Christmas Services and Message
Christmas services
Sunday 3 December
10:30am Christmas Café Church at Bere Alston United Church
Tuesday 5 December
6:00pm Christingle at St John's, Horrabridge
Sunday 10 December
7.30pm Carols by Candlight with Chordial Ladies Choir at Bere Alston United Church
Monday 11 December
2:00pm Hope Cottage Service of 9 lessons and Carols with Bere Alston Primary School Choir
Thursday 14 December
2:00pm Christingle at St Peter’s, Meavy
Friday 15 December
2:00pm Christingle at St Mary’s, Walkhampton
Sunday 17 December
10:30am service of 9 lessons and carols at Rock Methodist Church Yelverton
10.30am Service of carols and readings at Holy Spirit, Milton Combe.
6.00pm Carol Service at St Andrew’s, Bere Ferrers
6:00pm Carol Service at St Paul’s Yelverton
6.30pm Service of lessons and carols by candlelight at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
Monday 18 December
6:00pm Prison Carol Service at St Michael & All Angels, Princetown
Wednesday 20 December
6.00pm Christingle at Holy Trinity, Bere Alston
Wednesday 20 December
6:00pm Carol Service at St Mary’s, Sampford Spiney
Friday 22 December
6:00pm Carol Service at St Mary’s, Walkhampton
Saturday 23 December
4:00pm Carol Service at St Leonard’s, Sheepstor
Sunday 24 December - Christmas Eve
10.30am Family Carol Service at Bere Alston United Church
11:00am Morning service at St Leonard’s, Sheepstor
2.30pm Nativity Service at St Andrew’s Bere Ferrers
4.00pm Christingle service of light for all ages at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
4.00pm Nativity Service at St Andrew’s Bere Ferrers
4:00pm Crib Service at St Paul’s Yelverton
5:00pm Crib Service at St John’s, Horrabridge
11.00pm Midnight Christmas Holy Communion at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
11:00pm Midnight Service at St Peter’s, Meavy
11:00pm Midnight Service at St Mary’s, Walkhampton
11:00pm Midnight Service at St Paul’s, Yelverton
11:00pm Midnight Service at St John’s, Horrabridge
11:00pm Midnight Service at St Michael & All Angels, Princetown
11.30pm Midnight Mass at St Andrew’s Bere Ferrers
Monday 25 December - Christmas Day
8.00am BCP Holy Communion at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
8.00am BCP Holy Communion at St Paul’s, Yelverton
9.15am Christmas Holy Communion at Holy Spirit, Milton Combe
9.15am BCP Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Sampford Spiney
9:30 am Christmas Day Celebration at Bere Alston United Church
9.30am Order 1 at St Paul’s, Yelverton
9.30am Order 1 at St Mary’s, Walkhampton
10.00am Christmas Communion at Holy Trinity, Bere Alston
10.30am Order 1 at St Peter’s, Meavy
10.30am Order 1 at St John the Baptist, Horrabridge
10.30am Christmas gathering for all ages with carols at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
11.00am Order 2 at St Leonard’s, Sheepstor
11.20am Shortened BCP Holy Communion at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
Thursday 28 December
5:00pm Carols for Christmas (candlelit) at St Peter’s, Meavy
Sunday 31 December - New Year’s Eve
11.45pm Ringing in the New Year, and prayers at St. Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum
Presence or Presents?
I like playing with words and meaning. I find it rather interesting. Perhaps you think I should get out more? I wrote something recently about the seasons on Dartmoor, containing these lines:
Tungsten, tin, and arsenic, granite:
Dartmoor’s strength, we stand in awe
I then realised I could have said we stand in ‘ore’ – there is a ruggedness to our landscape that we take for granted and our industrial heritage bears witness to this.
Another word play is a poem I wrote about Christmas called ‘Christmas presence’ – as opposed to ‘Christmas presents. It has been set to music with a haunting tune written by David Crocker (one of our organists). There is an interplay between the presence of Christ at Christmas and the excitement of opening Christmas presents:
The children are tucked up in bed
The winter night draws on
The Saviour of the world is born
To us on Christmas morn
The silent stars reflect his light
The word of God is given
To us, to cheer our hearts this day
God whispered love to all
A present wrapped around the tree
God’s love is there to find
Unwrap the gift He gives to us
You’ll find it is His child
Be careful how you open it
Your life He’ll surely change
Be ready now to live for Him
The light of Christ to gain
Do try to come to a church service at Christmas at any of the churches in the Moor Links area. If you come to a service in West Dartmoor you may hear ‘Christmas Presence’ together with all the usual glorious traditional carols. Feel His presence and enjoy the presents – you can have both.
Revd Preb Nick Shutt, Rector