December/January E-Magazine 2020/21

In this edition of E-Magazine we have:

For a full printable magazine click the file below

Christmas 2020

This year, Christmas will not be like any other we have experienced. It is a type of bereavement where we grieve for the Christmas we wanted, the family, friends and traditional celebrations; many of these will not be possible this year. Being Welsh the absence of singing is a great sadness for me, and for many of us.

There are some things that I won’t miss about Christmas though. Most of all I won’t miss the adverts insisting that to have the ‘perfect day’ you must buy their product. Each year, we are told that Christmas is about creating the perfect day, with the perfect meal, with a perfect family. All we have to do is buy the stuff the advert is selling. The strange thing is that this quest for a perfect happy day is the opposite of the Christmas story. At Christmas we celebrate that Jesus is born into a world and a family in crisis. No matter how bad your Christmas might be, it won’t be as bad as Jesus’ first Christmas. Born in poverty, in the cold and in danger, in a backwater town and in a back room of a stranger’s inn.

The theme for Christmas this year from the Anglican Church is Comfort and Joy. This might seem a bit strange as there isn’t much joy about at the moment. But if we look deeper we can find great joy in Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Throughout

December we will be taking the parish on a journey from the beginning of humanity where the first promise of Jesus was made, right through the Bible to his birth. We will be publishing carols and readings done by members of the parish, that lead us day by day deeper into the story of Christmas. Each week we will also be publishing podcasts explaining the deep meaning and joy of Christmas, to inspire us at this dark time. On 20 December we will combine the carols and readings to publish an online carol service. This will also be made into a CD for those who don’t have the internet to be able to listen to. (Please let us know if you would like a CD delivered to you) We have also produced a series of readings for each day in December; these follow the same theme of Jesus coming into our world to bring Comfort and Joy.

Each year we are told by the John Lewis Advert that Christmas is about the perfect day, so when the day isn’t perfect we feel bad. This year we all know that Christmas isn’t going to be the way we wanted it to be. We are feeling the same as God does about his whole world, as the world isn’t the way he wanted it to be. God’s answer is not to ‘magic’ it all better, but to join us in this imperfect, messed up world. The Comfort and Joy of Christmas is that God understands what it’s like for plans to go wrong and to suffer in a messy world. Jesus is with us, able to understand how all this feels, because he has been there too.

Rev Hywel Snook

Christmas wreaths

St James are taking orders for

delicious Christmas cakes and the

ever-popular Advent wreaths

Place your order by email to

kathrynmills@talktalk.net or call 01454 318157

Note for comparison:

Tesco and Waitrose charge £12 for a 907g iced Christmas cake

Online Carol Service 2020
 
 This year we are producing an online carol
 service which everyone can be involved in. We have had a great response from the
 parish for readers and singers for the service so far. Here are three other ways you can get involved.
 
 ¨ Send in a picture which brings you comfort and joy, to the parish office. We will use these pictures to make the videos for some of the carols in our service
 
 ¨ Make a window display and send in a picture of it.
 
 ¨ Use the daily readings and prayers during December (list of readings in this magazine on page 7).
 
 ¨ Share the content around social media.
 
 If you don’t have the internet let us know and we can send you a CD version of the service.

 Rev Hywel Snook

It will be a blue Christmas without you
 
 Every year we are told that Christmas is about having fun and being with family and friends. The trouble is that Christmas, for many people, isn’t happy but difficult, and this year more than ever. It’s important, vital really, that we tell this truth and pray through it. In St James on 13 December at 10:30 we will hold a Blue Christmas service where we can pray for those who are not looking forward to Christmas because someone they love will be missing. This service is dependent on Covid restrictions allowing us to hold the service so make note of any updates that are sent by email or on the website.

 Rev Hywel Snook

“So, what about Christmas?”
 
 In any normal year we begin planning Christmas services in early September. That hasn’t been possible this year because of the uncertainty caused by the Covid virus. At the time of writing this article there still remains a great deal of uncertainty and there is, as yet, no guidance from the Government or the Church of England. We have, however, begun to make some plans based on the following working assumptions:

 that some limited form of worship will be allowed;
 that singing will continue to be forbidden; and,
 that numbers will have to be restricted
 
 Because of the restriction on singing it makes no sense to hold a Carol Service in church since the main purpose of a Carol Service is to be reminded of the Christmas story by singing carols. We have therefore decided to broadcast a Carol Service online at 6.30pm on Sunday 20 December. It will follow the traditional pattern of nine lessons and carols and involve pre-recorded contributions from people from across the Parish. This Carol Service is also being linked with a series of short Advent Reflections which you will be able to watch every evening from 1 December until the evening of the Carol Service.
 
 On Christmas Eve we plan to hold Midnight Communion services in St. James’, St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s following the same Covid-safe protocols that we have been using since July. However, numbers will be limited so you will need to book your place in advance through the Parish Office. We will also hold the usual Christmas Eve afternoon services: Nativity Retold at St. Nix at 4.00pm and three consecutive Crib Services at St. Mary’s to accommodate numbers – these will be at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm. Again, you will need to book your place for any of these services and we will only be able to admit people to St. Mary’s 10 minutes before the start of the service to allow the previous congregation to leave and the church to be sanitised.
 
 Because we anticipate that some people may not gain a place on Christmas Eve we will be holding additional services on
 Christmas morning. There will be a short service at each of St. Nix, St. James’ and St. Mary’s, all starting at 10am. At
 St. Nix and St. James these will be Communion services. Again, you will have to book your place to attend one of these services. I realise that it is inconvenient having to book, but it is the only way we can assure you a place and avoid having to turn regular worshippers away at the door. Booking is very straightforward – you just have to phone or e-mail Pam in the Parish Office (Tel: 313105 or parishoffice@yateparish.org.uk) to let her know which service you wish to attend and how many people will be in your household bubble. Pam will then be able to confirm your booking by e-mail.

 Rev Ian Wallace
 

Christingle 2020
 
 A Christingle with a difference
 (as with everything this year!)
 JOIN US on Saturday 12 December
 at 4.30pm via Zoom
 Contact Gail Thomas on gail@yateparish.org.uk
 for joining code and instructions.
 ALL ARE WELCOME

Spread the light in a dark world

During December we are asking everyone to create a window display, similar to the one shown here and on the back page. (Chris Ainslie created the displays to give an idea of what to do.) We are making these displays to show that even in the darkest times the Light of Christ shines out to bring Comfort and Joy.
 
 If you email the Parish Office we can arrange for materials to be dropped off for you to make your display. When you have made it please take a picture and send it to the office for us to put it on our Facebook Page.

Daily Readings for Advent 2020

In Advent we will be publishing readings, Poems and Carols each day online. We are also asking people to use these
 readings below in their personal prayer time. The pattern of these readings follows that of our Carol service. Beginning in Genesis we follow the promise of Jesus right up till his birth at Christmas.

St Nix Giving Tree
 
 At St Nix we usually have a giving tree where labels are hung with children's ages and people buy a toy appropriate to that age group. This year we are unable to have a tree but would still like to collect gifts for children. The gifts will be taken to Nextlink- changing the face of domestic abuse support services. If you would like to buy a toy please do not wrap it and do not buy anything that requires batteries. We are hoping to have a service of worship on 6th December when gifts can be dropped off. However, in case the service does not take place or you are unable to attend, Sue Harrison in the office at St Nix is happy for gifts to be dropped off – please call her on 01454 324712 to agree a day and time when the doors will be left unlocked to give access to the box for your donation.

The Nativity Trail returns to Abbotswood
 
 Following the success of last year’s trail following the Nativity story in and around Abbotswood, the figures will return from the 10 December. The trail consists of 8 almost life-size wooden figures with QR codes on them which link to a retelling of the Christmas story as you go around. You can download a map from our website Yateparish.org.uk to print out at home or to do the whole trail from your phone! The figures head back to St Nix Church in Abbotswood on the 23 December ready for the family service at 4pm on Christmas Eve.

Through the week
 
 Monday — NEW—Mossy Church @ 2pm For pre-school children and carers, come prepared for seasonal weather. Please contact Rev. Gail Thomas to book your place. Tel: 07746 050 607 or Email: gail@yateparish.org.uk
 
 Wednesday
  11.30am St James Morning Prayer
 
 Thursday
  09.45am St Mary Holy Communion

Yate Parish Labyrinth of Lights
 
 Please visit our Labyrinth in St Mary's Churchyard, marked out using 100 solar lamps. Many of these lights are dedicated to the memory of a loved one or a prayer intention. The Labyrinth shows that even in the darkest time of the year light still shines. 2020 has been a uniquely difficult year for all of us: walking the labyrinth can allow us to pray without words, walking with God and allowing him to bless us.
 
 How to Pray the Labyrinth
 Enter the labyrinth with a question or a thought, and hold that thought as you walk to the centre. In Chartres they say it is like re-entering the womb with your cares and concerns, taking these concerns to the heart of all things, then as you return outwards you are reborn leaving your worries at the centre. There is something beyond words in such a way of praying, a way of meeting God and receiving that care beyond
 imagination.

Services throughout the Parish
 
 Sunday 6 December
 Second Sunday of Advent— PURPLE
 Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1: 1-8
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Morning Worship
  6.30pm 630 Praise—follow link on website
 
 St Nix
  10.30am Holy Communion (also live stream)
 
 St James
  10.30am Holy Communion
 
 St Peter
  4.00pm Book of Common Prayer 1662 Evensong
 

  Sunday 13 December
 Third Sunday of Advent—PURPLE
 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-end 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Holy Communion
  6.30pm 630 Praise - follow link on website

 St Nix
  10.30am Morning Worship (also live stream)
 
 St James
  10.30am Blue Christmas Service (see page 4)
 
 St Peter
  4.00pm Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer 1662
 

Sunday 20 December
 Fourth Sunday of Advent—PURPLE
 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Romans 16:25-end Luke 1:26-38
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Morning Worship
 
  6.30pm On Line Carol Service
 
 St Nix
  10.30am Holy Communion (also live stream)
 
 St James
  10.30am Holy Communion
 
 St Peter
  4.00pm Book of Common Prayer 1662 Evensong
 

Christmas Services
 
 Thursday 24 December
 Christmas Eve—WHITE
 Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12) John 1:1-14
 
 Friday 25 December
 Christmas Day—WHITE
 Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
 
 Sunday 27 December
 First Sunday of Christmas—WHITE
 Isaiah 61:10-62.3 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2: 15-21
 
 St Nix
  10.30am Morning Worship (NB: NO live stream)
 

 Sunday 3 January
 Second Sunday of Christmas
 Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:(1-9), 10-18
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Morning Worship
  6.30pm 630 Praise—follow link on website
 
 St Nix
  10.30am Holy Communion
 
  St James
  10.30am Holy Communion (also live stream)
 
 St Peter
  4.00pm Book of Common Prayer 1662 Evensong
 

 Sunday 10 January
  First Sunday after The Epiphany
 Genesis 1:1-5 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11
 
  St Mary
  10.00am Holy Communion
 
  6.30pm 630 Praise
  follow link on website
 St Nix
  10.30am Morning Worship (also live stream)
 
 St James
  10.30am Morning Worship
 
 St Peter
  4.00pm Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer 1662
 

Sunday 17 January
 Second Sunday after The Epiphany
 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20) 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Morning Worship
  6.30pm 630 Praise - follow link on website

 St Nix
  10.30am Holy Communion (also live stream)

 St James
  10.30am Holy Communion

 St Peter
  4.00pm Book of Common Prayer 1662 Evensong
 

 Sunday 24 January
 Third Sunday after The Epiphany
 Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Holy Communion
  6.30pm 630 Praise - follow link on website

 St Nix
  10.30am Morning Worship (also live stream)

 St James
  10.30am Morning Worship

  St Peter
  4.00pm Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer 1662
 

 Sunday 31 January
 Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany
 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28
 
 St Mary
  10.00am Holy Communion
  6.30pm 630 Praise - follow link on website

 St Nix
  10.30am Morning Worship (also live stream)

 St James
  10.30am Morning Worship

 St Peter
  4.00pm Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer 1662
 

Christmas Services through the Parish
 
 These Services will need to be booked in advance via the Parish Office either by email or phone. There will be a limited number of spaces at each Service and people will be seated within their bubbles in church. — see page 5.