January 2020 Services
For general information about the services at St Michaels please see the Services Overview page.
See also "Hymns of the Month" at the bottom of this page.
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Sunday 5 January
2nd of Christmas |
8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am Parish Communion (Traditional) 11.15am Family Service 6.30pm Contemplative Evening Prayer |
Topic & Readings (8.00 & 9.30)
"Epiphany" Isaiah 60:1-6 Galatians 4:4-7 Matthew 2:1-12 |
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Sunday 12 January
1st of Epiphany |
8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am Parish Communion (Informal) (NO evening service) |
Topic & Readings (8.00 & 9.30)
"The Baptism of Christ" Isaiah 42:1-9 Matthew 3:13-17 |
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Sunday 19 January
2nd of Epiphany |
8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am Parish Communion (Reflective) 11.15am Family Service 6.30pm Ecumenical Service at Crowthorne Methodist Church |
Topic & Readings (8.00 & 9.30)
"Come and See" Isaiah 49:1-7 John 1:29-42 Topic & Readings (11.15)
"The Baptism of Christ" Matthew 3:1-6 |
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Sunday 26 January
3rd of Epiphany |
8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am Parish Communion (Community Feel) 6.30pm Sung Evensong |
Topic & Readings (8.00 & 9.30)
"On a Mission" Isaiah 9:1-4 Matthew 4:12-23 Topic & Readings (6.30)
[changed since newsletter] "For Everything there is a Season" Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Psalm 33 Matthew 6:25-end |
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Hymns of the Month
This month we focus on two Epiphany hymns.
As With Gladness Men of Old
This Epiphany hymn was written by William Chatterton Dix in 1859, while ill in bed and while reflecting on Matthew 2:1-12 he was inspired to write a hymn comparing the journey of the magi to visit the baby Jesus to each Christian’s personal pilgrimage and as a reminder that it is not the value of the gifts, it is the value of giving and adoration to Jesus that is what Christians should seek.
Other hymns by Dix include ‘What Child is This?’ and ‘Alleluia, Sing to Jesus’.
Other hymns by Dix include ‘What Child is This?’ and ‘Alleluia, Sing to Jesus’.
We Three Kings of Orient Are
While they weren’t kings and possibly not even three of them, this classic Epiphany hymn commemorates the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus. It was written for a Christmas Pageant at the theological college where John Henry Hopkins Jr. was teaching in New York. Matthew’s gospel is the only gospel to record the visit of the Magi.
The middle three verses are often assigned to each of the wise men and represent the gifts brought. Traditionally the names are Melchoir (often from Persia); Caspar (from India); Balthazar (often from Babylon).
While three is the number of wise men (or Magi) associated with Western Christianity, in Eastern Christianity the number is 12. One explanation for them being identified as kings is based on Psalm 72:11.
The middle three verses are often assigned to each of the wise men and represent the gifts brought. Traditionally the names are Melchoir (often from Persia); Caspar (from India); Balthazar (often from Babylon).
While three is the number of wise men (or Magi) associated with Western Christianity, in Eastern Christianity the number is 12. One explanation for them being identified as kings is based on Psalm 72:11.