Small Children are welcome to play in St Thomas's Chapel, near the porch
Baptised Communicants of other Churches are encouraged to receive communion
Children and other non-communicants are invited to come to the altar for a blessing
The Ministry of Healing is offered in the Chapel, after Communion is given

Processional Hymn                   

Collect of the Day
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of  the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Reading                 Micah 5.2-5a                                              (p.)
The LORD says to his people:
            2But 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.
            3Therefore 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.
            4And 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;
            5and he shall be the one of peace.

Gradual Hymn                             

GOSPEL                         Luke 1.39-45                                             (p.)
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

INTERCESSIONS
Please pray for
- The sick and suffering: especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Clive Heywood, Ron & Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, John Asbridge, Caroline Nevill, Ruth and Tracey Davies.

Offertory Hymn                           

Communion Hymn                    

Post Communion Prayer
Heavenly Father,
who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of the promised saviour:
fill us your servants with your grace,
that in all things we may embrace your holy will
and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Recessional Hymn                    

Coffee in church after the service

Luke 1.39-45 ©  1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton. Invitation to Confession (1st Sun. of Advent to Christmas Eve) ©  1988 Continuum (Mowbray) (Adapted). Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: ©  The Archbishops' Council 2000

Prayers from the December 17th 2006 Labyrinth Service at St Stephens

• Dear Jesus – you are Lord. I want to thank u. I love u xxx
• Forgive me God forgetting you most weeks. Forgive me
• Forgive me for all the people I have hurt in my life
• I have sinned all my life Lord have mercy on me
• Dear Lord, I love you more and more each day. Please forgive me for anything wrong I have done in the past
• Thank you God for everything. Please help my mothers, brother and family
• Bless my grandparents and family and forgive my sins
• Almighty God forgive me for not believing in you until I lost my closest and best friend, my Nan. Thank you for being there
• Oh Lord, please keep him safe in your arms until he returns home
• I pray for those lonely at Christmas
• Dear Lord, This year let everyone have a happy Christmas and remind me of Christmas’s true meaning
• Teach me Lord to accept what I can not change – to glorify you and not myself
• Almighty God forgive me all my sins in thought and deeds, thank you for everything I have in my life especially friends and family
• Forgive what I sinned this week Lord
• Lord, help me to understand that the answers will come from you but I have to find the questions myself
• Thank you Christ – Thank you so much for my amazing life and most of all my family
• Forgive me for not being grateful enough for everything I have
• Thank you for everything that I have
• Forgive me my selfishness of thought, my pride and my self-indulgence. In times of struggler help me to put aside3 these weaknesses and remember your gifts to me – you have made me rich in so many ways. To have faith is to know true wealthI wish for love and the world’s salvation
• Dear Lord Thank you so much for the young people at Sunday Youth
• Dear Lord – point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life
• Forgive me Father of all my sins; cleanse me of all negative thoughts in my mind
• Dear Lord – please bring peace to her heart
• Dear Lord – I am sorry that I forgot you were there or chose not to remember
• Thank you for my beautiful children

NOTICES

TODAY

11.30 pm – Midnight Mass

CHRISTMAS DAY

10 am Sung Eucharist

NEXT SUNDAY:        31 December 2006 – Festival of St Stephen

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant and Preacher – Rev Ann Clarridge
2 Chronicles 24.20-22 (p), Matthew 10.17-22  (p )

Sunday School and Sunday Youth start again on 14 January 2007

Alpha Course starts Wednesday 17 January 2007 at St Stephen’s vicarage. Call 0207 603 4879 to register

Visit the church web site at www.ststephensw12.org