The Welland-Fosse Benefice: Prayers and Notices.

 Sunday 13^th December 2020:  Advent III

 

• Please remember in your prayers those who are sick: Janette Saunders, Ann Hensby, Bishop John Holbrook, and Will Beattie.
• Pray too for the souls of the recently departed, including June Fitton.
• Today, Holy Communion will be celebrated at Morcott Church at 9.30am, and the Zoom Service will come from Barrowden at 11am. Zoom Compline is at 6pm with a short presentation to consider the Advent themes of darkness and light in Shakespeare.
• Zoom Morning Prayer continues on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8.30 am., with Compline on Thursdays and Sundays at 6pm.
• Next Sunday, Morning Worship is at South Luffenham at 9.30am, the Zoom Service at 11am and Zoom Compline at 6pm with a presentation on the symbolism of Advent in the work of Holman Hunt.
• The Benefice Carol Service will be premiered on Sunday 20^th December at 4pm on YouTube. Book the date! The simplest way to access it is to visit the benefice website – to view it, simply go to fosse.org and click on the link.  It will stay up throughout Christmas to be enjoyed by anyone. 

 

BARROWDEN:

Please look out for our Advent Windows to cheer us.  Once open, each window will remain open every day until December 27th. 

 

DUDDINGTON

Saturday 19th 17.00.  Family carols in Manor veg garden (Near village hall).  Mulled wine and mince pies will be served, but please bring your own vessel. 

 

MORCOTT

Christmas plans include outdoor Carol Singing on Thursday 17th at 6pm, led by a small choir from the churchyard. Christmas Eve Communion 10pm 24th led by Canon Sarah Brown: please book seats with Jane on 747157.  

Advent Windows continue to ‘open’ each evening, with the final one at church: see village website or posters for trail info.

 

SOUTH LUFFENHAM

Our Advent Windows are going from strength to strength – please have a walk around the village to see them.

Services next Sunday (20th Dec) 9.30am Morning Worship in Church led by Christopher and 6pm Compline zoomed from our Church. 

Please note that the Village Hall is open on Fridays from 11-12 (the same time as the mobile Post Office) for the lending library. 

The Foodbank were very grateful for special Christmas donations which we took in this week. The main collection will be this Wednesday morning. 

 

MEDITATION:

There was some research published last week which stated that patience is good for our mental health. We have all had ‘Patience is a virtue’ quoted at us at some point usually by parents. We have all had to learn slightly more patience recently but when most of us were young, we had to wait for things or save up for them. Do money boxes still exist?

 

Nowadays there is the expectation that if we want something, we can have it immediately. Consequently buying presents for children is really difficult as they have what they want during the year. Advertising is aimed at instant gratification too. Only £170 per month for a new car and other offers that are time limited to entice us to buy now.

 

Christmas is often a time for children waiting to see what presents they have received and I can remember not being able to wait and looking in my mum’s wardrobe! The church is in the season of Advent which is a time of waiting, of being prepared, of anticipation.

 

But God does not keep his gift to us a secret; he is only too willing for us to accept it. There is a gentleness in waiting, a time to reflect. In her book “The Meaning is in the Waiting” Paula Gooder writes:

“…we need to relearn how to wait, to rediscover the art of savouring the future, of staying in the present and of finding meaning in the act of waiting.”

 

May we all find meaning in the waiting at this time.

God bless.

 

See wellandfosse.org for much more information, including contact details for

The Very Rev Christopher Armstrong and the churchwardens