We regret that we are unlikely to be able to live-stream our Christmas morning service.  If we do manage it, you can access it here:

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To download a copy of the order of service, please click here:

21 12 25 Christmas Day Eucharist

The Readings

Isaiah 9.2-7
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Luke 2.1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Scripture Quotations are from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Sermon
By Canon Dr. Alan Billings

For the past two years or so, in my day job, I have been having meetings that have followed a strange ritual. Well, it would have seemed strange in all previous years, but it has now become quite normal.

I go into a committee room and stand on the far side of a long table. Other people come into the room and join me, spreading out round the table.

What’s strange is that we are all wearing face coverings. We’re all wearing masks. It’s as if we are a branch meeting of the ku klux clan. It’s only when we are all assembled that we sit down and take the masks off. Then we recognise one another.

This is what the pandemic has done to life in so many offices.

Sometimes I am meeting people whose voices I think I recognise – from seeing and hearing them speak on calls over the internet. But I need them to take their mask off to be really sure that it is them. I need to see their face.

I need to see their face. Because our face is so revealing.

Think of some of the things we say about faces.

She’s got such an honest face.

I wouldn’t trust him. He looks like a crook. He looks. His face gives him away.

I can read her like a book? Why is that? Because her face says it all.

I know there are certain sorts of Christmas present I dare not buy my grandchildren. Oh, they are very polite. My granddaughter would say, ‘Thank you grandpa for the sturdy pair of outdoor shoes you have bought me for Christmas. They’re just what I wanted.’ But her unsmiling face would tell me that the real message behind the politeness is, ‘If only you’d given me the money.’

If two years of being masked has taught us one thing, it’s this. Our faces matter. They are such a big part of the way we communicate with one another. When we talk to one another without masks, we can see immediately any of those subtle changes in expression that speak more than words.

When I first began to marry people as a young curate fifty years ago there was a very dramatic moment in the service when the bride put back her veil and revealed her face. It’s not done any more. I don’t know why or when that tradition began, but the symbolism was very clear. For the couple, marriage was a sort of unveiling or revealing of one to the other. The bride and groom open a door to one another and invite each other in. For that to happen, they had to communicate face to face, not mobile to mobile.

So faces matter. They are the window onto our personalities, they reveal our very souls.

And this is why the face of a dead person can be so disturbing. In one of the crime novels by P.D.James there is a moment where one of the characters sees the face of the murder victim. But the face, the window onto the soul, is saying that the soul has gone. He cries out in his distress: ‘Cover her face.’

If all this is true of human beings, isn’t it also true of God? And isn’t this what we are celebrating today, Christmas Day. Today is the day of God’s unmasking.

This is what the Church means when it speaks about the incarnation. Day to day, God is hidden. Masked, if you like. But once, on this day, he chose to make himself known to us, to show us his face, in the face of this child, this particular human being, once born on earth, once come among us.

So, whenever we find any of those age old human questions forming in the back of our minds – where is God? what is God like? does God love us? does he love me? - the Church points us here for the answers. To this child. Born today. This is God showing us his face, and so giving us that window into his nature, his very self.

Christ in the manger is God’s unmasking. Which is why, whatever the circumstances, for us it’s a Happy Christmas.

The Prayers

Prepared by Catherine B

Jesus, whose mother was Mary:
we pray for parents and carers of children everywhere, and those caring for elderly relatives and friends. We give thanks that Christmas is a time when many families can celebrate together, but remember too those who find family life difficult, or who will be on their own this year.
Lord Jesus,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, cradled in a manger:
we pray for all those who are homeless this year. We think of those sleeping on the streets of Sheffield. We pray for all who have fled their own countries trying to find somewhere safe to live. We give thanks for all charities working with the homeless and refugees and pray for the work that they do.
Lord Jesus,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, sharing the stable with the animals:
we pray for our world and all created life. We think of the joy that being among nature brings, and give thanks. We pray that we might look after our planet wisely and carefully.
Lord Jesus,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, worshipped by shepherds and kings:
we pray for people and nations throughout the world. We pray that leaders act with wisdom, justice and kindness, that all may thrive.
Lord Jesus,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, our Emmanuel:
we pray for all who are finding life difficult, through illness, bereavement or other troubles. We give thanks for healthcare workers, counsellors and all who provide practical support. We pray that we all do our bit to help those we know who need it. In a short time of silence, we think of those we know who need our prayers this Christmas.
Lord Jesus,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, Saviour, child of Mary,
you know us and love us,
you share our lives
and hear our prayer.
Glory to you for ever. Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is used here, is copyright (c) The Archbishops’ Council

To watch our Midnight Mass on Youtube, please click here:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

To download a copy of the order of service, please click here:

21 12 24 Christmas Midnight Eucharist (2)

The Readings

Isaiah 52.7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

John 1.1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Scripture Quotations are from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Sermon
By Joe P, a Reader at St. Mary's

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Well, like the determined lady in the Tesco advert, we’ve made it to
Christmas Eve, in THIS place, which is quite an achievement all things
considered. It’s wonderful for us to be here together on this special
night.

When I was a child I was not a church going boy. I went to Church on
Christmas Day just once. It was the year I was bought a train set for
Christmas (for those interested, Hornby 00 Jinty locomotive in BR
Black, pulling a light engineering rake including a crane) and my Mum
took me to Church so that my father could set the train set up.
When we returned, we were greeted by all of the menfolk in my
family gathered around the trainset, playing. I think I got a look-in
mid afternoon…

For me, Christmas as a child is inextricably would up with women,
particularly my Mum and my Aunty. Most of the time, the general
attitude towards the menfolk was stay out of the way, go to the pub,
DO NOT drink too much and be back for dinner, which would be after
the Queen’s Speech.

This year it struck me how much the women in the Gospel writings
around the birth of Christ are ‘up front and centre’. In a society
where women were not regarded with any degree of equality, Mary
is given the agency to agree to carry Jesus in her womb. She doesn’t
ask Joseph, who simply accepts the truth of what Mary has
experienced and gets on with life. Elizabeth, mother of John the
Baptist feels her own baby acknowledge the Christ-child within Mary
when they meet, and her husband, Zechariah, spends the pregnancy
as a mute witness having been rendered (literally) speechless by the
Angel Gabriel. In the Magnificat, Mary recognises the radical nature
of what God is doing through her:

“He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in their conceit;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and
exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has
sent away empty.”

God is doing this through an unmarried teenage girl – not exactly
someone high up in the social calendar of society at that time. And
Elizabeth? She was 80 odd years old at the time she was carrying
John the Baptist.

And this is just part of what can best be called the paradox of the
incarnation. When we look at the story of the nativity, things unfold
in the way we might least expect! Remember the words of our
gathering tonight:
“Welcome all wonders in one sight!
Eternity shut in a span.
Summer in winter, day in night,
Heaven in earth and God in man.”

God is coming to Earth in the form of Jesus – fully human, and yet
fully divine, born in to the world like any other human child yet being
at the same time the divine Word. Our Gospel reading tonight puts it
perfectly:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who
came from the Father, full of grace and truth. “
One might have expected this event to take place at a centre of
power – Jesus to be born in to an existing royal dynasty, or close to
the centre of Imperial power in Rome. But no; Jesus will be born to
an unmarried teenage mother who has trusted fully in God, in
something of a back-water of the Empire.

Even the circumstances leading to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
seem to turn over earlier experiences that the Jewish people had
with God. In the first Book of Chronicles in the Old Testament, we
learn that King David organised a census of the people of Israel.
Now, in the Book of Hosea, which was written a couple of hundred
years before David’s rule, it was written that “the number of the
children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be
measured.” By doing a census, David was attempting to count that
which God had said was uncountable – and he was punished for it.
But now, the Messiah will be born from David’s family tree, in
Bethlehem – the city of David - during a census arranged by the
Roman authorities, in which the house of David is being counted
rather than doing the counting.

The census attracts large numbers of people to Bethlehem to
register; so many that there is no room for Joseph and Mary.
Whether they are turned away from the inn, or are unable to get
accommodation with family members is somewhat unclear, but we
all know that Jesus ends up being born in what is usually referred to
as a stable. This may indeed be a stable, or it might be the lower
rooms of a family house were used for animals and storage.
Whatever the details, these are humble circumstances. The Messiah
is not born in a palace, surrounded by wealth, guards and servants,
inaccessible to all but the chosen few. He is born in straw and laid in
a manger; his first visitors are stabled animals and shepherds; he is
accessible and available to all – the King of all is born defenceless
into humility.

Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, pointed out the by
being born in such a place, Jesus is being born outside of normal
society. He’s not born in an inn, or a family house. During a
gathering together of people decreed by Imperial power, Jesus is
born as an outsider from the very start of His life.
From the beginning, it might be argued that in terms of earthly
power, Jesus ‘didn’t count’. There literally was no place for the King
of Kings to be born in to in the Roman world.
Merton argues:

“Christ’s place is with those others for whom there is no
room…with those who do not belong, who are rejected by
power because they are regarded as weak, those who are
discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured,
exterminated. With those for whom there is no room, Christ is
present in this world.”

But even at that moment of birth Mary and Joseph receive the
kindness of a roof over their head and straw for warmth and a place
to lay the baby. And this kindness does not come from those in
authority, but from nameless strangers who share their humanity
with the Holy family.

This Christmas we are again being confronted with uncertainty, with
the potential for further illness, people being away from family and
friends. This night, throughout the world, many people will feel that
they do not count, that there is no room in the world for them, and
that they are not treated as people.

This night, Christ becomes present in the world and joins refugees,
migrants, the poor, the homeless, those fleeing war and the ravages
of climate change, starvation and disease.

As we celebrate our Christmas, let us do what we can to offer those
people room in our hearts through acts of charity and compassion
wherever we encounter the need.

There is enough work for all of us, not just at Christmas, but all year.

The Prayers
From Common Worship: Times and Seasons

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Father, in this holy night your Son our Saviour
was born in human flesh.
Renew your Church as the Body of Christ.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night there was no room for your Son in the inn.
Protect with your love those who have no home
and all who live in poverty.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night Mary, in the pain of labour,
brought your Son to birth.
Hold in your hand all who are in pain or distress.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night your Christ came as a light shining in the darkness.
Bring comfort to all who suffer in the sadness of our world.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night the angels sang, ‘Peace to God’s people on earth.’
Strengthen those who work for peace and justice
in all the world.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night shepherds in the field heard good tidings of joy.
Give us grace to preach the gospel of Christ’s redemption.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night strangers found the Holy Family,
and saw the baby lying in the manger.
Bless our homes and all whom we love.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night heaven is come down to earth,
and earth is raised to heaven.
Hold in your hand all those who have passed through death
in the hope of your coming kingdom.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

In this holy night Christians the world over celebrate Christ’s birth.
Open our hearts that he may be born in us today.
Holy God
hear our prayer.

Father,
in this holy night angels and shepherds worshipped at
the manger throne.
Receive the worship we offer in fellowship with Mary,
Joseph and the saints
through him who is your Word made flesh,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is used here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' Council

Our Christingle service is online only this year. To watch it on Youtube, please click here:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

If you have made your own Christingle at home, don't forget to have it ready!  You'll need something to light the candle with at the appropriate time.  If you are a child, make sure there is a grown-up with you to help you to do this safely.

To download a copy of the order of service, please click here:

The Bible Reading

Luke 2.1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Bible quotation is from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Address

By Catherine B, a Reader at St. Mary's

Last Friday my Christmas tree went up. We added coloured lights and baubles, and hung other ornaments on the branches. I’d like to show you a couple of them. They are both made from recycled materials. The people who made these took things that weren’t very special and turned them into Christmas decorations.

My friend made this angel from sheet music paper. I’m not sure what the music was from, and I’ve not tried playing it. But it makes a very attractive angel. It reminds me of the angels in the Christmas story that we heard today. They told the good news about the birth of baby Jesus to the shepherds. And then they began to sing songs of praise to God.

This second ornament was made by someone in Bethlehem. It used to be a tear gas canister. The town of Bethlehem today is not always a very peaceful place and sometimes the soldiers fire tear gas to make crowds of people go away. But some people in Bethlehem collected the spent tear gas canisters and then turned them into something more beautiful. They’ve decorated them with coloured ribbon to look like little presents that you can hang on your Christmas tree. They’d like us to remember that Christ came to bring peace and joy, and to pray for peace in the land where he was born.

Ordinary or used things turned into something special for Christmas.

Mary turned something ordinary and used into something special for Christmas too. She and Joseph weren’t at home when it was time to give birth to her baby. She hadn’t got a cot or a Moses basket. They hadn’t even got a proper room because everywhere was full. But there was a manger in the stable where they settled down for the night. It was filled with soft hay. After Mary gave birth to Jesus, she turned the manger into a cot for her very special baby.

I’m sad that for a second year we can’t all be in church for this service and enjoy the light from all the Christingles together. But I wonder if you were able to make your own Christingle at home? It’s not too late to have a go – you can make one any time between Advent Sunday and Candlemas – so you’ve got until 2nd February!

Christingles are another lovely decoration made from ordinary objects – an orange, a candle, a piece of red ribbon or tape and 4 cocktail sticks with sweets and fruit on them. If you’ve not made one before, there’s a video on our website showing you what to do.

Your Christingle is full of meaning too:
The orange represents the world we live on.
The candle represents Jesus, who came into the world as a little baby.
The cocktail sticks full of fruit and sweets represent all the good things that are in the world for us to look after and share.
The red ribbon or tape represents all the suffering of the world, and especially the suffering that Jesus went through on Good Friday.
But when we light the candle, we remember that Jesus came into the world to overcome suffering and to be the light of the world, shining brightly for everyone. We remember that Jesus brings hope into lives that are often very difficult.

So like the angels and shepherds, let us give thanks and praise to God.

Happy Christmas to you all!

The Prayers

Lord Jesus,
you were born into an ordinary family:
We pray for families everywhere,
especially for families in difficulty or in poverty,
and for families and relationships that are breaking down.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus,
your bed was in a manger,
because there was no room at the inn.
We pray for all those who have no home:
those who sleep on the streets,
and all who have lost everything
through violence or disaster.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus,
the animals shared their stable with you;
We pray for the earth, and for all living things,
that we might learn to live in peace and harmony with the natural
world,
and treat all of creation with honour and respect.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus,
you were worshipped and adored by shepherds and kings:
We pray for the people and nations of the world,
and especially for peace and understanding
between different faiths.
You came as the light for the whole world,
so in you may we find that we have more in common
than that which divides us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, God with us,
we pray for people we know who are in need.
We pray especially for children who are in difficulty,
and for the work of The Children’s Society
in standing up for justice
and bringing light and hope into darkness.
Help us to show to one another
the same faithfulness and love
that you revealed at Bethlehem.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus,
you came to be with us on earth
so that we might be with you in heaven:
Keep safely all those who have died.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

The order of service:

Is available here:

21 12 19 Christmas Carol service

21 12 19 Christmas Carol service

The livestreaming link:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

The Readings

Micah 5.2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.

Luke 1.39-55

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

The Sermon
By Rev'd Matthew Rhodes, St. John's, Ranmoor

A few years ago I read a book called The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin. It’s written from the point of view of Mary looking back over her life and especially over the death of her son Jesus. Toibin powerfully evokes the pain of a grieving mother. But alongside this he gives an additional sinister undertow in the book. This Mary feels that the story of her son, and her own story, are being manipulated by the Gospel writers to fit their own agenda. She sees them trying to create a religion out of her son’s life and feels that they are using her to give legitimacy to what they are doing.

It’s not an approach that I agree with but it’s an interesting idea. And it illustrates an important aspect of Mary’s life. Mary can and has been used by lots of people to reflect their own ideas. The writer, Colm Toibin does it in his book. He doesn’t deny the Jesus story but questions Christianity with a capital C that has been built upon it. And he uses Mary as the mouthpiece for his questioning. And though that’s not a picture of Mary that I recognise, I can see how she has the potential as a character to be portrayed in that way. And that leads me to suggest that we have to treat Mary carefully. She is open to manipulation. Not Mary herself of course but her image. Her story.

Mary has so few lines in the Gospels. There are lots of gaps to be filled in and plenty of people willing to do so. Marina Warner in her book, Alone of All Her Sex, suggests that the cult of Mary has been used in all sorts of ways since the church began. When Christianity encountered pagan cultures with female deities, Mary took on many of their characteristics. This helped to root Christianity in all sorts of places.

During the Second World War, many women did jobs that had previously been done by men. Afterwards, they were encouraged to give these jobs back to the men and return to their homes as housewives and mothers. It’s no coincidence that at same time the Catholic Church placed a new emphasis on Mary. Pope Pius XII made her assumption a dogma in 1950. While Mary was being elevated, women’s rights were being eroded. Mary was presented as a role model for women that was often unhelpful to them. She seemed passive. Cut off from the realities of their lives. And this left some very faithful women feeling guilty and inadequate.  So we need to be a bit wary of the ways in which Mary’s image has been used.

On the other hand, Mary provides a wealth of identities for people to connect with. A few years ago Mary’s virginity was a very live issue for the church and was another reason why Mary seemed remote from real women’s experience. Nowadays, through the wonders of modern science virgin mothers are two a penny and perhaps they can see something of themselves in Mary. In her we also see the ordinary teenage mum. Poor and vulnerable but also resourceful and protective. In Mary we find the radical revolutionary of the Magnificat. Casting down the mighty from their thrones and exalting the humble and meek. There is Mary the mother who is worried sick, looking for her teenage son in Jerusalem. There is the pushy mother at the wedding at Cana. Desperate for her son to get on with whatever it is he is supposed to do. There is the mother who has to share her famous son with the crowds. There is the fearful mother who knows in her bones what is to come. The grieving mother standing at the foot of the cross. And finally Mary the Queen of heaven in the Book of Revelation. Clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. Mary may not have many lines in the Bible but there is plenty in her life that women – and men – can respond to.

In the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Nazareth there are images of Mary from all over the world. There are revolutionary Mary’s from South America. Black Madonnas from Africa. Blond Marys and Middle Eastern Marys. Marys in saris and Marys in kimonos. The Mary from the United States appears to have her wrapped in aluminium foil. Perhaps that’s a comment on domesticity and consumerism. Anyway, the point is that all cultures can and should be able to see themselves in Mary. We should be able to see ourselves in Jesus but some of us find it easier to connect with Mary. The very fact that she has so few lines allows us to fill in the gaps with our own cultures, our own lives. The things that makes her image open to manipulation can also be Mary’s gift to us, helping us to make our faith incarnate. Bringing the good news to birth in our own time and culture.

Sometimes for Anglicans, Mary can bring out the Protestant in us. There is risk that her humanity, which is such an important part of her gift, can be undermined by attempts to make her into part of the godhead. Not quite part of the Trinity but a bit above ordinary humanity. Up there on a plinth. Dressed in blue. Perversely this elevation can make Mary less helpful. Mary is important because she was a real human being. She wasn’t God but she cooperated with God. She said yes to him. Let it be. And she bore a son who was fully human and yet fully God.

Not only is Mary able to reflect our humanity, she also has room within her for God. She is the ultimate example of openness to God and she constantly challenges us to be open too. To be willing to listen to the crazy messages of angels and to work with God in bringing his kingdom to birth. To magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our saviour. Mary had space in her life that we are able to fill with our humanity. She also had space in her life for the divine. A space big enough to bear his son. As we await the birth of the Saviour, Mary inspires us to find space in our lives too. To make room. Room to rediscover our true humanity. And room to welcome God and all that he wants to do in and through us. Amen.

The Prayers

Prepared By Barbara Waterhouse

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for people in every kind of need; make your ways known on earth, your saving health among all nations …

We pray for all of those affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
We pray for those countries currently suffering from upsurges of the virus, thinking especially of those facing the omicron variant: please help them to keep their most vulnerable citizens safe. We pray that all politicians choose effective means of making sure that all the people they represent are safe and well.

We pray for the worldwide success of vaccination campaigns, and that vaccines are made available to all countries, regardless of their wealth or lack thereof. Please help each of us to give informed reassurance to those we know who are wary of having the vaccine and to play what part we can in ensuring that the rest of the world gets vaccinated too.

We pray especially for all workers in direct contact with the public who are at such risk of exposure to the virus: health care providers, shop workers, bus drivers, schoolteachers and all others similarly exposed. Please help all of us to protect all of them by continuing to wear masks in public and practice safe social distancing and by getting vaccinated, if we have not already done so.

At this time when family and friends are such a large part of our celebrations, please help us to remember all those who are unable to see those dear to them at this time and to do what we can to make sure that they are not feeling isolated or abandoned this Christmas.

We pray also for all those involved in trying to fight the climate crisis Please give all governments the political courage to resist further use of fossil fuels and to invest in sources of renewable energy instead. Please help each of us individually to contribute to protecting our planet in any way we can.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world; guide and govern us by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace and in righteousness of life

We pray especially for our worshipping community of St. John’s Ranmoor, St. Mark’s Broomhill and St. Mary’s Walkley as we struggle to cope with the ongoing pandemic. Please help us to feel your presence in a world turned upside down and to share that presence with others.

We pray that we can continue to worship together in ways that are safe for all of us, whether in person or online. Please help us to think of each other and let each other know that we care and to remember those who feel increasingly lonely and unsafe as the world is hit by yet more upsurges and variants of the virus.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body or estate; comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings, and bring good out of their troubles …

In moments of peace and contemplation, we name to you all those known to us who are suffering. Please care for them and for all those of whose suffering we are unaware.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We remember those who have gone before us in the peace of Christ, and we give you praise for all your faithful ones, with whom we rejoice in the communion of saints …

We name to you in our hearts all those known to us both near and far who are suffering the loss of friends and loved ones, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to them at this time of grief.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The order of service:

Is available here:

21 12 12 Advent 3 Carol service

21 12 12 Advent 3 Carol service

The livestreaming link:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

Order of service

This morning's order of service is available here:

21 12 12 Advent 3 Eucahrist

21 12 12 Advent 3 Eucahrist

To watch this week's service on YouTube, please click here:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

The Readings

Zephaniah 3.14-end

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.

Luke 3.7-18 

The Sermon
The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

‘What then should we do?’

This is what the people ask John the Baptist when they go out into the wilderness to
be baptised by him. What should we do?

I can see why they might ask that after John has given them such a roasting.

They had come out of their villages and walked several miles across scrubland and
stony ground to hear John speak and to be baptised by him in the Jordan river
because they wanted to renew their faith and hear a message of hope.

Life for them was hard. They were poor. They had to work hard to scratch a living –
from the soil or their animals or from fishing. They were at the mercy of the
elements. A drought could wipe out the crops and threaten the sheep and goats. Bad
weather could make it impossible to fish. They couldn’t afford to get ill.

Their one consolation was their religion, their faith.

They were Jews. And God, they believed, was the God of the Jews.

They knew that in the distant past he had guided their remote ancestor Abraham.
They knew too that God had brought them out of worse conditions than this. He had
brought them from being slaves in Egypt to this land where at first they were free
people.

Now they were not so free. The country was part of the Roman empire and Roman
soldiers and Roman tax collectors were a fact of life. It was depressing. Like a great
cloud of misery hanging over them all the time. Hard working but oppressed.

So they went out into the wilderness to hear this charismatic preacher, John the
Baptist, tell them something that would lift their spirits. Perhaps he would baptise
them as a sign that they were indeed children of Abraham whom God had protected
and guided.

A bit of cheer, a bit of hope, in a dark and uncertain world. That’s all they wanted.

Imagine the shock then when he speaks to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? …. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have
Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able form these stones to raise up
children to Abraham.’

They can’t plead their religion, their faith. They can’t rely on that to see them
through. So what should they do? What should they do?

John’s answer is in one sense quite simple: repent and bear fruit. Because if you
don’t, even now, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire.

But when he goes on to spell out what it means to bear fruit, it gets quite hard.

Bearing fruit means this:

If you have two coats, share with anyone who has none. Do the same with food. If
you are a tax collector, don’t cheat people but only collect what is prescribed. If you
are a soldier don’t use your power to extort – and live according to your means, your
wages.

We could sum it up like this. John is saying to the people of his day: the way you lift
the cloud of misery that hangs over you is not by falling back on your religious
credentials – we are children of Abraham – but by conforming your life to these
principles, the principles that Abraham and all the prophets lived by: be kind, be
generous, share, think of others, don’t cheat or lie or threaten. Live like this and you
will be able stand before the Messiah when he comes.

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, the Church puts this gospel before us as we too
look for the coming of the Messiah. Like those Jews at the time of John the Baptist,
we too are finding life a bit hard. We have had two years of the pandemic and we
cannot yet see any end in sight. A dark cloud of misery hangs over us.

But for us too, religion can’t become a crutch, a prop. The Lord asks for repentance, a
change of heart and mind, a determination to live differently, to live better.

So, be kind, be generous, share, think of others, don’t cheat or lie or threaten. Live
like this and you will be able stand before the Messiah when at Christmas he comes.

The Prayers

In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid
we pray to Jesus.

Come to your Church as Lord and judge.
We pray for wisdom as we arrange services for the Christmas season under
ever changing and uncertain circumstances.
Help us to live in the light of your coming
and give us a longing for your kingdom.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your world as King of the nations.
We pray for all the troubled places of our world - Myanmar, Afghanistan,
Yemen and others. For refugees worldwide, especially those on the
Belarus/Polish border, or risking their lives at sea. We pray that leaders of
nations act with compassion and wisdom.
Before you rulers will stand in silence.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter.
We pray for all who are waiting for hospital treatment or diagnosis. For all
who are suffering due to the effects of the pandemic. For all who are anxious
about what the future might bring.
Break into our lives,
where we struggle with sickness and distress,
and set us free to serve you for ever.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls.
We remember all who have died – this day, this week, this year or less
recently, thinking especially of those known personally to us.

Give us with all the faithful departed
a share in your victory over evil and death.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory.
Lift us up to meet you,
that with Mary, Mark, John and all your saints and angels
we may live and reign with you in your new creation.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;
give new courage to your people,
who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom
on earth as in heaven,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2006 and published by Church House Publishing.

The order of service:

Is available here:

21 12 05 Advent 2 Carol service

21 12 05 Advent 2 Carol service

The livestreaming link:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

Order of service

This morning's order of service is available here:

21 11 28 Advent 1 Eucharist

21 11 28 Advent 1 Eucharist

To watch this week's service on YouTube, please click here:

https://tiny.cc/walkleystmary-youtube

The Readings

Jeremiah 33. 14 - 16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Luke 21. 25 - 36 

The Sermon
The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

When I heard on Friday the news headlines and the weather forecast for this
weekend, I thought they must have picked up today’s gospel reading by
mistake. It wasn’t quite St Luke but it didn’t seem far off. This is Luke:

There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and on the earth
distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming
upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

On Friday night the weather map had red and amber alerts all over it and in
the way the broadcasters these days love to inflict cruel and unnatural
punishment on their journalists, reporters had to stand on exposed beaches
or harbour walls, lashed by wind and rain, to tell us the bad news about Storm
Arwen. They didn’t really have to say anything. They just had to stand there
and try not to get blown over. The detail of what they said was all lost on me. I
just wanted them, soaking wet and shaking with cold, to get inside
somewhere with a mug of coffee and some fish and chips.

This was after weeks of climate change warriors – like my ten year old grand-
daughter - telling us that unless we radically change our lifestyles - swap cars
for bikes and take all our holidays in Cleethorpes - we are destined to see our
summers blighted by plagues of locusts and our winters made desperate by
overflowing rivers.

And all this against a background of a pandemic that we cannot control.

I can’t remember a time when we had so much to be anxious about.

And perhaps the key to our anxiety is in that word ‘control’. For the first time
in my lifetime I have felt, as never before, that our old confidence that
whatever the world threw at us, we could in the end bring under our dominion,
our control, was shaken.

If that is what we are beginning to feel, we are right back where those who
first heard these words of Jesus were. They lived in a world that they knew
very well was beyond their control. And from time to time that scared them:

There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and on the earth
distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming
upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Now, for us, the powers of the heavens are being shaken. And we are
experiencing what they experienced: the realisation that in the end, we
cannot control the world in which we live.

We’ve lived with that illusion for a very long time, hanging our confidence on
those words in the first creation story in the Book of Genesis. God said to the
man and the woman: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and
over every living thing that moves upon the earth’.

We read those words ‘have dominion over’ to mean ‘do what you like with’.

We forgot that we were created in the image of God and after his likeness,
that our having dominion over was to mirror his having dominion over, which
was not exploiting the world but loving it, caring for it, looking after it.

And because we misread that text, we thought we had a God-given right to
exploit and we thought that meant the world was ours to control.

Now we know. Like those first Christians we are having to acknowledge that
the world is not ours to control and we are as frightened by events in the
natural world as they were. The centuries of hubris are over and we will learn
the hard lesson the hard way:

There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and on the earth
distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the
waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming
upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

But we cannot stop there. That would deliver us back into the world of the
pagans from which Christian faith delivers us. Jesus goes on to address us in
2021 quite directly.

The kingdom of God, he says, is near. The day of God is near. So:

Be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day
does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.

What will give us back our confidence and take away our fear is not the false
god of control. We cannot control the world. We cannot control the future. But
we can find the true God in all the ever changing circumstances of our lives,
however those changing circumstances turn out.

This season of Advent starts the Church’s new year with this call to people
who are fearful, but who know that their security does not lie in trying to
control things but in knowing that they can find God in a changing world.

Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape
all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

The Prayers

In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid
we pray to Jesus.

Come to your Church as Lord and judge.
Help us to live in the light of your coming
and give us a longing for your kingdom.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your world as King of the nations.
Before you rulers will stand in silence.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter.
Break into our lives,
where we struggle with sickness and distress,
and set us free to serve you for ever.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls.
Give us with all the faithful departed
a share in your victory over evil and death.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory.
Lift us up to meet you,
that with Mary, Mark, John and all your saints and angels
we may live and reign with you in your new creation.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;
give new courage to your people,
who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom
on earth as in heaven,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

Common Worship: Times and Seasons, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2006 and published by Church House Publishing.