C H U R C H N E W S

St. Andrew and St. Mary the Virgin

All about us at www.fletchingparishchurch.co.uk and all about our Organ Appeal at www.fletchingorgan.org

~ N O T I C E S ~

The Other Guys A Capella Concert – SOLD OUT
Presented by the Friends of the Church, back by very popular demand, on January 21st , The Other Guys return to Fletching Church.

Bar and refreshments.

Women’s World Day of Prayer Service

Advance notice for your diaries, this year’s interdenominational service will be held on
7th March, at 2 p.m. at St Bartholemew’s Church, Maresfield.
The service this year is designed by the women of The Cook Islands.

Chichester 950 This year marks the 950th anniversary of the foundation of Chichester Cathedral. To mark this amazing anniversary the Cathedral will be hosting a series of events in 2025. More information on the Cathedral website.

Please remember in your prayers …

We pray for the people of Ukraine and the peoples of the Holy Land, of Sudan and far too many other places. We pray for all those who suffer through war. We give thanks for the delicate beginning to the end of hostilities in Gaza. We pray too for the people of Syria and for a peaceful future for them.

We pray for those who are sick. Especially Elizabeth Gould, Richard Bradley,
Sue Collins, Julia Goodman, Stephanie Bassett, Anne Scott, Louise Edlestone, Bertie Going and any others known to us.

We pray for the staff in our hospitals, nursing homes and GP surgeries, for ambulance crews and community teams, and all involved in providing support at times of ill health.

May they rest in peace, remembering Rosemary Anna Throssell, Jake Williamson and Jenny Chettle.

Sunday’s readings …

1 Corinthians Ch 12 v 1 – 11
Psalm 36 v 5 – 10
and the Gospel of St John Ch 2 v 1 – 11

In recent times we’ve usually chosen for our first reading something from the Jewish Scriptures, which we call the Old Testament. We rarely use one of the Letters, or ‘Epistles’. Today, though, we hear a passage from St Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth. St Paul had set sail from Corinth, having nurtured a church there, and was now in Ephesus. Here, he heard reports of difficulties back in Corinth. He also received a letter from them. His reply is what we are hearing from this Sunday. Essentially, it is a piece of practical guidance for a newly established church, working in a place notorious for fairly wild living.

This church had become far too keen on the more spectacular forms of religious observance. St Paul reminds them that while ‘speaking in tongues’ is just fine, there are lots of other ways of being Christian which count just as much. They are more modest usually (things like, faith, hope and love) but they generally have the more profound and long term impact.

Psalm 36 sets the tone for our Gospel reading about the Wedding at Cana in Galilee. Weddings at the time lasted for several days and they were a way a family could assert its place in the community. For the wine to run out was a disgrace to the family. Mary and Jesus seem to be related to their hosts, as Mary steps in without embarrassment to sort out the problem. The end result is Jesus’ first miracle.

We pray for the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and all the Royal Family. We pray for all in authority

On a Sunday remembering the Wedding at Cana, we pray for the whole church a readiness to be surprised by Christ doing a new thing, in particular we pray for those preparing to get married.

This Thursday at 7 p.m. in Holy Cross, Uckfield, a service of celebration for the parishes of the Uckfield Deanery.

We continue to give thanks for the Creeds and all the historic formulations of our faith.

Nicene Creed 1700
Of even greater antiquity is the Nicene Creed, which is part of our normal Sunday Service (‘We believe …’).

This year marks the 1700th anniversary of its approval at the Council of Nicea as a summary of Christian belief.

There will be lots out about this, but a good place to start is our diocesan website or the C of E website.

All about us at www.fletchingparishchurch.co.uk and fletchingorgan.org
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