Epiphany
5 Jan 2023 • General news
This Week’s Readings
Isaiah 60. 1-6
1Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Ephesians 3. 1-12
1I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles - 2for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, 3and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. 8Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Matthew 2. 1-12
1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 2‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’ 7Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Those Who Live in these Roads
Boyd Close, Julian Close, Solent Drive, Squires Croft, Dorothy Powell
Jonathon Rd, Edingale Rd, Beckfood Drive, Merryfields Way, Linford Walk
Holmcroft, Hemingford Rd, Norman Avenue, Peacock Ave, Wavendon Clse
Wigston Road
Those who are sick or in need of our prayers
Iain Rees, Ken Fisher, Eden Brown, David Wall
Eileen Bees, Edna Robinson, Ken Sharman, Margaret Davoll
Roger Carradine, Kathryn Raven, Nicola Harwood, Sue Parkins, Peter Hughes, Coral Carson
News
Youth Gathering January
Our next youth gathering will be WEDNESDAY 25th January from 6pm - 8pm. This event is for all our young people in secondary school. Hang out in church with lots of food and time for chatting about life & faith. Let Revd Tom know if you can make it and feel free to invite friends. RSVP: 07539 551 398 or revtomcook@stmaryscoventry.org
PCC
Please pray for the PCC as we gather on January 17th. If you want to find out more about what it means to be on the PCC then please chat with Revd Tom. Here is a brief description about the purpose of the PCC: The PCC exists to cooperate with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social & ecumenical. It has responsibility for pursuing vision, overseeing staffing, managing finance, stewarding resources & agreeing policy.
Coffee Club
Bring & Share Lunch
On January 29th we will be having a bring and share lunch following our service where we are celebrating the stories of people in St. Mary's.
- Stories We are looking for you to share your stories of St. Mary's and your stories of faith. Please tell us how you came to St. Marys, what you love about it here, a significant event, or even tell us about how you came to faith!
- Lunch We want everyone to feel like they can contribute to our Bring & Share Lunch. Please let Revd Tom know if you are planning on contributing a dish towards the lunch. There will be a sign up sheet at church or you can message or email Revd Tom on 07539 551 398 or RevTomCook@StMarysCoventry.org