Mary's (the church should be open most days but if not, in the
porch) before 13th Dec. Thank you.
Private Prayer
You may wish to use our other churches for Private Prayer on Thursday 10th, as All Saints’ will be closed to allow the school in
Wrington to record its Nativity Play.
Advent Course
It's still not too late to join the Advent course. Each session is self-contained - so you won't be left behind. Our last two sessions
are on:- 9th December: Comfort 16th December: Joy
Simply click the link <https://zoom.us/j/7521073898> on a Wednesday evening (We're on Zoom). The session starts promptly at
7pm. so come 'in' anytime after 6.45pm. We aim to finish by 8.30pm.
.
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God”
Speak ye Comfortably to, Jerusalem and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned ; for she has
received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins The…….voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord.............Isaiah Ch 40 1-3: King James Bible
These familiar words form part of the
traditional words spoken at the Service of
Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College,
Cambridge on Christmas Eve which for many
marks the start of Christmas itself.
With these words and the following passage of
Isaiah chapter 40 the Prophet foretells the
ending of the Jews period of exile in Babylon
and he calls for them to make preparation for
the arrival of the Lord. Whatever these poetic
prophesies mean to modern day Judaism, for
us of the Christian faith they are a clear
foretelling of the imminent arrival of the Christ
and the need for us to prepare for this.
Each of the three Synoptic Evangelists pick up on Isaiah’s words and apply them to the need to prepare for the coming of the
Messiah and for us to respond to the cry in the wilderness of St John the Baptist (Matt 3v3, Mk 1v3 ad Lk 3v3) to repent for our
sins. Indeed even Christ himself at the start of his Ministry came “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”
(Lk 3v3”)
So what has been clearly set out first in the context of the Old Testament, but then applied to us of the New Testament, is that in
preparing for the arrival of the Messiah we must repent (Mk 1v3 ) or in the words of St Matthew “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”
and St Luke of Our Lord “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”.
So what does that mean to us 2000 years later as we prepare for the arrival in the world of our Redeemer at Christmas? To put it
another way what are the demands upon us if we are to fulfil the call for repentance that is so strongly emphasised?
I do not suggest that there is any one way of fulfilling the obligation put upon us by the call for repentance but I do suggest that it
is very helpful to have a disciplined Rule of Life covering one’s commitment to prayer, Bible reading, charitable activities self-
denial and all other aspects of living the life demanded of us by claiming to be genuine disciples of the Lord. Then periodically one
can review one’s performance against one’s Rule of Life, identify how we have fallen short, repent and resolve to do better and do
something about it.
Repentance requires acknowledgment of one’s sins, being sorry for them, resolving not to reoffend and only then can one request
forgiveness.
Prayer:
Lord our God help us to prepare
for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer. Amen
