28th December 2025 – Benefice service Matthew 2:13-18. Today’s lectionary readings bring us firmly back to earth with a bump after Christmas. As I read them I began to question why on earth I had volunteered to preach today! Just 3 days ago, we gathered in church to worship together and joyfully celebrate Jesus’s birth. …
Author archives: Philip Rawlings
Sermon 2025-12-18
18th December 2025 – Lessons & Carols Already we have joined with the choirs of angels praising God and singing ‘Glory to God in the Highest.’ Now in this short space of time ‘Come let us go’ and join with the shepherds and go down from the hillside to Bethlehem. Come let us go Come …
Music 2025-12-18
18th December 2025 – Lessons & Carols 19:00pm Carols Choir Carols Advent Wreath Prayer IV – Malcom ArcherOf a Rose – John RutterThe Oxen – David HansellAdam lay y’boundenPast Three o’clockLove came down at Christmas – John RutterGaudete Congregational Carols Once in royal David’s city – CfC2 or 100 Of the Father’s sing – in unison from …
Sermon 2025-12-14
14th December 2025 – Third Sunday of Advent Isaiah 35:1-10 When Isaiah penned his “Rivers In the Desert” poem, Judah was in a bad way—internally Judah was corrupt and externally it was under threat of foreign invasion. But the poet of audacious hope does not despair; instead he proclaims that God will come, and in …
Sermon 2025-12-07
7th December 2025 – Second Sunday of Advent Polemic politics, nuclear testing, unjust imprisonments, genocide, misogyny, racism, deportations, suicides – all in our newspapers an on our televisions in the past couple of weeks. I’m sure we could add more to the list. Pain. Violence. Anger. War. Aggression. Suffering. And in the midst of it, …
Reflection December 2025
Reflections from the Rectory – December 2025 I believe in ‘wintering’. Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. They hunka …
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Music 2026-01-11
11th January 2026 – 1st Sunday of Epithany 16:00pm Choral Evensong Organ Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 610) – J S BachIntroit A New Year Carol – Benjamin BrittenHymns Op: 49 (1st tune) Brightest and best; aP: Behold, a tiny tender babe (tKingsfold NEH 376) F: 30 O come, …
Music 2026-01-04
4th January 2026 – The Epiphany/2nd Sunday of Christmas: 10:30am Parish Communion Organ A Fancy – Thomas Tomkins Introit Personent hodie – Anonymous, arr. Holst Hymns Op: 49 (2nd tune) Brightest and best; G: 28 In the bleak midwinter (vv 1,2&5) [IA: A solis ortus]; Of: 40 What child is this; F: 36 …
Music 2025-12-28
28th December 2025 – The Holy Innocents 10:30am Benefice Communion Organ Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen – BrahmsIntroit The Coventry Carol – Anon. 16th centuryHymns Op: Good King Wenceslas looked out; Gloria substitute Good Christians all, rejoice!; G: 39 Unto us a boy is born Of: 21 …
