EPIPHANY
It might have been just someone else’s story,
Some chosen people get a special king.
We leave them to their own peculiar glory,
We don’t belong, it doesn’t mean a thing.
But when these three arrive they bring us with them,
Gentiles like us, their wisdom might be ours;
A steady step that finds an inner rhythm,
A pilgrim’s eye that sees beyond the stars.
They did not know his name but still they sought him,
They came from otherwhere but still they found;
In temples they found those who sold and bought him,
But in the filthy stable, hallowed ground.
Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice
To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.
MALCOLM GUITE
There is no proper Newsletter this month but normal service will resume in February.
Despite the concerns about the resurgence of Covid as Christmas approached, we managed to hold the Guild Christmas Lunch, the Nativity Service, Christingle, and Services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. These were all well supported and held as safely as we were able and we hope you still felt the joy of Christmas in these times. Our thanks also go to the Foster family for providing a proper Festive Lunch for our Post-graduate friends, an opportunity to celebrate together when away from their families.
Christmas Appeal
A fantastic amount of £665 was raised from our Christmas appeal. £250 was delivered to the Salvation Army and £330 to the Women’s Refuge, the remaining £60 has been used for the Children we support and their presents were delivered in time for Christmas. I know they were very excited.
The Women’s Refuge were immensely grateful for our continued support and were particularly thankful for money as they have quite a few teenagers and whilst the younger children get plenty of presents it’s the teenagers who miss out. The money enabled them to buy gift cards as well as other suitable gifts for them. Your generosity has made a difference to so many people so thank you from The Salvation Army, the Women’s Refuge and the families, I hope you all had a joyous Christmas and I wish you a peaceful New Year.
Susan Bollon
| CALENDAR for JANUARY | |||
| 2nd | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers |
| 9th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by our Minister |
| 12noon | Church Meeting | ||
| 11th | Tuesday | 12.30pm | Guild Lunch |
| 16th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by our Minister |
| 23rd | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by Dr Kevin Ward |
| 4.00pm | Worship@4 | ||
| 30th | SUNDAY | 9.30am | Morning Worship at Headingley Methodist Church |
As our minister, Rev Clare Davison is currently on leave, both Church Meeting and worship@4 are yet to be confirmed. Should there be an alteration in Covid regulations we shall advise you in church if possible and by email of any changes.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Miss Mavis Freeman passed away on Tuesday, 28th December. Mavis worshipped with us regularly until ill health prevented her from doing so. She was renowned for her work with the overseas students in the Chaplaincy at the University.
Aleck Brownjohn
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The week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated again this year from the 18th to the 25th January.
We have not received any information about any events for Churches Together as yet, but they will be announced in Church and emails will be sent out if, and when, available. The following article sets out the theme for 2022 from the ‘Churches Together in Britain & Ireland’ website.
‘The story of the Magi visiting the Holy Family in Bethlehem is one very familiar to us. The Magi have sometimes been seen as a symbol of the world’s diversity—different religions and cultures—that comes to pay homage to the Christ-child. The story might therefore represent the unity of all created that God desires.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 has been prepared by the churches of the Middle East, the history of which was, and still is, characterised by conflict and strife, tainted with blood and darkened by injustice and oppression. The Christians of the Middle East offer these resources conscious that the world shares many of the travails and much of the difficulties that it experiences, and yearns for a light to lead the way to the Saviour who is the light that overcomes darkness.
Serving the Gospel today requires a commitment to the human being, especially the poorest, the weakest and those marginalised. It requires from the churches transparency and accountability in dealing with the world, and with each other. This means churches need to cooperate to provide relief to the afflicted, to welcome the displaced, to relieve the burdened, and to build a just and honest society. This is a call for churches to work together so that young people can build a good future according to God’s heart, a future in which all human beings can experience life, peace, justice, and love.’