Thoughts from The Vicarage with Remembrance, Advent & Dates
Greetings! Please open up Pews News giving you the week’s dates, prayers and readings. Diary dates are at the end of this email and I am now, due to public demand (!) including Christmas .. but for now we’re looking ahead to Remembrance Sunday this weekend. All Remembrance services listed in Pews News.
Last weekend I felt truly encouraged and would like to say on everyone’s behalf ‘Thank you to All Saints for hosting a wonderful Patronal Festival culminating in refreshments! Special thanks to the Revd Mary Harwood who preached a most memorable sermon. Similarly, thanks to all who prepared the All Souls service in St Michael & All Angels along with the serving of delicacies for tea.
Service and ministry come in many forms. These two services bought together a whole array of various gifts from different people. Could you use your gifts creatively and effectively by becoming a governor or trustee at a Church of England school, like Lambourn Church of England Primary school or academy trust? In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of a board that provides leadership and oversees the performance of the school or trust. To express an interest and find out more, see the attached flyer, have a chat with myself, Ruth Honey (Chair of Governors) or directly contact: Tracy Makin, School Support Officer tracy.makin@oxford.anglican.org
Advent Courses this December: this year we have not only a choice of time but also a choice of content….
We Believe We say the Nicene Creed in church nearly every week. This year marks the 1700th Anniversary of its original development. Using free resources from the Church of England we will reflect on our belief in God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sessions will be Christine’s home at 2pm on Dec 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd.
O Come Emmanuel: Reflections on the Advent Antiphons. We will explore the ancient biblical names and images for the coming Messiah familiar to most people from the hymn, ‘O come, O come Emmanuel’. Well-known writers offer a total of twenty-four reflections, one for each weekday of the four weeks of Advent. Sessions will be at The Vicarage at 7pm on Nov 26th , Dec 3rd ,10th ,17th. Please let me know if you’d like to come.
Please hurry if you wish to apply for a great job opportunity with the Lambourn Alms Houses Trustees (of which I am one). We are looking to appoint a capable and committed individual to help ensure the smooth running of this long-established local charity. 15 hours per week (flexible), £16 per hour, Home working and at Isbury Almshouses. Start date: 5 January 2026. www.lambournalmshouses.org/clerk
Thanks to those who have sponsored me as I Walk 60 Miles in November for Prostate Cancer Research. If you would like so to do please let me know.
Finally a prayer:
O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish,
and those whose names we will never know.
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever.
God bless
Julie
Diary Dates
- November 8th 10.40 – Act of Remembrance – East Garston War Memorial
- November 9th 10.45 – Remembrance Sunday – St Michael & All Angels
- November 9th 10.45 – Act of Remembrance – St James
- November 16th – Safeguarding Sunday
- November 30th – Advent Sunday
- December 14th 5pm – Carols & Christingles – St James
- December 14th 6pm – Carol Service – All Saints
- December 16th 6.30 – Jingle & Mingle – St Michael & All Angels
- December 19th 3pm – Dress up Nativity service – St Michael & All Angels
- December 21st 6pm – Carol Service – St Michael & All Angels
- December 24th 4pm – Crib service – St James
- December 24th 4pm – Christingle – St Michael & All Angels
- December 24th 11pm – Midnight Mass – St Michael & All Angels
- December 25th 9am – Christmas Day – Communion All Saints
- December 25th 10.30 am – Christmas Day – Communion St James
- December 25th 10.30am – Christmas Day – Communion St Michael & All Angels
- December 28th 10.30 – Holy Innocents Day – Holy Communion (said) St Michael & All Angels