The last Sunday of November and the last Sunday before Advent, eight tower bells rang out calling all to worship and St. Mary's was well attended for the morning Eucharist. The service was in the care of Rev. Dennis Baxter and began with the choir singing the beautiful introit, 'Rejoice in the Lord' by Purcell. The processional hymn was 'O Worship the King.' The first reading of the morning was from the Book of Jeremiah and read by Lady Penelope Meyrick. The Lord said 'The shepherds who shepherd my sheep shall gather them from all the lands from whence they were sent and bring them back to their fold." Mrs. Jean John read the second reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians. St. Paul urges the Colossians 'may you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power.' Psalm 46 and a reading from the Gospel of Luke by Rev. Dennis followed these readings. The Gospel of Luke relates the death of Christ on the cross at a place called The Skull. Whilst on the cross he was mocked, rebuked and derided. Rev. Dennis gave the sermon. He pointed out that sometimes we do not see the wood for the trees. "We come to church each Sunday, listen to the readings, sing the hymns, listen to the sermon, but do we actually notice and consider what is being said or sung? Is it something we have always done and it has become a habit? If you do not believe, why are you listening? "How do we know that we are given the truth? You do not know what to lean on. "Thousands of years ago, two Rabbis - both scholars, held individual versions of the truth. After these versions were put to the test, the judgement made for us was that we should follow the Nicene Creed, and this will be confirmed when we enter the Gates of Heaven. We have to depend on our belief in the Bible. What do we believe in the Eucharist we are about to receive? In the Gospels, Jesus Christ breaks the bread and shares it with his disciples, if you do not believe that the Bible is the authoritative word of God, do not take the sacrament. If you believe that the Bible is the word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit, take the sacrament. In our heart of hearts, we must believe there is some authority behind the communion. "What is the point of it all if we do not believe in it all? The Bible is not a fable, it has the authority of the Holy Spirit. Come to this place with expectation. "Do we come here to learn? I sincerely hope so." Mr. Malcolm Stacey led the congregation in prayer. "We thank you for your gifts to us which far outweigh what you ask us to bear. We thank you for the beauty of the earth, which we take for granted and abuse constantly. We thank you for the good health most of us enjoy and ask you to ease the suffering of all those in pain." The offertory hymn was 'Crown Him with many crowns'. Rev. Dennis invited all to join him in communion at both altars. During the Eucharist, the choir sang, 'Praise to thee Lord Jesus' by Schutz. The final hymn, 'Christ is the King, O friends rejoice', was followed by the dismissal, "Let us go forth in peace in the name of Christ." Thank you to all who supported the choir coffee morning and the 'In Tune' youth choir concert. This Sunday, at 6 pm, there will be a Benefice Advent Service at St. Mary's. On Thursday, December 6, at 7 pm, there will be a service of Community Christmas Praise at St. Mary's.
