Text Box: Sunday 5th February  

“my eyes have seen your salvation,

A light to lighten the Gentiles and to be

the glory of your people Israel” Luke 2 

 

A very good morning to everyone and a warm welcome. This Sunday we observe as a bridging Sunday between the Christmas/Epiphany season and the Sundays leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent.

We look back to Mary and Joseph bringing the child Jesus to the temple to name and dedicate him to God’s service, and the recognition and acknowledgement of him by the insightful Simeon and Anna. Thus a curtain raises for us as in the name of Jesus we undertake our own self dedication and commitment to Christ in lent

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Opening hymn   82  Christ Whose Glory

 

 

The first reading: 1 Samuel 1: 19-28

   Hannah Dedicates Samuel

 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him."

When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always."

  "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

  After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.  When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.

 

 

 
 
 


      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around the Gospel    291 Laudate Dominum

 

Gospel : Luke 2: 22 - 40

  On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord),  and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

   Lord now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word,

   For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all people,

  To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of your people Israel

   The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.  There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.  Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.  And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

 
 
 

 


      

 

           

 

                                    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                
 
 
    Offertory hymn 566 Ye Servants of the Lord
     
             Communion / Eucharistic Prayer:
             Sung responses can be found on page 8
    If you would like to receive 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:    273 Jesus Name Above All Names

                                                   (sung  repeatedly  quietly and prayerfully)

Lord you fulfilled the hope of Simeon and Anne who lived to welcome the Messiah, may we commit and dedicate ourselves even more fully as disciples of Christ, and walk with him to the new life you give us by  your spirit Through Jesus Christ our Lord  Amen
 
 

 

 

 

 

 


       Recessional hymn:    46 At The Name of Jesus  Omit verse 3

 

 

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 Sunday Lunch.    The next Sunday lunch will be on Sunday 19th February at the home of Ben and Ann. Everyone is invited. Please sign up on the list at the back of the church. Cooks are needed, recipes will be given and all expenses reimbursed.

 

Christmas  Cards. A big thank you to Carol Marcer for her wonderful effort towards the Centenary Appeal. 1200 recycled Christmas cards were produced and sold! Thank you.

We are already thinking of next year!

Photos were taken of our beautiful Christmas crèche here at St. John’s and we plan to make cards depicting the crèche. Carol also plans to make cards again next year, so we would be grateful for your cards that you received this year to be recycled, so please bring them to church.

A thank you also to Cathy Edwards for her cards, she also keeps us well supplied all year with a variety of cards.

 

Birthday cards. Don’t forget to look on the display stand at the back of the church where you will find a selection of very attractive greeting cards made by Carol Siddell.

 

Centenary Appeal. If you look at the thermometer at the back of the church you will see that the total is now 57000 euros. Thank you to everyone.

          

     St. John’s Church                      The Reverend Canon Ben Eaton

             Avenue Paul Doumer                 04 94 40 48 61

              www.sjevar.com                         revbeaton@aol.com