Happy New Year! We warmly welcome you to our zoom services and look forward to seeing you and worshipping with you on Sunday.
There is an Order of Service for our zoom services sent out to you with the Zoom link (also available on our website www.ascensionkentonnewcastle.co.uk). To join via computer or telephone. You can access zoom via a browser (zoom.us – you will need to allow microphone access and dial in using internet audio – video is optional – though we’d love to see you) or by downloading the app on your phone/tablet/computer.
As we moved into tier 4 restrictions we firstly hope everyone is safe and well. While churches are permitted to open for worship, we have made the decision to move back to our own zoom services while we are in tier 4. Tier 4 advises us to stay at home and to act with extreme caution. As such, we didn’t feel it was right to encourage gathering in our church for everyone’s wellbeing.
Collect for the Day
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face;
Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever
1st Reading
Ephesians 3. 1-12: God’s Marvellous Plan for the Gentiles
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Gospel
Matthew 2. 1-12 The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Intercessions for Epiphany Sunday
As we bow our heads in prayer today, always in Gods presence wherever we are, let us give thanks for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may not be in God’s house but as long as we feel God’s presence with us He will hear us and be beside us holding us in his loving arms.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY
Let us pray together for Bishop Christine and for Mark soon to be our Bishop of Berwick. It is a difficult time but we know our Lord is always with us whether we are in Churches throughout the world being led in prayer by clergy or worshipping together alone or through zoom from our own homes. Let us pray for those who always pray alone, for the housebound and lonely, those living on the streets, in shelters but never alone as God is always by our sides.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY
Today we give thanks for the birth of our Lord in a lonely stable and remember all those who are so lonely at this time, those who are isolated from the world due to the Corona virus, those who are in hospitals and homes reliant on the love and care of strangers. We may feel alone even today as we are together with Christ in our prayers, but let us reach out to others by phone, by letter, by technology and touch as many lonely people as we can to remind them they are thought of, cared for and loved regardless of the current terrible times we are living through and that God is holding them in His loving arms always.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY
We pray for our Queen and the leaders of our country and the world. Today we leave the European Union and once again after 50 years become independent and responsible for our own count ry. Please God give our leaders strength to listen and act on behalf of us all, to govern fairly, to listen carefully and act wisely so that we all may share our lives and use our resources for the benefit of us all. Let us never forget the rest of our worlds people the millions struggling to live daily and to continue to open our hearts and minds and share with them all that we have regardless of borders.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY
We pray for the millions throughout the world suffering from Covid and so many other illness’s. We give our deepest love, prayers and thanks, to all those using not just their medical skills but their hearts and minds and lives to care for and support all those in need. We ask you dear Lord to hold all those who are sick and scared and lonely in your ever loving arms and give them the love, joy and peace you give to all who need it. We pray especially at this time for Angela, bring her back to us, her family at the Ascension need her loving and caring ways.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY
We come and kneel before the infant Jesus
We adore and worship Him with the Shepherds and the Wise Men
We love Him with Mary and Joseph
We wonder at the ‘Word made Flesh’ and bow before the mystery that is Him
We sing Glory to God with the Angeles
And we go out in the world rejoicing and praising God
MERCIFUL FATHER
We are our Church – it is through us, our prayers, our actions, and our love we can keep worshipping, and sharing.
If you are able to offer to read or pray during our services (these can be pre-recorded and emailed to me, Leanne, to include) it would help us out a great deal – please do get in touch.
We are also looking for support to put together some offerings for our young people and families – again if you can be of any help (live or pre-recorded) please do get in touch.
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