Church For Tomorrow Project – Phase One- nearing completion at Little Paxton

Its been exciting and very rewarding to see the first part of our Church For Tomorrow Project nearing completion.

The splendid new screen, ringers floor and balustrade are in position and soon the new cupboards and lighting will be finished and floor coverings added.

 

The ladder is only temporary…. we wont be expecting the ringers to use it to access their new ringing floor!

We extend a warm welcome to anyone who wants to come and see all the completed tower work on Saturday December 17th from 11.00am onwards. There will be a chance to climb to the belfry to see the bells and restored clock and also to enjoy refreshments and a variety of stalls in church.

From 11.00am for half an hour or so our new ringers will be ringing and again later in the afternoon. This will be followed from c 4.30pm by visiting ringers coming to have a chance at pulling a rope on this new peal.

Prayers for the lighting of Advent Candles

Words for lighting candles on the Advent wreath.

 

See: www.churchofengland.org/media/41152/tandsadvent.pdf

for full texts for Advent services.

 

“ There are several traditions about the meaning or theme of each Advent candle.

The scheme that accords best with the Common Worship Principle Service Lectionary is:

 

Week 1 – The Patriachs

Week 2 – The Prophets

Week 3-   John The Baptist

Week 4-   The Virgin Mary

Christmas Night/Day – Jesus Christ.

 Each of the four Sundays then reminds us of those who prepared for the coming of Christ”  Text taken from the above web-site.

 

 Week 1 – The Patriarchs.

 God of Abraham and Sarah and all the patriarchs of old,

You are our Father too.

Your love was revealed to us in Jesus Christ,

Son of God, Son of David.

Help us in preparing to celebrate his birth

To make our hearts ready for your Holy Spirit

to make his home among us.

We ask  this through Jesus Christ the light who is coming into the  world.

Amen.

 

Week 2- The Prophets.

God our Father

you spoke to the prophets of old

of a saviour who would bring peace.

You helped them to spread the joyful message

Of his coming kingdom.

Help us, as we prepare to celebrate his birth

To share with those around us

The good news of your power and love.

We ask this through Jesus Christ the light who is coming into the world.

Amen.

 

 

Week 3 – John The Baptist.

God our Father

You gave to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age

a son called John.

He grew up strong in spirit

Prepared the people for the coming of the Lord

And baptized them in the Jordan to wash away their sins.

Help us, who have been baptized into Christ

To be ready to welcome him into our hearts

And to grow strong in faith by the power of the spirit.

We ask this through Jesus Christ the light who is coming into the world.

Amen.

 

 

Week 4- The Virgin Mary.

God our Father

The angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary

that she was to be the mother of your Son.

Though Mary was afraid

she responded to your call with joy.

Help us, whom you call to serve you

to share like her in your great work

of bringing to our world your love and healing.

We ask this through Jesus Christ the light who is coming into the world.

Amen.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.

 God our Father

Today the Saviour is born

and those who live in darkness are seeing a great light.

Help us, who greet the birth of Christ with joy

to live in the light of your Son

and to share the good news of your love.

We ask this through Jesus Christ the light who is coming into the world.

Amen.

Words for Advent Worship.

Its been strange still being grounded and not going out to play today at the village Advent Workshop. also strange not going to church tomorrow… though I might have a cunning plan…..

But I have really enjoyed taking time to read and reflect today  on some of the words for worship on Advent Sunday and the following are some of the lovely prayers which will be read in churches up and down the country as the season of Advent begins.

Advent Sunday 2011.

Opening Prayers  for worship.

Living God, touch this day with your presence

This moment with  your love.

Speak to us that we may speak for you,

Live in us that we  may live for you

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Eternal God,

Ruler of history

Lord of space and time,

Teach us to wait upon you now and always

Trusting that, though we  may not always see it

You are constantly at work

Bringing your saving purpose to fulfilment in Christ

In his name, we ask this

Amen.

Words of introduction to the confession:

When the Lord comes, he will bring to light things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. In that light we confess our sins.

Jesus says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. So let us turn away from sin and turn to him, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

Absolution.

May the God of love and power

Forgive you and free you from your sins

Heal and strengthen you by his spirit

And raise you to new life in Christ Our Lord

Amen.

Or:

The almighty and merciful Lord

grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins,

time for amendment of life,

and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.

All :  Amen.

The Collect for Advent Sunday.

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Shorter Collect.

Almighty God, as your kingdom dawns,

turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of your holiness,

that we may be ready to meet you in our Lord and Saviour,

Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Words for The Peace:

Jesus said:

“ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid

The peace of The Lord be always with you

And  also with you.

All: And also with you.

 

 In the tender mercy of our God

The day spring from on high shall break upon us,

To give light to those who dwell in darkness

And in the shadow of death,

And to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The peace of The Lord be always with you

And  also with you.

All: And also with you.

 

God will speak to his peoples;

To those who turn to him in their hearts

The peace of The Lord be always with you

All: And  also with you.

 

Post Communion Prayers

O Lord our God,

Make us watchful and keep us faithful

As we await the coming of your Son our Lord;

That, when he shall appear,

He may not find us sleeping in sin

But active in his service

And joyful in his praise;

through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

 

Generous God,
you have fed us at your heavenly table.
Kindle us with the fire of your Spirit
that when Christ comes again
we may shine like lights before his face;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

 

Gracious Lord,
in this holy sacrament
you give substance to our hope.
Bring us at the last
to that pure life for which we long;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Advent Blessings.

Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

 

 May God himself, the God of peace,
make you perfect and holy;
and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body,
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

Life without a Gall Bladder

………is remarkably like life with one… although its nice to know I wont be getting the pain I was having for some months ( years?) from my tummy that presumably was being caused by a GB full of stones.

When resting upon my couch upon returning home and looking at health message boards contributed to by post GB amputees, I found a wide range of agony and delight stories.

Some people fare really well and are back to work after a few days. Others have  uncomfortable symptoms for many weeks afterwards not least needing to dash to the loo a lot.

Its ten days after the event and I move around the house very well, had no painkillers at all after day 2 and could eat for England. Appetite has come back so want to make sure I dont put back the stone and a half I have lost. Tummy where the incisions were made by key hole is still a bit sore and Im not sure Im following the command not to lift anything ( much) . I want to drive but Im not sure I should yet…. maybe at the week-end? But I do feel very tired still and Mr Surgeon said that it can take up to 6 weeks before that wears off.

To prevent boredom and lack of brain activity, I have been catching up on my beloved paperwork and e-mails, ringing lots of people to see how they are and “receiving”  visitors… but not quite a la Downton Abbey.

Today I saw my dear friend Barbara today who moved away from our parish sometime ago.  We each had a hot water bottle and sat under a fleece to keep warm. Maybe I should have put the heating on?!

It’s nice not to be frenetically dashing around all the time and I appreciate the time I have to spend with people these few days. Instead of knocking on other people’s doors, people have come to me. More Flowers, Vicar! Yes please!

Am enjoying the splendid ” Rev” comedy series on BBC2 … episode 3 is on tonight. I find it funny and  at times very real and moving. Last weeks episode even made mention of London Diocese’s Mission Action Plans ( Rev Adam hadnt got round to doing one!) which all goes to show how well researched it is as MAPs are something London Diocese developed and have been implemented here in Ely Diocese over the past few years.

Thanks to all Paxtonvic readers, I’ve crashed through the 75,000 hits barrier… thats since May 2009 when paxtonvic was born. I hope it continues to be a useful site for readers in lots of different ways.

Great Paxton Pre-school Fayre November 26th

 Great Paxton PreSchool Christmas Fayre
Saturday 26th November
1.30pm to 4.30pm
Great Paxton Primary School
Free entry
Free mini Christmas tree for the first 50 children.
Santa’s Grotto, Teddy Tombola, fantastic raffle, Lucky Dip, Hampers, bargain toys, cakes, pet treats, plus many beautiful stalls to browse and buy!
Refreshments including mulled wine and mince pies.

With not being 100% fit this term I havent had  the pleasure of making regular visits to GP pre-school this term. They are a delightful group of children who benefit from the lovely environment of Great Paxton School for their daily sessions. I hope they get lots of visitors to their Fayre!

Little Paxton Church Advent Workshop – November 26th 2011

A warm welcome to any local youngster who would like to join us for the Little Paxton Church Advent workshop this Saturday, November  26th.

It is being held at Little Paxton School from 2.30pm – 4pm and there will be a mixture of crafts, songs, games and stories.

Entry is free but pre-school children must be accompanied througout by an adult.

Please ring Jenny on 01480 219022 to reserve a place!

Its not far away!!!

Little Paxton Royal Village Fayre November 19th 2011- some photos

Lots of excited reports from those who were there….. a very well supported “”Royal” Fayre with indeed plenty of people dressed in funny clothes.

Artisan Mick, Kind Peter and er, retainer Ken.

Love the ” hose” Peter!

Crowd scene.

Rule Britannia!

Mistress Ede, Mistress Alison and Mistress Lynn

The Book Stall is everlasting!

Mistress of the conserves Christine of The Jam Jar Kingdom.

I hope all the stall holders were pleased with their profits.

The church stalls made £843.10.

Here in the UK some of us are watching ” Strictly Come Dancing”…. I see a strange man called Russel Grant flying in from the sky with a yellow jump suit on. I could do that…. but then again it might compromise my nicely healing stitches so wont try it at the moment!

Lovely just to see my son and girlfriend along with new doggie Charlie and in a moment daughter is arriving from Coventry. Might just peep at the X-Factor.

Funny not to be going to church in the morning but got to take it easy for a week or two. Have a good evening everyone.

Words for worship on Christ The King Sunday

I hope these may be of help to some of you leading worship tomorrow.

Words for Christ The King Sunday.

( Also known as ” Stir Up Sunday” )

Being “ Stirred-Up” before Advent!

 Some of you may know that traditionally the sunday before Advent sunday (which this years falls on November 20^th) has been known as “ Stir-up Sunday” for many years.

Any guesses why?

 Here is the post communion prayer for that Sunday:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people
that, richly bearing the fruit of good works,
they may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who is alive with with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen

The Latin word translated “stir-up” is “excita”. In the ancient Sarum Missal ( or Salisbury prayer book)  the collects of the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent also began with this word. This refers both to God’s action and our wills, just as the fruit refers to both God’s work and ours.

But in addition, the  Sunday before Advent  has been  known as Stir-Up Sunday for a long time.  It is traditionally the time to get the Christmas pudding (a fruit cake – see collect) made, allowing plenty of time for the flavours to develop before it’s enjoyed on Christmas Day. Whilst once it felt surprising to be thinking about Christmas this early – in this consumer-driven society it is more difficult to ignore Christmas already for sale in October!

Words for absolution.

 May the God of love and power

Forgive you and free you from your sins

Heal and strengthen you by his spirit

And raise you to new life in Christ Our Lord

Amen.

Or:

The almighty and merciful Lord

grant you pardon and forgiveness of all your sins,

time for amendment of life,

and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.

All :  Amen.

 Collects for Christ The King Sunday

Eternal Father,

Whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven

that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:

Keep the church in the unity of the spirit

And in the bond of peace,

And bring the whole created order

to worship at his feet;

Who is alive and reigns with you

In the unity of the Holy Spirit

One God, now and forever.

Amen.

Shorter Collect:

God The Father,

Help us to hear the call of Christ the King

And follow in his service,

Whose kingdom has no end;

For he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

One God, one glory.

Amen.

The Peace.

Jesus said:

“ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid

The peace of The Lord be always with you

And  also with you.

All: And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of Peace.

Post Communion:

Stir up, O Lord,

The wills of your faithful people

That they, plenteously bringing forth

the fruit of good works may by you

be plenteously rewarded;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing for Christ The King Sunday

God the Father,

who has given to his Son the name above every name,

strengthen you to proclaim Christ as Lord;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

General Prayer for Christ The King Sunday.

Lord of the past and the future:

we thank you for the past Church Year

and the fellowship and joy of our worship

together as a community.

We pray for the coming year

that we may benefit from the teaching

and wisdom of the church

and grow in faith and knowledge of you.

We offer you our hopes and dreams for the future.

Take us and mould us into the people

and christian community you would have us to be.

Amen.

Test Swinging Little Paxton Bells – Nov 17th 2011

It was a very very  special moment when the new peal of 6 bells at St James Church Little Paxton was rung for the first time on November 17th at noon.

A group of parishioners were looking up at the very sweet sound coming from the belfry – almost a year( Nov 24th 2010)  since  the People’s Millions Competition took place and  the project was awarded £40,000.

A team of experienced local ringers  were on hand to pull the ropes for the test swing,  namely:

 Owen Davis, Mary Parnham, Wendy Piercy, Catherina Griffiths, David Saunderson and George Bonham.

The splendid tower at St James Church now housing a peal of 6 and an original bell from the old peal for the clock bell.

Made it!

There will be a special tower open day on December 17th at St James Church when anyone can come to view the new bells from 11.30am onwards. The new ringing team will be ringing in the morning and in the afternoon for two short slots and visiting towers are invited to come and ring from 4.30pm onwards as part of a St Neots area ringing day.

Details about the day: on www.campanophile.co.uk

17th December 2011 Little Paxton, Cambs – Open Afternoon

17th December 2011
Proceeds in aid of Little Paxton Bell Project
12.30 Southoe (4, 8 cwt) experienced ringers only here please!
1.30 Great Paxton (5, 7-2-17) toilet
2.30 Eynesbury (6, 13-0-27 anti-clockwise) toilet
3.45 Eaton Socon 8, 13-1-11) toilets
4.30 Little Paxton (6, 7 cwt) Refreshments & toilet
5.30 St Neots (10, 29-2-11) toilets
6.30 Brampton (6, 13-2-26 plus 8 bell simulator both anti-clockwise)
Tickets £6 available at first 3 towers
Alternatively £1 per tower except Little Paxton £5
All towers open for one hour.

In The Ringing World see http://www.ringingworld.co.uk/notices.html

 

Saturday November 19th Little Paxton Royal Village Fayre!

Little Paxton Village Hall

A mega chance to enjoy a splendid Royal Village Fayre!!

Saturday November 19th.

11.00am to 2.00am

Lots of stalls – Father Christmas, BBQ, Tea Room, Crafts, Games, etc.
Admission 30p with children free.

Lots of people dressed up in strange outfits hoping you will spend lots of money on fun things for Christmas and games to enjoy.

Childrens play area nearby.

Get to the village and ENJOY!!

(PS Queen Victoria is devastated to be indisposed

but hopes her subjects will have a moderately good time!)

She is sending a later version as a stand in.