Our services this Sunday are at: 

9.30am Family service in St Andrew's Chelmondiston

10.45am Holy Communion in St Mary's Shotley

After tomorrow's service in Chelmondiston we say our farewell to Christine Ward. After 30 years of being a reader in the benefice she has retired and moved to Holbrook. We give thanks and are grateful for her years of ministry among us.

This years Christmas cards are ready to be delivered in our villages. If you can help delivering them, our local co-ordinators would love to hear from you:

Shotley, Maureen Coulson 787304‬ [email protected]

Chelmondiston, Claire Harvey 780328 [email protected]

Erwarton, Jayne Suddaby 788204‬ [email protected]

Harkstead, Catkin Seel 327 780‬ [email protected]

The First Sunday of Advent

First reading

Isaiah 2.1–5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say,

'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.'

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, ︎

'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'

And now our feet are standing ︎within your gates, O Jerusalem;

Jerusalem, built as a city ︎that is at unity in itself.

Thither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, ︎as is decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

For there are set the thrones of judgement, ︎ the thrones of the house of David.

O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ︎

'May they prosper who love you.

'Peace be within your walls ︎and tranquillity within your palaces.'

For my kindred and companions' sake, ︎

I will pray that peace be with you.

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek to do you good.

Second reading

Romans 13.11–14

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel

Matthew 24.36–44

'But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.