BULLETIN

for

CHRISTMASTIDE 2012 & NEW YEAR 2013

The weeks beginning Sundays 23 December & 30 December A very Happy New Year to all Parishioners, Friends and Visitors

Church of – Diocese of Ripon and Leeds – Parish of Leeds City Rector of Leeds: The Reverend Canon Tony Bundock [0113] 278 6237 [home] Precentor: The Reverend Sue Wallace [0113] 278 9339 [home] Pioneer Ministry Curate: The Reverend Hannah Smith [0113] 414 2178 [home] Lay Minister: Canon Ann Nicholl [0113] 245 2036 [office], [0113] 269 4045 [home]

Leeds Minster (St Peter at Leeds), Kirkgate, LS2 7DJ Parish Office: [0113] 245 2036

Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, LS1 5HW Church Office: [0113] 245 4268 ~ Café at Holy Trinity: [0113] 246 8196

St Mary’s Church, Lincoln Green, LS9 7SG ~ Church Office: [0113] 240 7349

St Peter’s Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Cromwell Street, LS9 7SG Headteacher: Mrs. Elizabeth Holliday [0113] 293 4411

Chaplain: Canon Ann Nicholl [see above]

www.leedsminster.org [email protected]

The week beginning Sunday 23rd December THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Pray for: Koforidua (Ghana – West Africa) – Bishop: Francis Quashie Diocese: for St George’s Crypt and all similar help organisations especially at this Christmas time 9.15 am Holy Communion [BCP] Leeds Minster 10.30 am Choral Eucharist [Adult Choir] Leeds Minster Preacher: The Rector of Leeds 10.30 am Morning Worship St Mary’s Preacher: Kay Brown NB: There are no afternoon or evening services on Sunday 23 December Monday, 24 CHRISTMAS EVE  Kolhapur (North India) – Bishop: Bathuel Tiwade  If holding a crib service, pray especially for it, and for all similar services in the diocese, and for parents and children to be encouraged by them to look further in their following of the Christian way. 9.45 am Morning Prayers Leeds Minster 12.00 noon Children’s Crib Service [Girls’ Choir] Leeds Minster 4.00 pm Choral Evensong Leeds Minster 5.45 pm Processional Carols Leeds General Infirmary 11.30 pm Midnight Mass of the Nativity Leeds Minster Tuesday, 25 CHRISTMAS DAY  Eternal God, in the stillness of this night you sent your almighty Word to pierce the world’s darkness with the light of salvation: Give to the earth the peace that we long for and fill our hearts with the joy of heaven.  Kondoa (Tanzania) - vacant 9.15 am Holy Communion [BCP] with Hymns & Carols Leeds Minster 10.30 am Choral Festal Matins [Leeds Minster Choir] Leeds Minster The churches of the parish will be closed from 26 to 29 December. The week beginning Sunday 30 December THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS Pray for: Kuching (South East Asia) – Bishop: Bolly Lapok Assistant Bishop of Kuching: Aeries Sumping Diocese: In a new year sustain the life of our diocese as new ideas come forward

9.15 am Holy Communion [1662] Leeds Minster 10.30 am The Eucharist with Hymns Leeds Minster Preacher: The Reverend Professor Simon Robinson 10.30 am Holy Communion St Mary’s Preacher: Canon Ann Nicholl 4.00 pm Readings and Carols [Adult Choir] Leeds Minster The churches of the parish will be closed from 31 December to 1 January. The café will be closed from 31 December to 5 January. Re-open on 7th Thursday, 3  Kushtia (Bangladesh) – Bishop: Sunil Mankhin  St Thomas a Becket Hampsthwaite, St Thomas the Apostle , Mission Church with St James – Garry Hinchcliffe; Barbara Blinston (R) Ian Paxton (R) Fiona Aagard (R)  Birstwith Church of England Primary School - Headteacher: Liz Bedford  Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School - Headteacher: Stephen Holmes  Kilinghall Church of England Primary School - Headteacher: Sara Bassitt 9.45 am Morning Prayers Leeds Minster 1.05 pm Holy Communion Leeds Minster Friday, 4  Kutigi (Lokoja, Nigeria) – Bishop: Jeremiah Kolo  Christ Church – Nicholas Henshall, Clive Sedgewick, Helen Bailey; Val Muscroft (R) 9.45 am Morning Prayers Leeds Minster 12.00noon Midday Prayers Leeds Minster 12.30 pm Lunchtime Organ Music–Mendelssohn Recital I Leeds Minster 1.05 pm Holy Communion Holy Trinity Saturday, 5  Kwara (Kwara, Nigeria) – Bishop: Olusegun Adeyemi  St Peter Harrogate - Tony Shepherd, Tim Hurren, Sue Pearce, Bernadette Hegarty; Angela Gardner (R) Dennis Richards (R) Pam Shaftoe (R) Philip Perkins (R) Hanna Beck (R) Christine Jack (R)  St Peter’s Church of England Primary School - Headteacher: Julia Collins 11.45 am Morning Worship [Girls’ Voices] Leeds Minster 3.00 pm Holy Matrimony Leeds Minster FRIDAY LUNCHTIMES IN JANUARY MUSIC BY MENDELSSOHN, HIS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES played by Dr Simon Lindley at 12.30 pm each Friday next month

Next Sunday, 6 December –THE EPIPHANY

Pray for: Kisangani (Congo) – Bishop: Lambert Botolomeall Diocese: pray for the continuing link with Sri Lanka and a development of mutual concerns Those being confirmed at Ireland Wood 9.15 am Holy Communion Leeds Minster 10.30 am Choral Eucharist Leeds Minster Preacher: The Reverend Sue Wallace, Precentor 10.30 am Holy Communon St Mary’s Preacher: Canon Ann Nicholl 6.30 pm Epiphany Carol Service Leeds Minster

THE CLERGY, LAY MINISTER, CHURCHWARDENS & STAFF WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A GOOD NEW YEAR SUNDAYS 23 AND 30 DECEMBER: A reminder that the next 6.30 pm Sunday Service at the Minster is the Epiphany Carol Service, this year on the feast itself, Sunday 6 January. On Sunday 30 December there will be Readings and Carols with an Adult Choir at 4.00 to which all will be very warmly welcome. Morning Services for the two Sundays 23 and 30 December remain as usual at 9.30 and 10.30 am. PLEASE PRAY FOR: MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY in residential care Christine Caines, Maureen Coles, Kathleen Holway, Ted Marks, Peter Milner, Veronica Rutkowska, Sylvia Wilkinson, Susan Williams THOSE WHO ASK OUR PRAYERS: Albert Andrews, Rose Beck, Christopher Brayne [Organist of Kendal Parish Church], Christopher Browne, David Bywater, Sonia Bywater, Eileen Christmas, Keith Christmas [CO of Lawnswood Air Training Cadets], John Cooper, Bridget Durkin, John Edmonds, David and Sonia Evans, Francesca Eyre, Logan Firth, Ivy Frampton, Peter Hart [Parish Warden], John Hardaker, Pauline Holladay, Janet Jackson, Peter Jackson, Joanne Lebor, Karen MacDonald, Anne Matthias, Marjorie Milner, John Oliver [priest], Laverne Paraskos, Gordon Rees, Margaret Rhodes [wife of Minster Lay Clerk Peter], Jack Robins, Cathryn Robinson, Malcolm Roughton, Iris Rutkowska, John Sheldrake, Althea Shevill, Barbara Siggins, Mavis Simpson, Denis Stenning, Erik Thornton, Patricia Wagstaff, Hazel Ward, Ken Ward, [ex City of Leeds School], Doris Webb, Geoff Wheat, Mavis Whitehead YEAR’S MIND Stuart Young [23 December 2003], Ruby Coleman [23 December 2009], George Wylie [28 December 1997], Ian Broadhurt [28 December], Audrey Warburton [29 December 2007], Joan Clayton [30 December 2002], Edna Crook [31 December 2002], Bertha Peck [1 January 2000], Mary Wainman [3 January 1997], Wictor Rutkowski [3 January 1985] RIP Dorothy Mae Lavelle, for many years Organist of St Andrew’s, Thornton Cleveleys, Blackpool.

FOCUS ON: THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS At Christmas time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a gift of mystery and source of joy for people across time and across the world. Shepherds in First Century Judaea were humble people, and perhaps they were more accustomed to being disrespected and disregarded than to angelic visitations and songs of glory filling the skies. Yet St Luke tells us that they followed the angels’ invitation to “come and see” and, according to our Christmas carols, they came bringing a lamb to lay before the child of Bethlehem, lying in the manger. And when they realized that this wonderful gift of the birth of Jesus was for them, and for everyone, they glorified God.

This year our Nativity tableau at Leeds Minster has been enhanced by the addition of another shepherd figure. This helps us to call to mind that each of the shepherds was a unique and distinct individual and that each of them grasped that the birth of the infant Jesus affected them personally. They brought their gift to Jesus but they received an unexpected gift themselves. It may be a mystery, but it is to be seen as a joyful one. They cannot have known how it is that God had come among them, but they could rejoice that he had. Nor can they have known that this child Jesus was destined to grow up to live a life which would change the world. But somehow they did know that God had entered their lives through the gift of this baby.

Christmas is a wonderful time for exchanging gifts. We all of us have gifts to lay before God, in joyful gratitude for his gift to us that goes on forever. The greatest Christmas Gift of all time is the birth of the child Jesus, given out of God’s perfect love for each one of us. A gift not just for Christmas but for life! Not just for life but for life eternal!

And, through this precious gift, human existence is transformed forever. Life, of course, still has its challenges, its hurt and pain and sorrow, as well as its joy and happiness and celebration; but all of it – the “downs” as well as the “ups” - is shot through with the divine, with the life-giving presence of God. This is the true Gift of Christmas. Because the Word became Flesh; we have seen His glory.

Tony Bundock

The Focus article for Sunday 30 December will be printed within the Liturgy pages for that Sunday.