Weekly Readings and Prayers
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Sunday 19th January 2025 The Second Sunday of Epiphany
​
Collect
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever Amen.
​
First Reading Isaiah 62.1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
​
Psalm 36 vv 5-10
Your love O Lord reaches to the heavens • and your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; • you Lord shall save both man and beast.
How precious is your loving mercy O God! • All mortal flesh shall take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
They shall be satisfied with the abundance of your house; • they shall drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the well of life • and in your light shall we see light.
O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you • and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son • and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning is now • and shall be for ever. Amen.
​
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12.1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
​
Gospel John 2. 1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
​
Post Communion Prayer
God of glory, you nourish us with your Word who is the bread of life: fill us with your Holy Spirit that through us the light of your glory may shine in all the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
​
Prayers for the week
​
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6.
​
We pray this week for those who live in Brackendale Close, Bulkeley Close and Cherrywood Avenue.
​
Our prayers this week are for those who have essential roles within our Church. We go on to pray that members
of our congregation will consider shadowing these roles, perhaps to prepare for taking on the responsibility when the present post-holder needs to relinquish it.
Sunday 19th January
Lord, we thank you for the preaching ministry of Diana and Roy. We pray that your Spirit will continue to guide them in this work.
​
Monday 20th January
Lord, we thank you for our churchwardens, Claudia and Mike and for all that they do in the administration of our Church.
Tuesday 21st January
Lord, thank you for our treasurer, Brian who manages the financial affairs of our Church balancing our income and expenditure.
​
Wednesday 22nd January
Lord, we thank you for our church secretary, Marion who is responsible for ECC minutes and meeting agendas and Church correspondence.
Thursday 23rd January
Lord, we pray that someone will come forward to run our children's work in the Church, which is so vital for the future.
​
Friday 24th January
Lord, we thank you for Pat who gives us such lovely floral displays in the Church, giving us such glorious colours.
Saturday 25th January
Lord, we thank you for our church organist, Geoff who leads us in singing to the Lord and fills our Church with lovely music.
​
Heavenly Father, please accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
​​
​