ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, and EPIPHANY 2017–18

You are warmly invited to your parish church of St John’s this Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. We would be glad to welcome you to any of our services and events. Or just pop in – we’re open from 8.45am to 5.30pm every day. Fr John Pritchard Vicar johnapritchard@hotmail.co.uk 020 8771 6686

Fr Daniel Trott Assistant Curate

sjuncurate@gmail.com 020 8771 5307

sjun.org.uk

‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ Matthew 1.23

Christmas is a time to remember that God is with us:

• in Advent, as we wait for his light to dawn • at Christmas itself, when he comes to us as a helpless baby • during Epiphany, when we see God at work in the man Jesus

Come and join us at St John’s this Christmas, as we explore and celebrate the many ways God is with us.

The constant refrain of Christmas, in carols and readings, is that God is with us. In whatever situations you find yourself this Christmas, God is with you – you need only turn to him and ask to know his presence. Archbishop Justin Welby

ADVENT

Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, and is a time when we prepare for Jesus to come among us.

• HIGH MASSES IN ADVENT

Sunday 3rd December, 10am Sunday 10th December, 10am Sunday 17th December, 10am Sunday 24th December, 10am

At our High Masses on the Sundays of Advent, our children will lead us in prayer as we light the candles of the Advent wreath.

• ADVENT CAROL SERVICE Sunday 3rd December, 6pm

On the evening of the First Sunday of Advent we mark the start of the season with a service of music and readings about the coming of Christ.

• CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE Wednesday 20th December, 8pm

As Christmas approaches, we celebrate with a traditional service of music and readings.

• CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP Thursday 21st December, 9.30am–12.30pm

Come along to the hall for a morning of Christmassy activities for children, ending with lunch. Contact sjunoffice@gmail.com for more details.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas begins in the evening of Christmas Eve, when we celebrate Jesus’s birth, and lasts about twelve days.

• CRIB SERVICE

Sunday 24th December, 4pm

We begin to celebrate Christmas with a service for children: come and hear the Christmas story as we build the nativity scene.

• MIDNIGHT MASS

Sunday 24th December, 11.30pm

The first Mass of Christmas, with carols to celebrate the birth of Jesus, ‘God with us’.

• HIGH MASS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY Monday 25th December, 10am

Another celebratory service with more carols: the perfect way to begin Christmas Day!

• HIGH MASS FOR ST JOHN’S DAY Wednesday 27th December, 11am

The feast day of our patron saint, St John the Evangelist, followed by lunch in the vicarage.

• HIGH MASS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS Sunday 31st December, 10am

We continue to celebrate Christmas as we remember the Holy Family.

EPIPHANY

Until the end of January we continue to celebrate Jesus as ‘God with us’.

• HIGH MASS FOR THE EPIPHANY

Sunday 7th January, 10am

At the start of this season we remember the visit of the wise men to Jesus’s home. Come and collect chalk with which to bless your home.

• HIGH MASS FOR THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Monday 8th January, 8pm

On this day we celebrate the start of Jesus’s adult ministry with his baptism in the River Jordan.

• PANTOMIME: DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT Friday 26th January, 7.30pm Saturday 27th January, 7.30pm Sunday 28th January, 3pm

Written and performed by members of the St John’s community, our biennial pantomime is not to be missed! Fun for all the family!

• THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST

IN THE TEMPLE (CANDLEMAS) Sunday 28th January, 10am and 6pm

The Epiphany season comes to a close as we remember that Jesus is the light of the world: High Mass at 10am (with the blessing of candles) and Choral Evensong at 6pm.

Normal services continue during the Christmas period:

• on Sundays

o Morning Prayer at 9.15am o High Mass at 10am, with children’s groups o Choral Evensong at 6pm (sometimes Evening Prayer)

• on weekdays

o Morning Prayer at 9am (except bank holidays and 27th Dec.) o Evening Prayer at 5pm (except bank holidays and 27th Dec.) o Mass on Wednesday at 9.30am (except 27th Dec.) o Mass on Saturday at 10am

You would be most welcome at any of these services, at our regular meditation sessions (Mondays at 6pm and Tuesdays at 3.30pm), at our drop-in, the Upper Norwood Hive, on Wednesdays (1–3.30pm), or at anything else we run. See our website (sjun.org.uk) or contact sjunoffice@gmail.com for more details.

St John’s welcomes children, and has two Sunday school groups that meet during Mass on Sundays: Diddy Disciples for under-7s, and Junior Disciples for 7-year-olds and over. We would be very happy to welcome your child.

ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, and EPIPHANY CALENDAR

Sunday 3rd December 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10am 6pm

High Mass Advent Carol Service

Wednesday 6th December 9.30am Low Mass with homily Sunday 10th December 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10am 6pm

High Mass Choral Evensong

Wednesday 13th December 9.30am 8pm

Low Mass with homily High Mass for St Lucy

Sunday 17th December 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10am 6pm

High Mass Choral Evensong

Wednesday 20th December 9.30am 8pm

Low Mass with homily Christmas Carol Service

Thursday 21st December 9.30am– 12.30pm

Children’s Christmas Workshop

Sunday 24th December 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10am High Mass

Sunday 24th December CHRISTMAS EVE

4pm 11.30pm

Crib Service Midnight Mass

Monday 25th December CHRISTMAS DAY

10am High Mass

Wednesday 27th December JOHN THE EVANGELIST

11am High Mass

Sunday 31st December 1ST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS

10am High Mass

Sunday 7th January THE EPIPHANY

10am

High Mass

Monday 8th January THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

8pm High Mass

Sunday 14th January 2ND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

10am 6pm

High Mass Choral Evensong

Sunday 21st January 3RD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

10am 6pm

High Mass Choral Evensong

Friday 26th January 7.30pm Pantomime Saturday 27th January 7.30pm Pantomime Sunday 28th January PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

10am 3pm 6pm

High Mass Pantomime Choral Evensong