Sunday Worship 1st January

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to our Sunday Worship on the first Sunday after Christmas. This morning there will be just one service - a Parish Eucharist at 11.00 am at St Thomas' Church. All are most welcome to join us, but if you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a reflection and prayers are shown below.

Our first hymn this morning is "Light of the World (Here I am to Worship)"

 

Today's Gospel

Luke 2:15-21                       The Shepherds and the Angels

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.

Reflection

Here we are on the eighth day after Christmas. The day we celebrate the naming of the son of God. Jesus which comes from the Hebrew word Yeshua that signifies, “the Lord is Salvation”. Despite repeatedly hearing this wonderful story of our Lord’s birth and incarnation in human form, it never ceases to amaze what a wonder this is, and what an awesome gift. In fact one could argue, that it is the first ever Christmas present. God’s own present to us, his chosen people.  

And what a gift that is; God sent his only son to be with us in flesh, and ultimately die to save us all from our sins and from being separated from God. Jesus, our true salvation, ‘God with us’. It shows us just how much God loves us and wants to be present in our lives.

To quote Shakespeare, (from Romeo and Juliet), “What’s in a name?” 

Well in Jesus’ case, it was the name Mary was told to give him by the angel Gabriel, before he was conceived in her womb.  It is no ordinary name. It reveals Jesus’ relationship to humanity and to each of us. He is constantly with us, every time we call His name and pray, he promises to hear us.

Every time we mention His name, we acknowledge the need for God’s salvation and mercy. Every time we turn to Jesus, we renew our personal relationship with him and open ourselves to His forgiveness, His love and His healing power. 

So, let “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11). We, like the shepherds in Luke’s gospel, have a duty to share the good news of God’s Kingdom.  Like them we should glorify and praise God for all we had heard and seen. 

Paul

Our Prayers

Loving Father, as we start a new year,

we ask you to be with us in all that we do.

Guide us to more considerate and think of others as well as our own needs.

As we turn to you for your help and support;

let us also be there for people who we are able to help.

We thank you for being always present for us in your son Jesus.

Help us to walk with him and proclaim the good news of your Kingdom,

and the message of faith, hope and peace in our world.

Amen.

Our final hymn today is "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear"

 

Christmas Worship

 Christmas Worship

Welcome to our Christmas Worship in Leesfield Parish. Our Midnight Mass is at 11.30 pm at St Thomas' Church, and Christmas Morning Eucharist is at 9.15 am at St Agnes' Church. All are warmly invited to join us at this very special time, whether you usually attend church or not.

If you're unable to be with us in person, you'll find the Gospel Reading, a short reflection, and a prayer below, together with a few Christmas Carols to sing along to at home.

Our first carol is "Once in Royal David's City"

Today's Gospel

Luke 2:1-14(15-20) The Birth of Jesus  

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Nazareth Joseph also went from the town of in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace among those whom he favours!"

[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.] 

Our second carol is "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Reflection

Well here it is again, and this year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, so we have a double reason to worship and praise God today! Let me start by wishing everyone a heartfelt message of joy and blessings this Christmas Day.

Hopefully, for a lot of folk, despite the current economic situation, there will still be much celebrating, opening of presents and lots of tasty seasonal food, including of course the ubiquitous brussels sprouts!

Unfortunately, for some people things will not be quite so good, because there is still so much real hardship and many are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet without the added pressure of Christmas. This year more than ever we need to hold in or hearts and think about the poor, the lonely and the homeless, both in and beyond our community. 

If we look a little closer at this nativity scene, we should perhaps reflect that in this story of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth, Jesus does not come to us born in a palace with wealth and influence. Rather, he comes to us in very austere and humble circumstances. He was born in the most basic of conditions and his parents didn’t have nice new clothes for the infant or a nice hotel. From the very moment Jesus came into the world, he experienced what it must be like to have very little, to be poor. Jesus was born where he needed to be, with the poor and the needy.

Luke tells us that Mary treasured the story of the shepherds, when they came to see Jesus. The shepherds were deemed as outcasts in those days, disrespected by most and often considered as untrustworthy or unclean. They were even shunned by the church for working on the Sabbath. But God chose to send his angels to them first with this huge message of joy and these outcasts had the privilege of being the first to pay respect to Jesus and Mary. 

God chose to send his son amongst those who were most in need, and to share the good news with those who were looked down upon by society. God chooses to bring joy to those who need him most; and throughout his ministry, Jesus would always love and care for the poor too. He makes time for those in need. Not only did He set us an example, but He also made it absolutely clear, that if we want to be part of His Kingdom, it is also our duty to love and look after those in most need.  Perhaps we could be one of God’s messengers this Christmas and bring joy to someone in need..    Paul

The third carol is "Whilst Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night"

 

Our Prayers

In the quiet moments of prayer this Christmas, 

that brief rest from the busyness of our lives;

bring alive to us, the smell of the hay, the sound of the animals

and the cry of a baby.

Be with us this Christmastime.  

Amen

The fourth carol is "Away in a Manger"

A Christmas Blessing

May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary and the peace of the Christ child
be yours this Christmas

Our final carol is "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

Christmas News

 Christmas in Leesfield Parish

Our Christmas Celebrations are very much under way, so here are a few photos from the last week.

It was really difficult to choose which ones to add on here - many more can be found on our facebook pages - 

StThomasLeesfieldSundaySchool

leesfieldparish

Last Sunday the four Advent Candles were lit, and then in the evening we had our Parish Carol Service at St Thomas' Church. It was great to welcome back Sam and Ben to play for us at the service - here's a photo of them, and just so you can see how they've grown up, there's one from Carol Singing at the Co-op in 2017.

The Posada figures have been travelling around the parish, staying in the homes of our families and parishioners. They will be returned to church on Christmas Eve, at the Nativity and Crib Service at 5 pm at St Thomas' Church.

On Monday evening, a small group of us went Carol Singing around the village. The rain held off for us, and we were welcomed by parishioners who were really pleased to see and hear from us. We collected an amazing £75.05 for the Booth Centre for homeless people in Manchester.

Our Church Services on Christmas Eve will be the Nativity and Crib Service at 5 pm at St Thomas' Church, and the First Communion of Christmas at 11.30 pm, also at St Thomas'.

The Christmas Day Eucharist is at St Agnes' Church at 9.15 am. All are warmly invited to join us at any of our services!

As usual, there will be a Gospel Reading, reflection and prayers posted on here tomorrow night, and we'll be putting some Christmas Carols on too for you to sing along to at home if you're unable to get into Church.

Wishing you all every blessing from everyone at Leesfield Parish.

 

Sunday Worship 18th December

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our services are at the usual tims of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'. If you're not able to be with us in person you can find the Gospel, a reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn to day is "My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord" - a lovely setting of the Magnificat

Today's Gospel

 Matthew 1:18-25                       The Birth of Jesus Christ

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Reflection

Earlier this year, a small group of parishioners from Leesfield and St. John’s church were privileged to attend a series of bible study classes led by Rev. Lyn. One of the things we considered was the context of each Gospel, who they were written by and who the intended audience was. The Gospel of Luke, for example, was written by a Gentile for a Gentile audience and is more detailed in detailing facts and historical context. On the other hand, Matthew was a Jew addressing the Jewish people. As such, he makes many cross references to the Old Testaments and the prophets, and effectively ties the Old and New Testaments together for us. Given that background, it is not surprising, that in his account of the birth of Jesus, Matthew chooses to focus on establishing the genealogy of Joseph and Jesus as being solidly Jewish from the line of David as foretold by Isaiah.

     

Within the reading, something jumped out for me. When the Angel appears to Joseph in a dream, he says, “do not be afraid”. It struck me how many times we hear that reassuring phrase in the bible. The Angel Gabriel says the same thing to Mary and similarly to the shepherds watching their flocks. I have to admit, I had previously thought that this was just a comforting greeting given the shock of seeing an angel, (which are generally perceived to quite large compared to humans). I am fairly sure that if I saw something like an angel, I suspect my first reaction would be one of fear, even if it was in a dream.

But is the message of reassurance just to quell a reaction to the appearance of the angel or is it something more? In most instances, when an angel appears or God speaks, it is usually as a precursor to asking someone to take an enormous step in their lives. The Angel Gabriel is asking a teenage, unmarried virgin girl to bear the son of God. Wow, that’s something to be at least a little bit frighted about. With Joseph, who Matthew goes to pains to point out, is a righteous Jew, he is being asked to go against his instinct and the teaching of Jewish law and take Mary to be his wife. An action that will bring shame on the family and go against his personal and religious ethics. 

Similarly, if we look at the Old Testament, we see the phrase “do not be afraid” many times when other great people from the bible are asked to take up outrageous challenges: Moses when he is asked to deal with Pharoah the King of Egypt, (and a self-appointed God), Abraham, when he is asked to leave his country and his family, or Joshua when he is told to face the combined armies of the Kings of the north at the waters of Merom.  

All of these instances required not just a leap of faith but also a leap of action. I have no doubt, at some time we may all have to make challenging decisions as part of God’s plan for us, as we follow the commandments Jesus gave us, to Love God with our whole hearts and minds and souls and love our neighbours. When that time comes, it will be our opportunity to listen for a voice calling us to take action, and be guided by Immanuel, (Jesus with us), as he reassures us, “Do not be afraid”.                    Paul 

Our Prayers

Divine Father, help us to listen carefully to your call, and to not be afraid to say Yes to what you ask us to do. 

Thank you for your patience when we don’t always respond right away or put off doing what we ought to do.

Come Lord Jesus, strengthen me with the promise of your steadfast presence and saving love, set my heart and actions to fulfil your righteousness ways and purpose.

Amen.

Today's final hymn is "Thou Did'st Leave Thy Throne and Thy Kingly Crown"

Notices

This evening we have our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols. All are warmly invited to join us.

Then tomorrow evening we will be out Carol Singing around Lees. We meet at St Thomas' Church at 6 pm, and we'll be collecting for the Booth Centre as we go.

 

Christmas Update

 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas in Leesfield Parish

Christmas Trees 😊 

Christingle 😊

Advent 3 Candle 😊

You can find lots more news and photos on our facebook pages -

https://www.facebook.com/leesfieldparish

https://www.facebook.com/StThomasLeesfieldSundaySchool

This Sunday's services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas', 

Also on Sunday, we have our special Parish Carol Service at St Thomas' Church at 6.30 pm. This is a traditional service of 9 lessons and carols with additional musical items, and everyone is warmly invited to join us, whether you usually come to church or not. We will be having light refreshments after the service, and the draw for the Parish Hamper Raffle will take place then.

On Monday evening, we will be out singing Christmas Carols around Leesfield Village, and collecting for the Booth Centre for homeless people in Manchester as we go. Please feel free to come along as we take Christmas out to the people who might not be able to come to us  - the more the merrier!  

During the week, we have our usual Tuesday Morning Service of Holy Communion at 10 am at St Thomas' Church, and then on Wednesday evening, 6.30 pm at St Agnes' it's our special Christmas service for Worship for all Generations. More next week about our Christmas weekend services - we're really looking forward to seeing you!

Sunday Worship 11th December

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to our Sunday Worship on the Third Sunday of Advent. The third Sunday is known as "Gaudete Sunday", and is traditionally a day for breaking the period of fasting during Advent.

Church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'. If you're unable to be with us in person, you'll find the Gospel, a reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn this morning is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Today's Gospel

Matthew 11:2-11                        Messengers from John the Baptist

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.’

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection

We start this Gospel passage with John the Baptist in prison, having some doubts as to whether Jesus is the Messiah that the chosen people have been waiting for. As we heard last week, many thought that the Messiah would come and sort out all that was wrong with the world. They expected that the long awaited Lord would come to chastise and punish, and sort out the wrong doers with his winnowing fork, bringing retribution upon them. But John from what he has heard becomes unsure about Jesus’ approach, and so he sends his messengers to ask him bluntly, “Are you the one who is to come or is there another?” 

Jesus sends the message back describing his actions, healing the blind, lame, deaf and lepers. Exactly the words that were foretold by Isaiah (35: 5-6). For Jesus’ ministry is one of compassion and love.  The signs of Jesus in the world are the signs of love, generosity, healing, peace, reconciliation, and all that goes to make for a better world, in ways large and small. They are the signs of the kingdom.

It would be wrong for us to assume that John has lost faith in Jesus, moreover, he is looking for reassurance which Jesus is happy to provide by describing the actions that were prophesied by Isaiah.

But there can be times for us also, when we might be tempt to question our faith in Jesus or the church. Especially when things are going wrong in our lives or in the world. Jesus knows this and even if we have doubts, he is waiting to reassure us too.

For many, it is at times when things are a struggle for us that we turn to Jesus most, because we are blessed with a strong faith. Perhaps we might ask ourselves, do I turn to Jesus because I love Him, or do I only seek him out when I need something? The truth is that Jesus is always there for us, waiting for us to come to Him.  Jesus is not only our Saviour; He is our friend and our guide and wants to hear us talk with Him and share or lives with Him all the time.  Why not make a little time to spend with Jesus, after you’ve read this reflection. 

Jesus is always present with us; however, we are often the ones not present to him.  If we open our hearts to Him, Jesus will be there with us and He will grace and guide us.  May we trust Him always!

As we prepare for his coming this Advent, may we feel His presence and let Him, be the source of or joy and hope.                 Paul 

Our Prayers

Father of all, you sent John the Baptist to straighten the path for your Son Jesus,

That we might hear His word and follow His example of service, compassion and love.

Let our faith not be tested and let feel His presence with us at all times,

Fill or lives with the joy and hope that Jesus wants us all to know.

Amen.

Our final Hymn this morning is "Gaudete"

Notices

Next Sunday evening at 6.30 pm we have our Parish Carol Service at St Thomas' Church. All are warmly invited to come and join us.

Then on Monday the 19th December we'll be out Carol Singing round the village. We'll be meeting at 6 pm at St Thomas' Church, and all are welcome.

Sunday Worship 4th December

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the second Sunday in Advent. Our church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'. This afternoon we also have a Christingle Service at 3 pm at St Thomas' Church. All are welcome to come along to this lovely family service - all you need to bring is an orange.

If you're not able to be with us in person, the Gospel, reflection and prayers can be found below.

Our first hymn this morning is "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry"

Today's Gospel

Matthew 3:1-12                                     John the Baptist Prepares the Way

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection

In this second week of Advent, we focus on John the Baptist, the one who jumped for joy in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, in the presence of the unborn Jesus. He is often referred to as ‘The voice in the wilderness’ a direct reference to the prophesy of Isaiah (40:3) and is also sometimes referred to as the last of the Old Testament prophets. 

He came to herald the coming of Christ the Lord. His preaching in the wilderness paved the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ. He came, ‘to make His paths straight’. He came to ask people to repent of their sins so that they could be re-united with a merciful God.  He baptised them with water as symbol of cleansing. He asked the people to look at themselves and truthfully examine their behaviour, then to repent of their sins. For the way to straighten the path for Jesus was to be truly sorry for their transgressions and ask to be cleansed. 

John the Baptist was not one to mince his words either, as he made clear when addressing the Pharisees. He calls them out for their shallow holiness and smug sense of security and superiority, His point being that you need to do more than be seen to be good, you need to be good at heart as well. 

Through his preaching and by baptising people in the Jordan, John turned many sinners into righteous people to pave the way for Our Lord’s first coming.

For ourselves, we need to make sure that we are also prepared for the Lord’s second coming. To do so we need to put Jesus at the centre of our lives, rather than ourselves, and take heed of John’s warning not to be complacent or self-satisfied. We need to look at our lifestyles and ask ourselves; where might we have wandered form the straight path. What are we not doing or not caring about that we should be doing? What are our daily priorities and what are or who are we neglecting in the world? We can ask Jesus to help us to be honest with ourselves and then ask his forgiveness and to help us change our hearts. 

Most people reading this will have been baptised, and we should remember that we were baptised not only with water but also with the Holy Spirit. As part of our baptism, promises were made to renounce sin and serve God. Maybe today, we should take a little time to renew those promises and take our lead from the Holy Spirit to reflect on how we are serving God and preparing for Jesus coming again.                Paul

Our Prayers

Merciful Lord, you came to us as a weak and dependant infant,

May we be willing to follow in your vulnerability 

To strip away selfish material needs that we hide behind, and let it burn like chaff. 

May our lives and way we live, bear fruit that glorifies you, and clear the way for your coming again. 

Amen.

Today's final hymn is "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending"

Advent News

 Advent News

Now that we're into December there's lots going on in Leesfield Parish. On Saturday 3rd December we start our Christmas Tree Festival, and it's also the Christmas Fair up at St Agnes' School. Please see the posters for details.

Our Sunday services this week are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas', and will be our annual Toy Services. If you are able to, please bring a Toy, which will be sent to the local women’s refuge for kids who wouldn’t have had a present this Christmas. Toys can also be donated at the 6.30 pm Wednesday evening Worship for all Generations service at St Agnes'.

In the afternoon at 3.00 pm we have the parish Christingle Service at St. Thomas. All are most welcome to come along – all you need to bring is an orange.

Please remember to use easyfundraising when you do your Christmas online shopping this year.

Over 7,000 brands including eBay, Currys, Argos and M&S will donate to St Thomas St Agnes St Hugh - Leesfield for FREE when you use easyfundraising to shop with them.

This means you can raise donations for us when you buy anything from decorations and festive food shopping to gifts like toys, jewellery, tech, experiences and more!

These donations really help us and all you have to do is use easyfundraising when you’re ordering the things you’ll be buying anyway. Just visit our easyfundraising webpage for more details and easy instructions how to donate. - easyfundraising leesfieldparish

Finally, all of the Christmas Services and events can be found on the poster below. We'll be giving more details nearer the time, but please save the dates!