Services This Week

Dear All,

Today we begin 2026 and celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Also, tomorrow sees our Friday BCP Holy Communion services restart. Please join us for services tomorrow and Sunday, which are taking place in person or via livestream through our YouTube Channel. You can find gathering times and service sheet links below.

Friday 2 January
10.30am - BCP Holy Communion (Revd Dr Mark Scarlata)

Sunday 4 January / The Epiphany
11am - Holy Communion
Sermon: ‘The Epiphany’
Service Sheet: Here

Other notices:

Giving: We are grateful for all of your gifts! Offerings may be made via BACS (Sort: 20-17-19 / Acc. No.: 30851477 / Acc. Name: St Edwards Church), for standing orders, or the SumUp machine on the table by the door, for contactless giving. There is also a wall-mounted deposit box by the door for cash and/or cheques.

The Naming and Circumcision of Christ (Thursday 1 January):

The celebration of this scriptural festival marks three events: firstly, the naming of the infant Christ as Jesus; secondly, the circumcision as the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham ‘and his children for ever’, thus Christ’s keeping of the Law; and thirdly, traditionally the first shedding of the Christ’s blood. The most significant of these in the gospels is the name itself, which means ‘Yahweh saves’ and so is linked to the question asked by Moses of God: ‘What is your name?’ ‘I am who I am,’ was the reply, hence the significance of Jesus’s words: ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ This feast has been observed in the Church since at least the sixth century.

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was circumcised in obedience to the law for our sake and given the Name that is above every name: give us grace faithfully to bear his Name, to worship him in the freedom of the Spirit, and to proclaim him as the Saviour of the world; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.