Services for this coming week
Sunday, 18th January, Epiphany 2
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.00 am Parish Communion
10.00 am Holy Communion at Marishes
2.30 pm Service at Alba Rose
6.00 pm Evensong
Wednesday, 21st January
10.00 am Holy Communion
Sunday, 25th January, Epiphany 3
8.00 am Holy Communion
9.30 am Holy Communion at Levisham
10.00 am Parish Communion
6.00 pm Evensong
8.00 am Holy Communion
10.00 am Parish Communion
10.00 am Holy Communion at Marishes
2.30 pm Service at Alba Rose
6.00 pm Evensong
Wednesday, 21st January
10.00 am Holy Communion
Sunday, 25th January, Epiphany 3
8.00 am Holy Communion
9.30 am Holy Communion at Levisham
10.00 am Parish Communion
6.00 pm Evensong
Welcome to our worship for
Sunday 18th January, 2026
Epiphany 2
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins
Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation
to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
In the Diocesan Cycle of prayer, praying especially today for Province de L’Eglise Anglicane Du Congo
Collect
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Amen
Readings for Today
First Reading: Isaiah 49.1-7
Listen to me, O coastlands; pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born; while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. But I said, “I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord and my reward with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Psalm 40
Response: Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me out of the roaring pit, out of the mire and clay; he set my feet upon a rock and made my footing sure. R
He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not turn to the proud that follow a lie. R
Great are the wonders you have done, O Lord my God. How great your designs for us! There is none that can be compared with you. If I were to proclaim them and tell of them they would be more than I am able to express. R
Sacrifice and offering you do not desire but my ears you have opened; Burnt offering and sacrifice for sin you have not required; then said I: 'Lo, I come. R
'In the scroll of the book it is written of me that I should do your will, O my God; I delight to do it: your law is within my heart.' R
I have declared your righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I did not restrain my lips, and that, O Lord, you know. R
Your righteousness I have not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your loving-kindness and truth from the great congregation. Do not withhold your compassion from me, O Lord; let your love and your faithfulness always preserve me. R
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord[a] and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of[c] Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading: John 1.29-42
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Listen to me, O coastlands; pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born; while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. But I said, “I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord and my reward with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Psalm 40
Response: Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me out of the roaring pit, out of the mire and clay; he set my feet upon a rock and made my footing sure. R
He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not turn to the proud that follow a lie. R
Great are the wonders you have done, O Lord my God. How great your designs for us! There is none that can be compared with you. If I were to proclaim them and tell of them they would be more than I am able to express. R
Sacrifice and offering you do not desire but my ears you have opened; Burnt offering and sacrifice for sin you have not required; then said I: 'Lo, I come. R
'In the scroll of the book it is written of me that I should do your will, O my God; I delight to do it: your law is within my heart.' R
I have declared your righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I did not restrain my lips, and that, O Lord, you know. R
Your righteousness I have not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your loving-kindness and truth from the great congregation. Do not withhold your compassion from me, O Lord; let your love and your faithfulness always preserve me. R
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord[a] and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of[c] Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gospel Reading: John 1.29-42
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Reflection for Epiphany
from Rev Gareth Atha
In the animated film Ice Age, sabre-toothed tigers attack a tribe of nomads. As the group scatters, a mother and her baby attempt to outrun the beasts, only to find themselves trapped at the edge of a raging waterfall. Three very unlikely companions eventually discover the baby: Manfred the woolly mammoth, Sid the sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger. Against all expectations, these three form an alliance around a shared mission to return the baby safely to his father.
As they trek across mountains of ice and snow, they eventually find themselves on an erupting volcano. Lava melts the ice bridges beneath them, and Diego becomes separated from the others, stranded on a rapidly shrinking island of ice. He leaps for safety but falls short, left dangling over the abyss. His grip begins to fail.
And then, in a moment that changes everything, Manfred leaps into the chasm after him and throws Diego up to safety, risking his own life to save someone who, moments earlier, had been a threat. Shaken, Diego asks, “Why did you do that? You could have died trying to save me.” Manfred replies simply, “That’s what you do when you’re part of a herd. You look after each other.” Sid, taking it all in, says, “I don’t know about you guys, but we are one strange herd.”
“One strange herd” - Doesn’t that feel like a wonderful description of the church, and especially of the church during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity? A gathering of people who are different in background, personality, culture, worship style, and even theology, and yet are drawn together by one thing: the love of Jesus Christ. We are not together because we are all the same. We are together because Christ has called us, loved us, and bound us to one another. And like that strange herd in Ice Age, we discover that belonging to Christ means learning to look after one another, even when it feels uncomfortable, inconvenient, or surprising.
When the church is working as God intends, something beautiful begins to happen. Our old instincts slowly begin to slip away. We start to see one another differently. People we might never have chosen, people we might never have expected to love, become brothers and sisters. And our hearts widen, making space for others who may feel they don’t belong anywhere else. This is not just the vision for one congregation, or one denomination. It is Jesus’ vision for his whole church.
Jesus gathered people. He was many things, a teacher, prophet, king, the Son of God. But he was, always a people gatherer. He taught in community, and even when he ministered one-to-one, his focus was always on forming a people. When someone told him that his mother and brothers were waiting outside, he looked at those gathered around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.” In today’s language, we might say: these are my family, the people who follow me together.
During this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded that this family is larger than we often imagine. Our brothers and sisters are not only those who worship exactly as we do, but all who call on the name of Christ. We are, in God’s eyes, one strange herd: learning, sometimes awkwardly, how to walk together in love.
The apostle Paul takes this idea even further. In his letters, he frequently names his companions in ministry. We hear of folk like Timothy, Barnabas, Epaphroditus. He calls Epaphroditus a “fellow worker.” That phrase matters. This is more than shared belief; it is shared service. They are partners in God’s mission. They are united in their mission to spread the gospel. Unity, then, is not just something we pray for, it is something we practise. I cheekily say I’m a practising Christian, still practicing because I don’t always get it right. Unity is like that. We practice unity, because we’re not perfect at it yet.
So, the question for each of us is: where are we on this journey towards unity?
For some, the invitation is to move from observing the community to truly belonging. To seeing this church, and the wider church of Christ, as a family. That is no small step to take and isn’t easy. Especially when we disagree or see things differently. However, Jesus welcomes us, and we welcome one another, into a shared life as brothers and sisters.
For others, the call may be to grow from belonging into deeper partnership, from being family members to being fellow workers. Someone once said that both guests and family may enjoy the same meal, but at the end, family helps with the washing up. It’s perfectly fine to be a guest for a while. But there often comes a moment when God gently invites us to pick up a tea towel. Or to put it down and pick up something else. The call is not always to do more, but sometimes to do different, to serve in ways that keep the community healthy, energised, and alive.
True community, and true unity, doesn’t happen overnight. It grows as each person prayerfully discerns their place, takes small steps toward deeper relationship, and chooses love over comfort. And slowly, something extraordinary happens people who might never have chosen one another begin to care deeply, to serve generously, and even to lay down their lives for one another. Why? Because Jesus laid down his life for us.
My prayer this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is that our church, and the whole church, would grow into this calling: a people who know one another as brothers and sisters, fellow workers, fellow pilgrims on the way. To the world, we may look like one strange herd. But when the love of Jesus flows among us, they won’t just notice, they’ll long to be part of this journey of faith, together.
Amen.
You can listen to the sermon here
Prayers for this week
from Gina Southey
Let us voice our cares and concerns, knowing God is listening to us.
Lord God, make yourself known to the people who come into our churches, or who pass by and sometimes wonder, but have not yet come in; make us better bearers of your life to those who need you, but have never met you.
True and living God: we want to know you more.
Lord God, as the world lurches from crisis to crisis, and there is much misleading and misdirecting; help us all recover the natural sense of what is right and just, honest and good, so that our hearts are inclined to hear the voice of your leading and respond to it. True and living God: we want to know you more.
Lord God, help us to take more seriously our responsibility of helping one another forward into faith, as brothers and sisters; we pray for those in our own families and community whom we would love to bring to know you, and for those who are drifting away. True and living God: we want to know you more.
Lord God, there some who are going through very distressing, painful and worrying times. We stand alongside them now and ask for your comfort, reassurance, healing and peace of mind for them.
True and living God: we want to know you more.
Lord God, even as we pray now there are those journeying through death. We pray for the, for all who have recently died, and for those left without their loved ones, grieving or numb with shock.
True and living God: we want to know you more.
Lord God, we thank you for all those who have directed us to know you better, and for the way you are drawing us closer into friendship with you.
Merciful Father, Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son Our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Please Pray for -
The sick, and those who care for them, including Philip Smith, Bridgette MacPhail, Colin Pape and Revd. Tony Lindsay
Those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit
Those who have recently died including Margaret Corke, Fred Douglas, Rev. Peter Jaram and Fred Weighell
and those whose anniversary of death falls at this time including Frank Timmins, Eric Ayling and Albert Longworth
Those who have lit candles and those for whom candles have been lit
Those who have recently died including Margaret Corke, Fred Douglas, Rev. Peter Jaram and Fred Weighell
and those whose anniversary of death falls at this time including Frank Timmins, Eric Ayling and Albert Longworth
Post Communion Prayer
God of glory, you nourish us with your Word who is the bread of life:
fill us with your Holy Spirit that through us the light of your glory may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
fill us with your Holy Spirit that through us the light of your glory may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
You can watch the reflection from the Diocese of York here - click link below
vimeo.com/dioceseofyork
vimeo.com/dioceseofyork
From The Church of England
You are invited to our Live service on Sunday from 9am on our website, Facebook or YouTube . It will be available for playback immediately after as well.
All of these CofE online weekly service content are manually subtitled and contain British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation throughout.