A D V E N T S U N D AY 2 0 1 5

O Vicar’s Blog

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If I die at the height of the summer, my funeral might be slightly odd, in that two of my favourite hymns are the great Wesleyan carol Hark the herald angels sing and the ancient Advent hymn O come O come Emmanuel. Hark can wait, I don’t have my first Christmas carol service until next Friday; really? But Veni veni Emmanuel launches at our Advent services this weekend. I shall sing it very, very loudly. It didn’t start out life as a hymn, but as a collection of seven ‘O’ antiphons, prayers used at the monastic service of Vespers in the seven days before Christmas; a preparation that intensified each day, longing for Christ to be (re)born into the world. The word of human longing, ‘O’, preceded seven Latin words highlighting a title or Messianic dimension of Christ: Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord),

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Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse), Clavis David (Key of David), Oriens (Morning Star), Rex Gentium (King of the Nations), Emmanuel (God with us.) You can hear these 6th century antiphons sung in Latin, by yours truly, at James McVinnie’s Organ Recital on December 6th at 7.30pm. Each one followed by an organ work based on their themes by New York based composer Nico Muhly. Or you can sing them yourself each time you sing the hymn O come O come Emmanuel. You’ll notice they come in a different order, pesky antiphons, but the spiritual yearning is evident in each verse: Emmanuel to a people in exile, Dayspring (Morning Star) to the gloomy clouds of night, Key of David opening wide our heavenly home. The world needs Christ more than ever, I need Christ more than ever, and this hymn gets it.

    A B B E Y D I A RY ADVENT SUNDAY: November 29th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm All-age Communion 6.30pm Advent Carol Service 2

THIS WEEK EACH DAY 9am Morning Prayer TUES 1st 2.30pm Prayer for Persecuted Church WED 2nd 10.30am Communion THUR 3rd 9am Arrival of the Abbey Christmas Tree 10.30am Time for Chat

7pm Choir Practice FRI 4th 7pm Youth Action Wiltshire Service SAT 5th 10am The Meeting Place 7.30pm Malmesbury Community Choir

NEXT SUNDAY: December 6th 9am BCP Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship with

Junior Church. 7.30pm James McVinnnie Organ Recital

ADVANCE Dec 9th 7.30pm The Nativity in Art – Dean David Hoyle

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One final thought about our Os, that pleases me rather too much to be absolutely honest, is the hypothesis that if you take the initial letter of each antiphon and then write them backwards you get the words ERO CRAS. Yes, you see I am a little sad. So to the cry of the church ‘O come, O come Emmanuel’ our Lord replies Ero Cras - ‘Tomorrow, I will be there.’

I S A I A H 2 : 1 -5

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Additional Reading: Matthew 24: 36-44

1. If possible play the Matins Responsory by Palestrina. If this music is new to you, discuss what it means, how it sounds, what atmosphere is created. If it is familiar, discuss times you have sung or heard it before and what it means to you. 2. Read the passage. Verse 2 says ‘the Lord’s temple will be established and all nations will stream to it’. Discuss your experience of Christian worship in other countries, places or cultures. What issues might prevent people from streaming to worship God here or elsewhere? 3. How can we ‘make ourselves ready’ for the second coming of Christ when we do not know the time or the place of his return? 4. The Isaiah reading depicts a future where all nations turn to God and walk in his ways, where nation will not take up sword against nation, and where they will not train for war any more. Discuss this in the light of current affairs. 5. Pray into Revelation 22:20&21 together.

DISCIPLESHIP

D A I LY R E A D I N G S

Monday (St Andrew) Psalm 19:1-6 Isaiah 52:7-10 Matthew 4:18-22

Tuesday Psalm 80 Isaiah 26:1-13 Matthew 12:22-37

Wednesday Psalm 7 Isaiah 28:1-13 Matthew 12:38-end

Thursday Psalm 42 Isaiah 28:14-end Matthew 13:1-23

Friday Psalm 25 Isaiah 29:1-14 Matthew 13:24-43

If you would like to give regularly to the mission and ministry of the Abbey as part of your discipleship, please e-mail alan@malmesburyabbey.com.m

R E G U L A R G I V I N G

P E R S E C U T E D C H U R C H O R G A N R E C I TA L

L U K E & A C T S G L O R Y ! 2 0 1 6

1 2 t h C E N T U R Y B E A U T Y 2 1 s t C E N T U R Y C H U R C H

Join us as we gather to pray for persecuted Christians on Tuesday 1st December at 2.30pm at the Parish Office. When one part of Christ's church suffers every part suffers with it, and when one part rejoices we all rejoice with it. So we pray together for our fellow Christians who are struggling for their faith, and also share the positive news from the Persecuted Church. Further details from Alice Langtree.

Don’t miss James McVinnie’s Organ Recital on Sunday 6th December at 7.30pm. His programme includes JS Bach’s Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor; the local premiere of Nico Muhly’s Seven O Antiphon Preludes, with the Antiphons themselves sung by the vicar; and movements from Olivier Messaien’s La Nativité du Seigneur. Tickets (£5) now available. jamesmcvinnie.co.uk

In the first half of 2016 the teaching at Malmesbury Abbey will be focussing mainly on Luke’s Gospel, with additional passages from the Acts of the Apostles (also by Luke) incorporated after Easter. The Abbey Bookshop will shortly be stocking Tom Wright’s Luke for Everyone and Acts for Everyone as a devotional and study resource you may wish to buy and use.

For your 2016 diary the dates of our Glory! praise and prayer meetings in 2016: Jan 12th, Feb 9th, Mar 16th, April 12th, May 10th, June 14th, July 12th, Sep 13th, Oct 11th, Nov 15th. All Tuesdays from 7.30pm-9pm, except March 16th, which is a Wednesday, and a Late-Night Glory! on the Labyrinth before Holy Week. Small Group Pastors, please schedule your small group meetings to prioritise Glory!

NOTICEBOARD

As Nicole Hitchings prepares to leave us, Malmesbury Abbey Kitchen is looking to appoint a part-time Assistant Manager. You will be an energetic, flexible and enthusiastic person with great people skills. We are looking for someone who is committed to the ethos and community of the Abbey. Key to this role will be café/hospitality experience as the job entails managing and supporting volunteers, food preparation to a high standard, stock ordering and a massive smile for our regulars and visitors. Approximately 26 hours a week, working shifts 5 days on, 2 days off. (12:30-4:30pm Tuesday-Friday, 8:30am-4: 30pm Saturday.) Please e-mail your C.V to dan@malmesburyabbey.com or call Dan on 07817594007 to arrange an interview.

A S S I S TA N T M A N A G E R

A B B E Y A R T S

Arts, drama and large events at Malmesbury Abbey continue to grow well. To develop this area of ministry further we have appointed Becky Saunders as Arts Manager and Annette Bains as Arts Administrator. Annette now works in the Parish Office for three hours on a Monday morning, and Becky for three hours on a Thursday morning. Expect to see Riding Lights, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music, BBC events, Music for Autism, the Ben Holder Quartet and much more in 2016. Becky, a music graduate from Cardiff University, is also working alongside John Hughes as Associate Conductor to the Abbey Choir.

Advance notice that because of the incredible popularity of our Abbey Advent Carol Service and our Nine Lessons & Carols at Christmas we will be having two of each this year. Advent Carols on 28th & 29th November at 6.30pm, and the Nine Lessons on 19th & 20th December at 6.30pm. Please work out which you’ll be coming too and pick up free tickets, which will be available from Sunday November 1st.

C A R O L S E R V I C E S B Y C A N D L E L I G H T

Enquiries 01666 826666 // Box Office 01666 824339 office@malmesburyabbey.com www.malmesburyabbey.com issuu.com/malmesburyabbey

ABBEY ADVENT & CH RISTMAS D IARY 2015 Sat 28th Nov 6.30pm Advent Carols by Candlelight 1 Sun 29th Nov ADVENT SUNDAY 9am & 10.30am Advent Holy Communion 4pm All-age Advent Communion 6.30pm Advent Carols by Candlelight 2 Fri 4th Dec 7pm Youth Action Wiltshire Carol Service Sat 5th Dec 7.30pm Malmesbury Community Choir Christmas Concert Sun 6th Dec ADVENT II 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church 7.30pm Organ Recital – James McVinnie (Bach, Muhly & Messiaen) Wed 9th Dec 7.30pm The Nativity in Art – talk by Dean David Hoyle Thu 10th Dec 10am Malmesbury CE Primary School Christmas Service Sat 12th Dec 7.30pm Malmesbury Singers Christmas Concert Sun 13th Dec ADVENT III 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 4pm Informal Worship & Junior Church Wed 16th Dec 7.30pm Malmesbury School Carol Service Sat 19th Dec 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols by Candlelight 1 Sun 20th Dec ADVENT IV 9am & 10.30am Holy Communion 3pm The Puppet Nativity for younger children 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols by Candlelight 2 Wed 23rd Dec 7pm The Malmesbury Nativity Thurs 24th Dec CHRISTMAS EVE 1pm, 3pm & 5pm The Malmesbury Nativity 11.30pm Midnight Communion (Carols from 11.15pm) Fri 25th Dec CHRISTMAS DAY 9am Holy Communion 11am Family Celebration 12 noon Coffee & Champagne (bring a bottle)