Benefice Online Magazine

for the Parishes of Topcliffe, Baldersby with Dishforth, Dalton and Skipton on Swale

Cross Talk January 2021

Cross Talk is published monthly and distributed by email. If you know of anyone who would like to be added to the email list please ask them to contact kitnorris@live.co.uk

Cross Talk contains the weekly Collect and readings together with details of Church services in the Benefice and news and items of interest supplied by our readers. The magazine will also be available on the web sites ACNY and baldersbychurch.com.

Collects and Readings for the Second Sunday of Christmas to Candlemas(Page numbers refer to the Common Worship Lectionary.)

3rd January 2021 – The Second Sunday of Christmas

Collect

Almighty God, in the birth of your Sonyou have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,and shown us the fullness of your love:help us to walk in his light and dwell in his lovethat we may know the fullness of his joy; who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.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.

Readings (p.409)

Jeremiah 31, 7-14

Psalm 147, 13-21

Ephesians 1, 3-14

Gospel: John 1, [1-9], 10-18

Wednesday 6th January - The Epiphany

Collect

O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:mercifully grant that we,who know you now by faith,may at last behold your glory face to face;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.

Readings (p. 414)

Isaiah 60, 1-6

Psalm 72, [1-9,] 10-15

Ephesians 3, 1-12

Gospel: Matthew 2, 1-12

10th January, The Baptism of Christ, The First Sunday of Epiphany

Collect

Eternal Father,who at the baptism of Jesusrevealed him to be your Son,anointing him with the Holy Spirit:grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children;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.

Readings (p.418)

Genesis 1, 1-5

Psalm 29

Acts 19, 1-7

Gospel: Mark 1, 4-11

17th January, The Second Sunday of Epiphany

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 livesmake 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.

Readings (p.421)

1 Samuel 3, 1-10, [11-20]

Psalm 139, 1-5, 12-17 or Psalm 139, 1-9

Revelation 5, 1-10

Gospel: John 1, 43-51

24th January, The Third Sunday of Epiphany

Collect

Almighty God,whose Son revealed in signs and miraclesthe wonder of your saving presence:renew your people with your heavenly grace,and in all our weaknesssustain us by your mighty power;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.

Readings (p.425)

Genesis 14, 17-20

Psalm 128

Revelation 19, 6-10

Gospel: John 2, 1-11

31st January, The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany

Collect

God our creatorwho in the beginningcommanded the light to shine out of darkness:we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christmay dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,shine into the hearts of all your people,and reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of 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.

Readings (p.428)

Deuteronomy 18, 15-20

Psalm 111

Revelation 12, 1-5a

Gospel: Mark 1, 21-28

Tuesday 2nd February The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Candlemas

CollectAlmighty and ever-living God,clothed in majesty,whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple,in substance of our flesh:grant that we may be presented to youwith pure and clean hearts,by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.

Readings (p.430)

Malachi, 3 1-5

Psalm 24, [1-6,] 7-10

Hebrews 2, 14-18

Gospel: Luke2, 22-40

January Reflection

Last year at this time I’m sure many of us were saying, ‘In 2020 things are going to be different!’

Well, we weren’t wrong, but it was different in a way we couldn’t have foreseen and for many it was a very difficult year. I had hoped to be less busy at work and have time to visit family and friends who I hadn’t seen for several years but that just wasn’t to be. I’m sure many of us had plans that were suddenly put on hold as Covid-19 spread through the country.

We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace’.

Certainly for many people 2020 saw sudden changes to the direction of their lives and some of those changes were for the better even amongst all the stress and disappointments. 2020 was certainly a time for change. And for many people the pandemic gave the opportunity for ‘fresh starts’ and ‘second chances’.

We cannot doubt that it was a tough year. One way to cope is to think of what we have gained rather than what we have lost. Focus on what we learned from the experience both about ourselves and also those around us to help us move forward. Maybe we are being directed to look at our priorities through fresh eyes and with hope.

A sense of brokenness is the first step to renewal and healing. It isn't a bad thing to mourn our losses. But it is a bad thing to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulder to the past instead of lifting your eyes to the future.

Although we can change the direction of our lives at any time, somehow the turning of the calendar to a new year seems the ideal opportunity. But I'm not suggesting that we make a long list of New Year Resolutions. In fact, the idea of pledging to do something for the next 365 days is daunting particularly when we remember the failures of previous New Year Resolutions.

We need to remember the advice Jesus gave about just taking care of today and not worrying too much about tomorrow's troubles. "Each day has challenges enough of its own!" he said. (Matthew 6:34). And when we think about it carefully, we realize that our own experience confirms this.

New Year 2021 is God's present to us all. With His presence and a one-day-at-a-time attitude, creative new things will come out of the chaos of the past. And life will become fresh every morning.

So we can pray:

Father give us a new year. Not just a new number, but a truly new year. Lord, give us a new year full of new ideas and refresh some of our old ideas. Give us new relationships, renew old relationships and restore relationships that have been broken.

Father give us a new year. Give us a new image of Your Son and help us to show His image to our families, friends and communities.

Father give us a new year. The year that has just ended was difficult. There were struggles and frustrations and disappointments. Give us a better mentality and better spiritual insight that will help us deal with the struggles, frustrations and disappointments that will come in this New Year and help us let go of the old things that have served their purpose.

Father give us a new year. Give us a year that is not controlled by fear, but a year filled with new love. A new love for you, for each other and for all people.

Father give us a new year. Help us to leave the things of the past in the past. Help us look forward. Help us look beyond what we can see to what You have planned for us that we cannot see. Help us move forward with confidence and courage and humility and gentleness.

We ask all this through you Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

Richard Byas

Ten Quotes for the New Year

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. St. Paul

We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential. Ellen Goodman

Glory to God in highest heaven, who unto man His Son hath given; while angels sing with tender mirth, a glad new year to all the earth. Martin Luther

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one. Brad Paisley

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions. Joey Lauren Adams

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering 'it will be happier'. Alfred Lord Tennyson

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool. Farquhar McGillivray Knowles

New Year’s Eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no one has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. Hamilton Wright Mabie

Although our New Year’s resolutions may quickly crumble, God’s plans never fail. Charles Stanle

CHURCH SERVICES

The following services are planned subject to changes in the Covid-19 regulations

Baldersby St. James Sunday 3rd January 10.45am Holy Communion (Revd Terry Dyer)

Sunday 17th January 10.45 Holy Communion (Revd Terry Dyer)

The church is open for private prayer daily between 10 am and 4 pm.

St. Columba’s Topcliffe

Sunday 3rd January 6.30pm Choral Evensong

Sunday 10th January 10.45am Holy Communion (Revd Terry Dyer)

Sunday 17th January 10.45am Sung Matins

Sunday 24th January 10.45am Holy Communion (Revd Terry Dyer)

Sunday 31st January awaiting details

PARISH DIRECTORY

The Parishes of Topcliffe, Baldersby with Dishforth, Dalton and Skipton on Swale

There is currently no Vicar of the parishes. Until one is appointed, please ring our Area Dean,

The Revd Fiona Mayer-Jones tel: 07450 402953 or revdfmj@gmail.com

BALDERSBY with DISHFORTH - PCC Secretary: Mrs Jennifer Wharton wharton370@btinternet.com

God is talking to one of his angels and says, “Do you know what I have just done? I have just created a 24-hour period of alternating light and darkness on Earth. Isn’t that good?”

The angel says, “Yes, but what will you do now?”

God says, “I think I’ll call it a day.”

DALTON - PCC Secretary: Mrs Hannah Bissett tel: 07739 382831 spannerb79@gmail.com

SKIPTON-on-SWALE – PCC Secretary: Mr Alan Kitching tel: 01845 567457

TOPCLIFFE – PCC Secretary: Mrs Roz Norris RozNorris@aol.com