WELCOME TO THE PARISH CHURCH OF
SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN, OXENHOPE
especially all who are new to our Church.
If you are a regular member of the congregation,
please try to speak to someone you don't know!
Sunday, 16th
November
The Second Sunday
before Advent R
10 am: Family
Communion with Parade.
Hymns, from “Mission Praise”:
506 O Lord My God
(on sheet) God Loves You
133 Father I
place into your hands
50 Be still for
the presence of the Lord
Give me joy in my heart.
This morning’s
readings:
Epistle, 1 Thessalonians
5.1-11 (page 262): Kathryn Sharp.
Gospel, Matthew 25.14-30
(page 36):
Fiona Bolam-Peel.
Intercessor: Jan Berry (Marsh & Upper Marsh).
Today’s Collect:
Heavenly
Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God
and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and
great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal
and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Today’s Post
Communion Prayer:
Gracious
Lord,
in this holy sacrament
you give substance to our hope:
bring us at the last
to that fullness of life for which we long;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Tea, coffee, fruit squash and biscuits are served in the Tower Room
after our service.
Morning Prayer (BCP): this Tuesday
at 9 am, in Church. This will be followed by an all-day Clergy Chapter meeting, starting
with Holy Communion at 9.30 am. All are welcome to attend this service.
From the Clergy…
Much of the world is
celebrating the victory of Barak Obama in the USA’s recent elections. There are
many reasons for this. In particular, his triumph, for the moment, seems to
represent a re-assertion of the USA’s better ideals and best values. Amongst
these stands the belief that anybody, irrespective of background, should have
the opportunity to develop and make full use of their particular talents.
Often, and especially in the case of black people, that aspiration has been
honoured as much in the breach as in the observance. The election of a black
president clearly represents something of a breakthrough on that front.
Today’s Gospel powerfully
reminds us that God has endowed us all with talents. They are not our own
private possession to be used for our own personal gratification or selfish
advancement. Rather we are to be seen as stewards of those talents, giving
expression to them for God’s glory and in service of our neighbours. This is as
true of what might seem modest talents as of those talents to which the world
pays great heed. In the Kingdom of God, it may be that painting a kitchen wall
is as significant as painting the Sistine Chapel!
As stewards we are called
upon to take the development and use of our talents very seriously. We should
not allow false modesty, apathy or the disapproval of others to get in the way.
Equally, we should be very careful not to deny our neighbours the opportunity
to develop their gifts and to place them at the service of the Church, or other
communities It is a terrible thing when individuals and institutions conduct
themselves in such a way that the distinctive God-given talents of others are
denied.
None of us has all the gifts. We
partake of gifts which need to complement one another in acts of shared
service. Indeed, it is within healthy communities that gifts are most likely to
be identified, developed and deployed. We can only flourish, as God intends, by
enabling all to make their distinctive contributions.
June and Ken
HELP! Pairs of hands needed at the Baptism Celebration to be held at
Haworth Church next Saturday, 22nd November, from
9 to 11 am. This is for all children baptised in Oxenhope, Haworth and Cross
Roads during the past two years. Fun, friends, breakfast, reading and
activities for children and adults. if you can help, please see June.
“Films and God”: a viewing of the film “Chocolat” a week tonight,
on Sunday 23rd November at 7 pm in Church, to be followed by
a discussion to be led by Ken – bring a bar/box of your favourite chocolates to
share!
Learning more about our Faith: it seems that Sunday evenings once a month
suits most people. For the first meeting we suggest that we join the ‘Films and
God’ evening (above) next Sunday. The next meeting of the Faith Group will take
place in January in the Vicarage.
A fortnight today (Sunday 30th November) is Advent Sunday,
when we will join our Methodist friends at West Drive at 10.30
am (note the time!) for an ecumenical service.
That afternoon at 4.30 pm you are invited to join a shared meal and
Agapé in our Church. If you are able to come, please bring a plate of food
to share. This will be followed by a Celtic healing service at 6 pm.
Our Christingle service this year will be held on Sunday 7th
December, at 6 pm.
The Women’s Help Society Christmas Party will take place on Wednesday 10th
December (note the date!) in the Tower Room at 7.30 pm.
Thursday 11th December: Carols round the village. Details
later.
Sunday 14th December: “Lights of Love”, at Manorlands at 4
pm.
Friday 19th December: School carol service, in Church.
Sunday 21st December at 6 pm: our Carol service, in Church.
Monday 22nd December: Children’s Christmas Workshop, in
Church from 10 am to 1.30 pm.
Fran is drawing up the rota for Junior Church. We are still hoping more people will
volunteer to be ‘helping hands’. If you could help at all, please contact Fran
on 642500 or June on 642529.
Contemplative Prayer, the prayer of silence: the first Wednesday of
every month at Saint Mary’s, from 1.30 to 2.30 pm: and also the Third
Monday of every month (this includes this Monday!) from 8 to 9 pm
at West Drive Methodist Church. For more information please contact June
(642529).
Are you a
visitor to our Church? You will find plum-coloured GIFT AID ENVELOPES in the pews (hopefully together with a pen!). If you pay UK Income Tax
and would like us to be able to recover the tax you have already paid on your
giving, would you please use one of these envelopes for your collection money
or other donation? Any cheques should be made out to “Oxenhope PCC”.
Next Sunday, 23rd
November
Christ the King:
the Sunday next before Advent R
10 am: Parish
Communion.
Our Church has a
link at www.oxenhope.org.uk
The Diocese’s website is: www.bradford.anglican.org
To discover more about the faith log on to www.rejesus.co.uk
Rotas
for the next few weeks:
Today,
Sunday 16th November: the
Second Sunday before Advent. Family Communion and Parade. Sidespersons: ???
& Michael Cope. Coffee: Celia Holmes. Cleaning, Church & Tower: Audrey
Butler & Doris Ocansey. Flowers: Jackie Cope.
Next
Sunday, 23rd November: Christ
the King – the Sunday Next before Advent. R/W. Epistle, Ephesians 1.15-end:
Celia Holmes. Gospel, Matthew 25.31-end: Jeremy Mackrell. Intercessor: Margaret
Hindley (Leeming). Sidespersons: Jan Berry & Janet Cox. Coffee: Pauline
Bedford. Cleaning, Church & Tower: Pat Schofield & Jean Dunn. Flowers:
Kathryn Sharp.
Sunday
30th November: ADVENT
SUNDAY. On this day we will join our friends of the Methodist Church at
West Drive at their 10.30 am Service. At 4.30 pm at our Church:
Celtic Healing prayer and Agapé Service.
Sunday
7th December: the
Second Sunday of Advent. P. 8.30 am. ‘Prayerbook’ Service of Holy Communion. 10
am, Parish Communion. 6 pm, Christingle Service. At 10 am: Old Testament:
Isaiah 40.1-11. Epistle, 2 Peter 3 8-15a: Hugh Dunn. Gospel, Mark 1.1-8.
Intercessor: Jennifer Whitaker (Black Moor & Haley). Sidespersons: Hazel
Belsey & Edna Randall. Coffee: The Bennetts. Cleaning, Church & Tower:
Anne Collinson & Kathryn Sharp. No flowers in Advent.
Thursday
11th December: Carols
round the village.
Sunday
14th December: the
Third Sunday of Advent. P . Family Communion with Parade. Old Testament, Isaiah
61.1-4, 8-11: Robert Whitaker. Epistle, 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24. Gospel, John 1.6-8, 19-28. Intercessor: . Sidespersons: Michael Holroyd and Gordon
Cox. Coffee: Margaret Hindley. Cleaning, Church & Tower: Robert Whitaker
& Eileen Holmes. No flowers in Advent.
“Lights of Love”, at Manorlands at 4 pm.
Friday
19th December: School carol
service, in Church.
Sunday
21st December: the
Fourth Sunday of Advent. P. Old Testament, Samuel 7.1-11,16. Epistle, Romans
16.25-27: Jane Mooney. Gospel, Luke 1.26-38. Intercessor: Jeremy Mackrell
(Hebden Bridge Road). Sidespersons: Jane Clavin & Nigel Sutcliffe. Coffee:
Jackie Cope. Cleaning, Church & Tower: The Bennett Family. No flowers in
Advent.
6 pm: Carol service.
Monday
22nd December: Children’s
Christmas Workshop, from 10 am to 1.30 pm, in Church.
Wednesday
24th December: Christmas
Eve. 4 pm: Crib service. 11.30 pm, Midnight Mass. Old Testament, Isaiah
9.2-7: Rob Schofield. Epistle, Titus 2.11-14. Gospel, Luke 2 1-14.
Thursday
25th December: CHRISTMAS DAY. W. 10 am, Festal Eucharist. Old Testament, Isaiah 52.7-10. Epistle,
Hebrews 1.1-4: Andrew Collinson. Gospel, John 1.1-14. Flowers: Norma Mackrell.
Sunday
28th December: the
First Sunday of Christmas – The Holy Innocents. R. Old Testament, Jeremiah
31.15-17. Epistle, 1 Corinthians 1.26-29: Ruth Holroyd. Gospel, Matthew
2.13-18. Intercessor: Frank Atkins (Uppertown). Sidespersons: Sheila Pawson
& Tony Holmes. Coffee: Christine & Frank Atkins. Cleaning, Church &
Tower: Brenda Emmett & Sue Harding. Flowers: Norma Mackrell.
Sunday
4th January 2009: the
Second Sunday of Christmas - Epiphany. W. 10.30 am, Covenant
Service at the Methodist Church, West Drive.
Margaret Hindley and Pauline Hudson clean the Chancel.
Celia Holmes cleans the toilets, tidies the kitchen and washes tea towels.
Cover for illness or for emergency only, please: Sidespersons, Chris Jones
(646056): Coffee, Kathryn Sharp (643279). Sidespeople tell the Celebrant the
attendance number, count the number of children present and select people to
take up the Elements, and also add up the collection money. Readers and
Intercessors: please contact Jeremy Mackrell (642325) or Jackie Cope (646472)
respectively if unavailable.
Priest in Charge: Reverend June Medhurst
Associate Priest: Reverend Ken Medhurst
The Vicarage, 20 Gledhow Drive,
Oxenhope BD22 9SA.
Tel.: 01535 642529.
Days off: Fridays and Saturdays.
In
an emergency on a Friday or Saturday please contact either of the Church
Wardens, Andrew Collinson (644447) or Jackie Cope (646472).
