Chichester Observer

Looking forward into the New Year

- News Faith Matters

At the beginning of this New Year, the Venerable Luke Irvine-capel, the Archdeacon of Chichester, reflects on the hope given us in Christ for all that this year and beyond holds.

New Year’s Day is the eighth day of the twelve days of Christmas. Throughout the world Christians continue to celebrate the Good News that

Dates for your diary

The website ‘A Church Near You’ – www.achurchnea­ryou. com – enables you to easily see what services are being held by churches in your vicinity throughout the year.

Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, is born and that in his birth heaven and earth are united: God is with us.

The beginning of the new calendar year is now marked by crowds gathered waiting for the clock to strike midnight. There is the countdown and anticipati­on as one year passes into another, the old into the new. This a moment infused with hope – as well as

Find out what services are offered by your local church.

with spectacula­r fireworks! as we leave behind all that has been and look forward to the potential and possibilit­ies of all that will be.

For Christians, Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. In him the ‘hopes and fears of all the years’ are met, as eternity is brought into time and our time is caught up into eternity.

Of course, on Christmas

Christmas festivitie­s.

nEve we heard the angels singing “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth”. That angelic song, announcing the birth of Jesus, is the echo from eternity entering into time, the harmony between heaven and earth found in the stillness and silence, the gentleness and humility of the manger in which the Christchil­d, the Prince of Peace, is placed.

Celebratio­n of Music, Chichester Cathedral, Saturday, February 3, 3pm.

Join us for a celebratio­n of the wonderful music of the Cathedral. Following the performanc­e, there will be a special announceme­nt about our plans to sustain Chichester Cathedral’s music heritage. RSVP to trustrsvp@ chichester­cathedral.org.uk.

Services for Racial Justice Week

The invitation to each of us is to join our voices, our lives, to that eternal song. Standing at the beginning of 2024 we can rejoice in singing to the Lord a new song – for ever old and for ever new - for in him all things are made anew: that which fallen is raised up, that which is broken is restored, that which has grown old is restored. With the Psalmist (Psalm 96), the angelic

Sunday, February 4, 6.30pm, at St Peter’s Brighton – Service led by Bishop Will, Bishop of Lewes, and the Revd Dan Millest.

Sunday, February 11, 10am, at St Mary’s Broadwater – Service led by Bishop Ruth, Bishop of Horsham, and the Revd Gaz Daly.

Sunday February 11, 6pm, at Worth Parish, Crawley – Service led by the Revd Sarah Upchurch. Preacher: The Revd Dr Godfrey Kesari. host, and with the people of God throughout the ages and across the world, we can “sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” May that song of salvation, of recreation and healing, of righteousn­ess and peace, echo in our hearts and lives as we pray for the coming of God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

Happy New Year!

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