Welcome
Dear friends,
A very warm welcome to this service. Today is Advent Sunday, and we are now officially allowed by the church to turn our eyes towards Christmas, and to begin to prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord and Saviour. The season’s colour is purple, to remind us that it is a time of fasting and making ready.
Being Ready
Being ready for Jesus is not really anything to do with pre Christmas sales, wrapping, or baking. It is about taking heed of the warnings of the prophets such as John the Baptist, and making sure that our lives on the inside are ready for God to show up. If you want to have a rough guide as to what this looks like, you could do no better than to take St Paul’s words in the letter to the Ephesians: 4:1-6:18. It is quite a long passage, but St Paul is dealing here specifically with the Christian life – answering a young church’s question “how then should we live?”
Prayer Requests
In your prayers at this time, please remember the families who have lost loved ones recently. The first Christmas without someone dear is always difficult, as familiar patterns have to be revisited. Please also remember in your prayers those who live alone, and those who are in care, who even there may find themselves without anyone to talk to, or can visit them. Please remember those who are in prison and far from families or friends, either in miles, or because of their actions.
“O come, O come, Emmanuel”
This is our hope, our prayer, and our faith.
May the Lord be with you all.
Your Rector Kevin Davies
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