Sunday 11th DecemberText Box:  - the Third Sunday in Advent

 “Rejoice always……..”          
                                        Thessalonians

Back

 

Welcome on this third Sunday in Advent when we light our next candle on our wreath – joy.

Please remember our Christmas Services and come and share together the joy of this Christmas season. 

 

***************************************

 A candle is burning for the joy his birth brings,

A joy that led Mary his mother to sing,

"My soul will worship the lord God above

And welcome his son with great joy and love.”
 

Opening hymn   456 Stand up and Bless the Lord    

 

The Epistle:  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24

 

Text Box: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

 

Around the Gospel     417  Praise God

 

Gospel : Matthew 22:34-46

 

Text Box: When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

 

Offertory hymn          313  Lord of all Hopefulness
 
   Communion / Eucharistic Prayer:
             Sung responses can be found on page 8

             If you would like to receive a blessing at the altar rail you are very welcome,

                and if you would like a special  prayer or a prayer for healing  please

                   indicate that to the priest when he comes to you

 

Communion hymn:    276  Jesus Remember Me

                                                   ( sung   quietly and prayerfully)

 

Text Box: O Lord our God, as we wait for the coming of your son, Christ our Lord, awaken us to attention and watchfulness, that our spirit may be eager to receive Him. Help us to make straight the way so that the will of Christ may speak to us. Amen

 

Recessional hymn:       283  Joy to the World

 

****************************************

                             

Christmas Services- St. John’s in theVar

 Carol Services

Friday  December 16th 18.30 Grimaud Village Church

                                    Refreshments in the village square. 

Sunday December 18th 18.00  St. John’s St Raphael

                                      Nine Lessons and Carols

                                   Followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

          Christmas Morning

Sunday December  25th 10.30 St. John’s St Raphael

                                          Christmas Celebration

                                         11.15 Maisons des Péres Lorgues

Christmas Lunch.

Joan Swan is organising a Christmas Lunch party on Christmas day, please speak to her for more details, sign up sheet at the back of the church.

St John’s Day Party Wednesday 28th December.

Ben and Anne invite you celebrate St. John’s day with a lunch party at their house. You are very welcome from 12.30. Please bring either a main course or a delicious homemade dessert to feed four people. Please sign up at the back of the church saying what you will be bringing.

Christmas Cards.

Are on sale today at 15 euros for 20cards.  With only two weeks before Christmas, you will probably find you need more cards than you have already bought! Please support the work Carol has put into producing these cards and the centenary fund by buying the last remaining packs today so that you don’t run out at the last moment.

Mince Pies and mulled wine Volunteers are needed to make mince pies to eat after the Nine Lessons and Carol Service here at St John’s on Sunday 18th December. And to take a bottle of mulled wine to bring back to the carol service heated and ready to serve in a thermos flask Anne will give you the mince meat and the mulled wine    Please ask for your goodies today!

 

   St. John’s Church                      The Reverend Canon Ben Eaton

      Avenue Paul Doumer                 04 94 40 48 61

      www.sjevar.com                         revbeaton@aol.com