Vintage Adventure @ Home Christmas
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Vintage Adventure @ home Christmas Dear Caraway Friends, neighbours and friends, Please find enclosed your Christmas edition of Vintage Adventure. It doesn’t seem possible that another Christmas is upon us. This year has been a difficult one for so many as we have all had to face different circumstances which none of us had planned, however we hope that this pack will bring a moment of cheer and lightness to your day. The Caraway Team have had much fun in putting it together – we hope that the jokes will make you laugh, that you enjoy creating your Christmas jumper but above all that it will impart hope into your world, for the baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is the Saviour who loves each of us unconditionally and who wants to walk with us through the trials of each moment. So we invite you to find the tea bag in the pack, make yourself a cuppa and sit and enjoy the activities. All the Team at Caraway are thinking of you this Christmas and we pray that God will continue to keep you in His love and pour an abundant blessing upon you in the days ahead. God bless you, Margaret (Old Person’s Chaplain for Southampton East) and all the Caraway Team. worship OPENING SENTENCE The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, upon them the light has dawned. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2 READING 1 - Luke chapter 1 verses 26 -33 The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” CAROL Once in Royal David’s city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child. He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour holy. Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see Him; but in heaven, Set at God’s right hand on high; Where like stars His children crowned All in white shall wait around Cecil Frances Alexander 1848 PRAYER In this Advent season Lord, as Mary waited patiently for the birth of Jesus, help us in these strange times, to wait patiently for the breakthrough of the vaccine and administration for this virus. We thank you for all who are working so hard to bring normality back to us. Amen READING 2 - Luke chapter 2 verses 1-7 The Birth of Jesus In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. CAROL Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little lord Jesus no crying he makes. I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky, And stay by my side until morning is nigh. Faith Hill PRAYER We pray for all homeless people and those who are bereaved or separated from families and loved ones at this time. We pray for ourselves that in those moments when we feel down, we may know the great gift of God in his son Jesus and the hope he brings, remembering that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Amen READING 3 - Luke chapter 2 verses 8-14 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” CAROL Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the Earth; Ye who sang creation’s story, now proclaim Messiah’s birth; Come and worship Christ the new-born King; come and worship, worship Christ the new-born King. Shepherds in the field abiding watching o’er your flocks by night, God with us is now residing; yonder shines the infant light; Though an infant now we view him, he will share his Father’s throne, gather all the nations to him; every knee shall then bow down: James Montgomery PRAYER God our Father, whose word has come among us in the Holy Child of Bethlehem: May the light of faith illumine our hearts and shine in our words and deeds; through Him who is Christ the Lord. Amen CAROL O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem! Come and behold him, born the King of angels; O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord! God of God, Light of Light, Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb; Son of the Father, begotten, not created, Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; John Francis Wade BLESSING In this Christmas season May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Love of God and the Fellowship of The Holy Spirit be with us and those whom we love, both now and for ever more. Amen. THE CHRISTMAS STORY I expect many of us have memories of dressing up or of seeing a friend or family member dressed as a shepherd, an angel or even Mary in the school nativity play with a T-towel wrapped around our head or a piece of tinsel as a halo! But what is it really all about? Does it have any significance in our lives today? The Christmas story is one of divine, angelic visitations, of messages from heaven and of God stepping down into a world of darkness. It’s a story which not only changed the lives of those involved but which has power to change lives today. Let’s read it, as told in St. Matthew’s and St. Luke’s Gospels. Our story begins with God sending the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee to a virgin named Mary who was pledged to marry Joseph. The angel said “Greetings, you are highly favoured – the Lord is with you”. As you can imagine Mary was troubled at this but the angel continued by telling her not to be afraid for she had found favour with God. He said “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God”. Mary’s response was incredible for she simply said, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. She then sang the most beautiful song rejoicing, glorifying and magnifying God.