Christmas 1
The one Sunday service this weekend & in January is at 9.30am.
Sat@6 and Wednesday @ 10.30am continue throughout January.
There will be a service at 10.30am on New Year's Day.
Today many churches recall the massacre of the Holy Innocents, the male children of Bethlehem (under 2 years old), on the orders of King Herod, though there is no historical record of this occuring other than from St Matthew's Gospel. It is said that this was Herod's attempt to kill the infant Jesus, whom Herod feared would eventually seize his kingdom. Why Mary and Joseph were still in Bethlehem some years after Jesus' birth is not explained. The Greek Liturgy asserts that Herod killed 14,000 boys, the Syrians speak of 64,000, and some medieval authors of 144,000. However, Bethlehem was a tiny village at the time of King Herod and now only has a population of 30,000, so the number of boys under the age of two was probably no more than a dozen or two. That’s still a horrible atrocity, of course, but in those violent times it wouldn’t have been nearly as shocking as such a thing would be to us nowadays. King Herod had a long and richly-deserved reputation for pitiless cruelty even in Roman documents of the time, so slaughtering a handful of little boys in a poor village in order to protect his grip on power would have been very much in character for the man. There were excellent reasons why the people hated him.
Exaggeration is part of the biblical authors' way of highlighting the significance of their particular point - it underlines the importance of Jesus' birth and threatening existence to the ruling King of the day. Whether the Holy Family actually travelled to Egypt (with the gold from the wise men) or had already returned to Nazareth is unknown.
This weekend we recall the young Jesus being taken to the synagogue where he remained when his parents were returning home, causing them to search for him.
Music for Sunday
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
CANTOR EUCHARIST @ 9.30 AM
Prelude: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen – Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hymns: Processional All creatures of our God and King
Gradual A great and mighty wonder
Thanksgiving Now thank we all our God
Post Communion Unto us is born a son
Setting: Parish Eucharist – Michael Dudman (1938-1994)
Psalm: 48: 1-6,14; TiS 93
Anthem: A New Year Carol – Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Motet: What child is this? (NEH 40)
Postlude: Prelude and Fugue in G major BWV 541 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Christmas Services
Thank you to everyone who made this Christmas so special with more than 800 guests attending over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Below are a sample of these events.
More tree damage
On Christmas Eve another gum tree gave up the ghost and collapsed onto the Church St footpath. Thank you to our Churchwardens and their assistants for removing it.
Christmas Raffle
Thank you to all those who bought a raffle ticket in our major Christmas Raffle which was drawn last Sunday. Congratulations to the winners and to Jean Hawkins and the team of ticket sellers. [Full marks to Ian Russell for his Christmas jumper].
New Year 2025
Xeverie and I wish you a very happy New Year.
We have lots of new initiatives in 2025, some of wish are featured below and others will come to fruition as 2025 progresses, including:
confirmation on Easter Day
a new bible study program
preaching on 'hope' for Hope25
the 2025 Kids' Church program
a new Mission Action Plan for 2025-28
Plus the following groups will resume in February 2025:
English Coversation Group (4 February)
Kids Church (2 February)
Choral evensong (8 February)
Lectio Divina (3 February)
Coffee + Chat (5 February)
Chinese Morning Prayer (6 February)
Australia Day Service
Shabbat Meal in February
For your diaries and booking, the Parish is invited to a Shabbat meal on Friday 28 February at the Central Shule (in Greek: synagogue) in South Caulfield, just off Hawthorn Rd. Earlier this month Xeverie and I went to visit the elders and rabbis of this shule along with some other vicars from our Bayside Deanery. Parishes in Gardenvale, Middle Brighton, Brighton Beach, Hampton, Moorabbin and Beaumaris will join for this event.
The purpose of the occasion is to build bridges of understanding and friendship. To work together through education and relationship building as we work towards social cohesion and jointly fight against Antisemitism.
We plan to join members of the Shule at 6pm for:
an introduction
orientation in this modern synagogue constructed in 2012
candle lighting and
an understanding of what Shabbat means.
The service begins at 6.30pm and is in Hebrew, led by a Chazzan (cantor) and 12 male choir voices. The Rabbi will address us in English. Jewish custom is that men have their head covered in the Synagogue. Kippahs will be provided. Dress is smart casual. It
is preferred that ladies wear skirts/dresses rather than trousers (if possible).
Following the service, we will move to the Hall and make kiddush (sanctifying the Shabbat with wine) together with challah (platted loaves) and sample traditional Jewish Sabbath foods. There will be a 3-course meal with wine with the challah.
There will be a member of the Central Shule community at each table.
Please join us by registering for the evening here.
Rosters
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