St Thomas à Becket
Pews News
Priest-in-Charge: The Reverend Lucy Sullivan
Tel: 01243 941 551 Email: mthrlucy.pagham@gmail.com (Rest day: Friday)
Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Rosemary Towse
Email: rosemarytowse@talktalk.net
Churchwarden: Mr Alex Brockhurst
Tel: 07792 544259; Email: alex.brockhurst@hotmail.co.uk
Churchwarden: Mrs Sue O’Neill
Tel: 07867 904780; Email: suesdesignservices@gmail.com
Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jan Brockhurst
Email: safeguarding@paghamchurch.org
Find us online: www.paghamchurch.org // StThomasPagham@gmail.com// @StThomasPagham
Registered charity number 1134842
SUNDAY 24th decEMBER 2023
fourth sunday of advent // christmas eve
Sunday 24th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick & Pagham)
ADVENT 4 16:00 Crib Service
CHRISTMAS EVE 21:00 Bethlehem Midnight Mass
Monday 25th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick)
CHRISTMAS DAY 09:30 Parish Eucharist for Christmas Day
There are no public services 26th– 30th December, however, the church will be open for private prayer between 10:00- 16:00.
SUNDAY 31st DECEMBER 2023
first sunday of christmas
Sunday 31st 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick)
CHRISTMAS 1 09:30 Parish Eucharist (Said service)
Monday 1st January No public services today
Naming & Circumcision of Jesus
Tuesday 2nd 10:00 Eucharist (Aldwick)
Basil the Great 17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
& Gregory Nazianzus
Wednesday 3rd 09:30 Breakfast Club- Manor Farm
17:30 Evening Prayer (Zoom)
Thursday 4th 09:00 Morning Prayer (Pagham)
10:00 Holy Communion (Pagham)
17:30 Evening Prayer (Aldwick)
Friday 5th No public services today
Saturday 6th No public services today
Sunday 7th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick)
The Epiphany 09:30 Parish Family Eucharist
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 7: 1- 11, 16
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.
Psalm 89: 1- 8 The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Romans 16: 25- end
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.
Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 26- 38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Barbara & Alan Crew, Karen Cox, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Mike Hatzfeld, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Lucia, Jessie Hutchins, Jeanne Dalton
Recently departed:
Anniversary of death: Audrey Hunt, Daphne Wells (25th); Montague Austin, Margot Fisher, Edna Stevens (26th); Nicholas Carr, Terry Wice, Yvonne Clark (28th); John Monkton (31st); Florence Austin (1st); Elsie Barker (2nd); Richard Hardy, Reginald Potter (3rd); Patricia Harvey, Patricia Norton, John Gray (4th); Frances Weston (5th); Vanessa Knight, Julia Balk (6th).
We pray for peace and especially for and with the people of Ukraine. We pray for all those caught up in conflict, and for those seeking safety and refuge on these shores.
We pray for the people of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. For the peace of the Holy Land. For those who will weep, and fear, and die this day.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: Heavenly Father, who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of the promised saviour: fill us your servants with your grace, that in all things we may embrace your holy will and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
Almighty God, who wonderfully created us in your own image and yet more wonderfully restored us through your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as he came to share in our humanity, so we may share the life of his divinity; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament reading: Isaiah 61: 10- 62: 3
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Psalm 148: 7- end The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Galatians 4: 4- 7
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Gospel Reading: Luke 2: 15- 21
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Post Communion Prayer: Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home: help your Church to live as one family, united in love and obedience, and bring us all at last to our home in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next week’s readings: The Epiphany
Isaiah 60: 1- 6; Psalm 72: 10- 15; Ephesians 3: 1- 12; Matthew 2: 1- 12
Christmas Greetings
Thank you to you all for your contributions to our celebrations of Christmas – singing, music making, cleaning, flower arranging and extending hospitality to the many who have visited over the last few weeks and joined us for carols and celebrations. I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas and every blessing for the new year. Mthr Lucy.
The Christmas Raffle
Many thanks to those who sold raffle tickets for the church over the last few weeks. We raised a fantastic £780 for church funds. Well done.
The Collection plate– If you would like to make an offering, please use the contactless Payaz machine or the collection plate, both can be found by the door. Thank you for your generosity.