Pew Notes

St Cuthbert’s NotesAdvent 28 December 2024

Music:

Introit Hymn                    589 -On Jordan’s bank, the Baptist’s cry

Gradual Hymn                  91 -Brother, sister, let me serve you

Offertory Hymn              280 -Hail to the Lord’s anointed

Communion Hymn          140 – Come, thou long-expected Jesus

Post-Communion Hymn 491 – Love divine, all loves excelling

Collect

Almighty God, who sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah, inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth, to turn our disobedient hearts to you, that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge, we may stand with confidence before his glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

First Reading: Malachi 3.1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?  For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Second Reading: Philippians 1.3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Gospel: Luke 3.1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” ’

~

Thank you:

Thank you to everyone who supported the Christmas Fayre, the helpers at tea and on stalls, all those who gave to the Tombola and came to buy at the fayre. A special thanks to Christa and Louise. We have had a very successful event and have been able to put a good sum towards church funds.                                                The Events & Fund Raising Team

More Thanks:

A huge thank you to the Events Group and other members of the Congregation who helped set up the tables for this year’s Christmas Fayre and to everyone who attended.   A very enjoyable and successful afternoon.                                       Thank you, George Bungay, People’s Warden

Christmas Afternoon Tea:

Today is the LAST day to purchase your tickets for the Christmas Afternoon Tea on Saturday 14th December (2.30pm – 4.30pm) – please speak to Joan or Judith. Tickets must be purchased in advance to attend.

Forget-Me-Notes: First and Third Monday of each month

An hour of music and memories followed by refreshments.  Please join us if you can, in the church hall, 2pm – 4pm.  The last 2024 date is Monday 16th December, then restarting again on Monday 6th January 2025.

Advent Top-Up Appeal: 

Our Bishop’s Lent Appeal in 2023 supported a clean water project at St Nicholas Seminary, Cape Coast in Ghana. This was both to provide a source of water and to bring in a steady income to support the training of ordinands.  Because of the generosity of the diocese, we were able to send more than £12,000 to the Seminary which at that point was expected to cover the costs of the project. Most of the work has now been done, but spiralling costs over the past two years and one or two problems along the way have meant that a further £3,200 is still required to get the water from the ground to the market. This Advent, will you help us raise the funds needed to get this project over the line? *

                                Bishop John and Ian Lawson, Diocese of Edinburgh Treasurer

                           * Please see more details in The Sign, and on our Website

Colinton & Merchiston Community Choir: Christmas Concert

8pm on MONDAY 9 DECEMBER in the Memorial Hall at Merchiston Castle School, Colinton Road. Tickets £10 or £5 for under 18s available from choir members or at the door (opens at 7.30pm) – cash only.   For more information, please see the poster and fliers in the hall. 

Holy Trinity Foodbank: ‘Santa’s Store Cupboard Gifts’

Thanks to all those who donated Christmas gifts for this collection. Thank you, Susan Clark

Confirmation Service:

There will be a confirmation service on February 2nd and anyone who would like to be confirmed should get in touch with me please.   Thank you, Revd. Nicki

Weekly Prayer:

Dear Father, so that the world can be a better place, we pray for the advent of your kingdom. May we expedite that advent by trying to put selflessness, love and kindness at the centre of our lives. Help us to create peace and a sense of justice amongst those around us. Let us strive to do this in your name, dear Lord. Amen.

Advent & Christmas Services and Events

(Usual Sunday services and times 15th, 22nd, 29th December)

Saturday 14th December – Christmas Afternoon Tea

(Tickets, £10 per person available from the Events Team Today!)

Sunday 15th December, 6pm –

A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols

Wednesday 18th December, 7pm –

Carols at The Colinton Inn

Tuesday 24th December – Christmas Eve:

  3pm – Crib Service

11.30pm – Midnight Mass

Christmas Day – 10.30am – Sung Eucharist

Scottish Charity Number: SC007578

www.stcuthbertscolinton.org.uk