Pew Sheet, Sunday, 5th January 2025, The Feast of the Epiphany

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany which falls tomorrow, but it is also the first Sunday that we have met since the New Year. In France, it is not customary to send new year greetings until New Year’s Day at the earliest, after which cards and greetings can be sent for the entire month of January. It is a nice way I think, of extending the season of goodwill beyond Christmas which officially ends with twelfth night this evening, and gives us opportunity to remember friends and family in the days which lie ahead, some of them filled with hope and the expectation of good things to come, whilst others face the New Year with trepidation, particularly when we look at things from a geopolitical context and all that is wrong with the world – and in some parts of the Church (though not all of it I hasten to add!)

I do not agree with the Archbishop of York’s call for the entire ‘Church of England’ to repent of the recently reported abuse cases, though all those individuals involved, both the perpetrators, and those who protected them or did not show enough professional ‘curiosity’ about the outcome or actions taken in response to the reports of abuse should indeed do so. But to talk about the Church of England as if it were a single institution rather than a complex constellation of institutions, dioceses, deaneries, and at base level, parishes, is to make the basic error which much of the press have done and continue to do. The Church is not an institution – though the people at the top often behave as if it were. It is a body, a body of Christ’s people (1 Corinthians 12:12), and as the body of Christ we must weep with those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn, because when one part of the Church suffers, all suffer. This means that we must come alongside those who have been hurt and abused by individuals and by specific institutions within the Church (not least its lawyers and insurers who often compounded the pain of the victims by urging delay in acknowledging failings or accepting responsibility when things went wrong); and we must reform those processes and systems by which it is governed so that such occurrences never happen again, and the interests, needs, and reputation of ‘the institution’ are never placed above the interests, needs, or care of those it is supposed to serve as Christ’s body.

Our Collect today, asks that God will guide and sustain us as we continue to journey on our pilgrimage of faith towards Christ, our journey’s end; just as

the Magi’s journey of pilgrimage was inspired by the one who made us heirs to those same promises they beheld in the scriptures and were guided by that same light to the one who came to bring the light to the world. Note however, that Isaiah does not say that the thick darkness which covers the earth and its peoples will immediately be dissipated, any more than the months ahead will not bring fresh challenges, difficulties, or disappointments to some or all of us in different guises. But as we celebrate Epiphany with the Magi today, let us look to the light which has risen to guide us, and no matter what disappointments, challenges or difficulties – including any navigational errors we make on the way, he WILL bring us – all of us – to the brightness of that new dawn and our journey’s end when our own individual pilgrimage is over, and I can wish all of you because of that, a Happy New Year indeed!

Collect

Creator of the heavens who led the Magi by a star to worship the Christ-child:
guide and sustain us, that we may find our journey’s end in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth
and thick darkness the peoples,
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together; they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried in their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you;
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I, Paul, am a prisoner forChrist Jesus for the sake of you gentiles, for surelyyou have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ and to make everyone seewhat is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Post Communion Prayer

Lord God,
the bright splendour whom the nations seek:
may we who with the wise men have been drawn to your light,
discern the glory of the presence of your Son,
the Word made flesh: Jesus Christ our Lord.

This Week’s Events

Monday

Bell Ringing, 7.30pm in St Laurence. Contact Jan on 07835 461361.

Julian Prayer Group, 8pm on Zoom: ID: 996 4332 0665 and password: Julian.

Tuesday

Zoom In Morning Prayer, 9am. Meeting ID: 748 9970 4493 password: Trinity or contact Didier on [email protected]

Evening House Group, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more information.

Wednesday

Morning Coffee, 10.00-11.45am in the St Laurence Room.

Midday Communion, 12.00 noon in St Laurence Church.

Thursday

Daytime House Group, contact Jo on 07803 942 687 for more details.

Friday (William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645)

Junior Choir at 6.30 pm followed by full Choir Practice at 7.30pm. Contact Derry on [email protected] if you would like to join in this term.

Pastoral Care

Please call: 07305 271 148 or email: [email protected]