December 24th

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

 O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary; and, gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond'ring love. O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

But You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old (Micha 5:2)

Think

Almost there! Let us pray that the holy Child of Bethlehem will be born in all of us this Christmas.

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 December 23rd

Caravaggio The Nativity (1609)

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Caravaggio was a colourful character as well as a colourful painter. He painted some of the most profound religious art while at the same time being a fugitive accused of murder. Often the characters in his paintings were people he knew from the streets of Rome or Naples and he had them wearing contemporary clothes. He played with the concept of time. It’s as though the events depicted from the bible are taking place in his own time. In this painting of the Nativity, St Francis appears as an onlooker alongside St Lawrence. They lived almost one thousand years apart and centuries after the birth of Christ. Caravaggio uses light and dark to very dramatic effect. It’s difficult to see where the source of light is but the angel zooms in overhead shining with light as does Mary’s face and the baby lying naked on the ground. Mary looks as though she might have recently given birth, she looks exhausted. When we think about Christmas, it is an event that happened in the past but it is also an event that happens in each of our lives – the discovery of the God/child, divine/human who continues to be part of our everyday experience. 

Think

What difference does the knowledge of the birth of Jesus make in your life?
Take a moment to reflect on how the birth of Jesus, the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, makes you feel.

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 December 22nd

It’s a bit of a rollercoaster

Research was done by some scientists about how excited people get on rollercoasters. The moment of peak excitement is the moment the safety bar comes down – the moment you’re locked in but before the ride actually starts. Christmas as a season is over shadowed now by the long moment of anticipation. Christmas trees go up in November! We’re all longing for some joy. Christmas Day itself can be quite a disappointment. There are often tensions. But as Christians, we don’t just have one go at Christmas Day, we can celebrate the incarnation any and every day if we want to because it shapes who we are and what we believe. I hate rollercoasters, I’d be most excited when the nauseating experience is over. Some people treat Christmas like that too. But we have a special secret. The joy of the real Christmas goes deeper and beyond anything you can find in a John Lewis advert or a special edition bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur (other department stores and liqueurs are available). We’re on board but the journey never has to end.

I waited patiently for the Lord, He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:1-3).
 

Think

There are definitely ups and downs to being a Christian.
What would you say were the highs and lows to someone who was exploring faith?

What’s the best thing about having faith?

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 December 21st 

Whose Christmas is it anyway?

Merry Christmas in various languages

Like many people I am slightly alarmed at the way some current political extremes seem to be adopting what they assume to be Christian language to further massage their own brand of nationalism which they disguise as patriotic. They want to put Christ back into Christmas, they say. That’s a good intention, and I am all for keeping the Christ-child at the centre of the Christmas story. However, Christians do need to be wary of treating the Christmas story and all that goes with it as personal and exclusive property.

There is nothing particularly nationalistic or even patriotic in this story and there are no Christian disciples at all in the nativity stable or with the arrival of the Magi. The Christmas story is an international story and one in which the outsider and the migrant traveller go centre stage. The shepherds were probably dead beats, living on the minimal wage and not looked up to by anyone. It was an appreciated, but hardly a respectable profession. The Magi travel from foreign countries, bringing different cultures and understandings of what was happening along with their lavish gifts into the presence of Christ. All around the world this celebration will take on the colour and sounds of local traditions. And even those who do not explicitly espouse the essentials of Christian faith will enter into the spirit of the festival. Wherever we start from on our own journey into the story of Jesus’s birth we need to remember that Christmas is for everyone who wants to share in it. 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Think
Christ came for the whole world. How can we bear this message in our community?
Christ reconciled us to God. How can we be reconciled to each other?

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Collect for the 4th Sunday in Advent

Eternal God, as Mary waited for the birth of Your Son, so we wait for His coming in glory;
bring us through the birth pangs of this present age. Amen.

https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/common-material/collects-and-post-19

 December 20th 

Have you ever thought how oddly exciting it can be to wait in expectation? We watch eagerly for the delivery of our important package, join the queue at a theme park in readiness to plunge on that DEATH-DEFYING rollercoaster ride, or wait for that sweet-smelling cake to finish baking in the oven. The expectation is full of hope and excitement. We’re hooked by its promise. But inevitably, when the waiting is over, it didn’t quite match the promise during the wait. My cakes never do!

But at Christmas, the expectation is quite different. A vision of an improbable future is declared by an angel. A child unlike any other will be born. A star will lead the way to someone so special, he’s worth a long trip on a bumpy camel. And Mary waits in expectation for this special someone. It’s the stuff of dreams and prophecies. She couldn’t quite believe it. But she waits. Expectantly.

As we await the joy of Christmas Day, we’re in the same boat but in some ways, we are even more fortunate than Mary. She waited without knowing what would be revealed. We wait knowing what is to come. What’s more, the promise of it remains true even after it has arrived. How different from the fleeting pleasures of our packages, those park rides and cakes.

But Jesus was, and is, that promise. We know he’s coming, we know he’ll be a wonderful arrival, and that’s a beautiful place to be in for both our hearts and our minds. It’s not just expectation, it’s hope.

My challenge to you this Christmas is to recognise that the gifts under your Christmas tree are like the passing praises of a bigger gift that does not disappoint or fade. Aunt Marg never really did get the message that those socks were a yearly disappointment. Whether Christmas is a quiet gift to yourself, or one of watching the joy in faces around you, simply be mindful of the fact that maybe - just maybe - Jesus is that gift where hope, joy and wholeness are wrapped in the waiting and in the receiving.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord
more than the watchmen in the morning, more than the watchmen in the morning (Psalm 130:5-6).

Think

The cake you bake might not look like the picture in the recipe book, and the rollercoaster ride might be underwhelming. Christmas Day might not go as smoothly as you have planned. How will you manage your own expectations?
Where is Jesus in your plans?
How does your faith help you manage disappointments in life?

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 December 19th

Waiting in Advent.

Ivy Mitchell was an intelligent waiter. She once told me of a time she had been waiting at the bus stop for a bus to take her to a hospital appointment. There was an entire collection of other senior women all gathered at the bus stop waiting with her. They were all moaning about it being late and complaining about how inadequate the bus company was and how poor the service was and how they were fed up standing around waiting for the bus that never seemed to be coming, and she was listening to them and saying nothing. But she told me that all the time in her head she was thinking how blessed she felt to be alive that morning and standing there waiting for that bus to come. I have never forgotten the simplicity of what she described, cutting through all the frustration of uncertainty to see something glorious in life being lived in that moment. For her, there was some meaning and purpose in the waiting. She was alive, and glad to be alive while she was waiting for that bus. I have never been particularly good at waiting for Christmas or anything else, but perhaps in this waiting season of Advent we might also take a leaf out of Ivy’s book and see that there is some meaning in the waiting we have to do.

Think

Can you think of a time when you struggled to wait?
When we wait for Christmas we are waiting for the chance to remember Christ’s birth two thousand years ago, a fixed date on the calendar, but also waiting for an unknown time when we will meet Him ourselves.
How do you think those things differ?

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 December 18th

Today I ponder hours that lead
towards one precious day,
when Jesus in a manger lay
to light our errant way.

Soon all the world in joy declares
this news with praise to sing
and those who have and who do not
prepare to meet our king.

Young girls with woven candle wreaths
walk, singing down the lanes,
each evening a flame is lit
to honour him who reigns.

Each candle signifies a day
preparing for that light
born on a night in Bethlehem,
great hope to sinners’ plight.

When all the wreaths are filled with lights
then comes that sacred hour
grand visions of old men and bards come
true with greatest power.

That little babe, a fragile reed,
whom many tried to harm
became the strongest link of all
to draw us to God’s arms. 

When I see candles burning bright
and flowers knit in rows,
I think of Advent’s holy weeks
when all hearts are aglow.

How fortunate we are today
to be part of that night,
foretold in prophets fondest dreams,
the darkness saw great light.

Liilia Talt Morrison 

I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your deeds (Psalm 77;12)

Think
Light a candle or turn on a lamp and notice the change in the atmosphere in the room.
Jesus is the light breaking through the darknes
 

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 December 17th 

When we think about Jesus as Christians, we are interested in what makes him different to a normal human, we think about the idea of him being God incarnate and reflect more on the divine side rather than the human side. However, when teaching about Jesus to year 8, it is the opposite side of the story that get the most reaction.

I have often heard 'Jesus is made up' , but acting as historians we know that Jesus WAS a real living and breathing human. We know he faced the same daily challenges that we do - he laughed and cried, had close friends, ate and drank, bled and most importantly died.

Sometimes it is important to reflect on the human side of Jesus and why God chose to place himself in the shoes of his everyday creation rather than making himself something exciting or unrelatable.

Instead he came to earth, the poorest of the poor, born in a stable, to normal ordinary parents who didn't even have a hotel room to stay in.

Perhaps we need to focus on the fact that Jesus is like us as well as God - ordinary and divine. In doing so we too can learn from him as a role model and perhaps also become more divine ourselves.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

Think
How can we conform our lives more closely to Christ’s?
 

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December 16th

In the heart of winter when the world feels cold, still and stripped of life, it’s easy to believe that nothing good is happening. The trees stand bare, the fields lie quiet and the days are dark and short. Yet beneath the frozen ground, hidden from our sight, God is still at work. Roots strengthen. Seeds wait with quiet expectancy. The earth is being prepared for spring’s beauty and abundance.

Our lives often pass through seasons that feel just as bleak and dark. We face hardship, loss, confusion or loneliness and it seems impossible for anything good to grow here. But winter is not the end. It is preparation. This is the miracle of Christmas. When Israel felt the emptiness of silent years and hope seemed thin, God planted His promise in the most unexpected soil. Jesus, the Light of the world, was born quietly, humbly, almost hidden. Like a seed beneath winter earth, hope was born.

The birth of Jesus brings a steady, radiant hope unlike any other. It enters our darkness and transforms it. Jesus came to show us that no night is so dark that God cannot light it, no sorrow so heavy that God cannot lift it, no heart so broken that God cannot mend it. His birth announces that God has not forgotten us. He stepped into our world and into our winters with a love that will not let go. In Jesus hope took on flesh. Hope cried in a manger. Hope grew and walked among us. Hope healed, restored and conquered death. Even when all we see is cold, quiet soil His birth reminds us that the story is not over.

So when we find ourselves in winter seasons, Christmas reminds us that beneath the surface, God is already at work. His goodness is shaping, strengthening and preparing us for the new growth to come. The same hope that entered the world in Bethlehem continues to breath life into us today. For just as spring follows winter, resurrection follows the manger. The God who brought life into the world  through Jesus is still bringing life into our lives. Quietly, faithfully, powerfully, with a hope that is unshakeable.

It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter (Psalm 74:17).

Think
Christmas can be a difficult time.
Take a moment to notice where Jesus is especially if you are feeling overwhelmed.

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December 15th

The Shepherd's Carol (1945)

We stood on the hills, Lady,
Our day 's work done,
Watching the frosted meadows
That winter had won.

The evening was calm, Lady,
The air so still.
Silence more lovely than music
Folded the hill.

There was a star, Lady,
Shone in the night,
Larger than Venus it was
And bright, so bright.

Oh, a voice from the sky, Lady,
It seemed to us then
Telling of God being born
In the world of men. 

And so we have come, Lady,
Our day 's work done.
Our love, our hopes, ourselves
We give to your son.

This is a lesser known carol, originally a poem by Francis Ledwidge, it pictures shepherds at the first Christmas, speaking to Mary after seeing the star that heralded Christ’s birth. I believe it is beautiful in its simplicity and meaning. These days when families make announcements of the birth of a child, they usually take a photo of their baby looking very at peace, usually next to their name and weight and almost immediately it is posted on Facebook for all the world to see. Sometimes people post photos whilst the mother is still in hospital or at home and she is perhaps not looking her best! a photo that she wouldn’t normally want it on Facebook is there but it doesn’t matter because the parents happy that their bundle of joy has just entered the world. What’s interesting is when God posted the announcement of the birth of Jesus Christ, he posted it in the middle of a field, in the middle of the night to some shepherds. God didn’t send the angels to the religious leaders of the day, he sent his announcement to sheep herders, average people, you might even say below average people as they would have been in their society, but the angels appeared to the shepherds ‘shone in the night’ and they appeared with the glory of God, the bible also describes this as a cloud of witnesses or a brightness.

The good news the angels proclaim is that God loves human being just the way they are. It is to real people in which God Emmanuel that is God-with-us comes, he is for people, that is the good news of Christmas. What I believe is Good News lies in the knowledge that God delights in each one of us, he loves us all, he wants to invite every single one of us home. I don’t know what this year has been like for you, maybe it’s been a fantastic year, full of tremendous joys and successes, full of celebrations and many highlights or maybe for you it has been one of grief, loss, despair, weariness. To give our loves, our hopes, ourselves means offering not just external gifts, but our inner life, our dreams, worries, desires, and identity to God. The shepherds have finished their daily work and bring what they are and hope for to the Christ child.

Giving “our hopes, ourselves” becomes a way of saying we dedicate all we are and all we dream to something beyond ourselves.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me (John 10:14). 

Think

What might it mean to “give your hopes and yourself” in your own life today?
When have you experienced a moment of silence or stillness that felt sacred or full of meaning?
How does this poem help you think about faith, hope, or purpose especially in difficult times?

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December 14th 

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that The Lord is nigh
Come then and hearken for he brings
Glad tidings for the King of Kings

Then cleansed be every Christian breast
And furnished for so great a guest
Yea let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there

For though art our salvation, Lord
Our refuge and our great reward
Without thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed

Stretch forth thine hand to heal our sore
And make us rise to fall no more
Once more upon thy people shine
And fill the world with love divine

All praise, eternal Son, to thee
Whose Advent sets thy people free
Whom, with the Father, we adore
And Holy Ghost for evermore.

C Coffin ( 1676 - 1749 ).

Maybe this hymn it's not sung as often as it once was, but  the words are lovely.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins (Luke 1:76-77).

Think

On the third Sunday of Advent we remember the role of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the birth of Jesus.
How well are your preparations going?

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Collect for the third Sunday of Advent

God for whom we watch and wait, You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of Your Son:
Give us courage to speak the truth, to hunger for justice and to suffer for the cause of right with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

December 13th 

Watching a loved one slowly fade physically and mentally is one of the hardest life experiences to go through especially during the major 'family times' during the year. Having said that, are there lessons that we can draw from them?

The signs of Christmas are all around us and them - lights and decorations, mince pies, Christmas cake and nativity plays. Singers take time to go into care homes allowing those with memory loss to join in singing familiar carols with a real joy which sadly does not last. They will join in when willing and able, look forward to Christmas when someone is engaging them about it and they open presents with joy before forgetting about them. Yet with all this going on around them, those with memory loss diseases have no idea when Christmas will arrive.

It seems to me their experience of Advent is more authentic, perhaps a little like it must have been for the shepherds and town's people of Bethlehem. There were signs around which they did not understand. There were signs around which they did not understand. They went with joy to see the baby in the manger then went back to their normal lives. I wonder what they thought about it all a week later, a month later, for the rest of their lives. Did they think they had had a dream? And what do you think?

Think
How can we capture the message of Christmas and remember it for the rest of the year?

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and see, which were just as they had been told (Luke 2:16-20)

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December 12th

It came upon the midnight clear

This isn’t quite what we tend to think of as a ‘traditional’ carol as it concentrates more on the message of Christmas rather than the nativity story as a whole. It reminds us that we’re missing out by being far too busy arguing and fighting, making far too much fuss and noise to properly hear the angels’ message let alone act on it. Apparently the third verse is omitted from some hymn books - a great shame as it sums the world situation up so very well while pointing out that the angels are still singing their message of peace.

But with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled 
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring.
Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing. 

Think
Pay attention to the world, your community, your church, your family

and in your own personal relationships where there might be sin and strife.

Ask God to help you hear His love-song.

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

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December 11th

The Expansive Heart of Christmas

The word Advent means "coming, " and for so many years, my Advent season was dominated by the knowledge of two very specific "comings. " The first was the coming of Christmas Day itself, and the second was the coming of 1:00 PM—the moment my shift on the inpatient unit finally ended.

As a nurse in the NHS, I often preferred the bustle of the Christmas morning shift. There was a unique, quiet intensity to the ward on December 25th; a mix of professional duty, underlying fatigue, and the quiet determination to bring a flicker of joy to those who couldn’t be home. We were their temporary family, tending to needs both medical and emotional. Yet, while I gave my best, my heart was already speeding down the road, counting the minutes until I could shed my uniform and race home to my own family—to the chaos, the wrapping paper, and the smells of my own Christmas celebration. That contrast—the intense focus on service followed by the desperate need for connection—was the rhythm of my holiday for decades.

Now, in retirement, that rhythm has changed completely. The immense gift of a Christmas morning entirely free to give to my immediate family feels like a rich, plenteous reward. There are no alarms, no handover reports, just the luxury of time with those I love most.

But time in service teaches you something profound about connection. I was reminded of this powerfully one year at St. Giles. While Nick Buck was still there, we decided to host a Christmas Day dinner in the small hall for anyone in the congregation who would otherwise be alone. We came together—not as relatives bound by blood, but as a collection of individuals bound by faith and hospitality. We ate, we talked, and we washed up together, moving past the awkwardness and into genuine, shared community.

That evening cemented a truth that my years on the ward had hinted at: family is expansive. It isn’t just defined by who lives under your roof; it is defined by who holds space for you, who serves alongside you, and who gathers with you around the table, physical or spiritual. My immediate family is my foundation, but my church family is now the wide, welcoming circle that fulfils the deepest meaning of Christmas. They are the constant presence, the reminder that the "coming" of Christ is ultimately about building a human family of hope, peace, joy, and love.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me also may be where I am (John 14:3).

Think
What does it mean to belong?
How do we make our churches places for people to belong?

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December 10th 

Christmas Painting by Craigie Aitchison (1988).

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.
Enter into the joy of your master' (Matthew 25:21).

At one level, this appears to be a very simple image, just a tree, a dog and an empty horizon but it is full of symbols and meaning. Look at the dog, still, looking up at the tree which is in the shape of a crucifix. The tree, although this is a ‘Christmas Picture’ is showing signs of new growth and green leaves. The landscape is very dark but there is light on the horizon – subtle purple light reminding us of Advent perhaps. In the pitch black sky shines a single beaming star. This is an image of the birth of Christ but also his death and resurrection. And the little dog could be us, watching, waiting expectantly. Dogs are often a symbol of faithfulness. This innocent little dog waits faithfully. 

Think

What are you waiting faithfully for?
Where do you see green shoots emerging?

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December 9th

The Great Trumpet of Saint Giles

On the organ at Saint Giles, the Great Trumpet is a voice of brilliance. When drawn, it cuts through the harmony with clarity and power, much like the Solo Tuba found in great cathedrals. It is the stop you reach for when you want a descant to soar above the congregation, carrying the melody heavenward.

In God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, the familiar tune is strong and steady, but when the descant rises, the Great Trumpet proclaims tidings of comfort and joy with unmistakable authority. It is as if the organ itself becomes one of the herald angels, announcing salvation with boldness.

The carol reminds us that Christ came “to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray. ” The trumpet voice embodies that saving message: piercing through darkness, lifting the melody higher, and proclaiming joy that cannot be silenced.

Advent is not only about waiting quietly; it is also about proclaiming boldly. Just as the Great Trumpet cannot be hidden, so the gospel must be declared with courage and clarity. The organ teaches us that faith sometimes needs to be voiced with grandeur, so that all may hear the tidings of comfort and joy.

'Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests' (Luke 2:14).

Think

Where do you need to announce the good news - like the trumpet - in your life?

How can you lift others, like a descant lifts the melody, so they hear the comfort of Christ?

What tidings of comfort and joy can you share this Advent

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December 8th

Blue is the Colour

Until fairly recently, I had only associated the colour purple with Advent. Purple has long been associated with repentance, royalty, majesty, kingship and mystery. But blue is now the Advent colour at St. Johns (don't forget these devotions were originally wriiten for St John The Evangelist, Ermine, Lincoln).

Unlike the boldness of purple, blue is more gentle. It’s a reminder that Advent is not Lent; not a season of sorrow rather a season of longing. The blue invites us to be watchful rather than penitent, hopeful rather than heavy hearted. Its calmness offers breathing spaces during a very busy time.

Blue, albeit a deeper blue than the beautiful blue in St. Johns, is also the colour of the dark, night sky and Advent did indeed start in the dark. The sky and its darkness are vast and mysterious as we wait for the light to appear.

In Advent we wait for the light to come to us, full of promise. We are reminded of Mary, who bore both uncertainty and holy anticipation without knowing exactly what the future held for her. We know how her story ends. Nonetheless, like her, we must wait diligently, willingly on God, to know where our story is going.

The blueness can slow us down spiritually, helping us to resist the business of Christmas all around us. Helping us to not be swept away by Christmas glitz, but to dwell intentionally in expectation, where we can bring our longings before God and await his reply. And in doing this, perhaps Advent will afford us a unique opportunity to know that, in God there is always hope and a steady assurance that He is already and always will be working his purpose out.

So tune in to the blue this Advent and wait for God to draw near.
 

'I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. 'May Your word to me be fulfilled' (Luke 1:38).

Think

Blue is the colour of Mary and the colour for Advent according to the medieval ‘Sarum Rite’ .
What colours do you associate with Advent and Christmas and why?

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December 7th

The Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen branches, symbolizing eternal life and God’s unending love. Its shape has no beginning and no end, reminding us that Christ is Alpha and Omega—the One who was, who is, and who is to come. Four candles stand within the wreath, marking the four weeks of Advent. 

The advent wreath is a symbol of the season, with a candle lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day. The final candle in the centre is lit on Christmas Day. 

Each candle represents a theme:
1.Hope. 
The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, waited in hope for the Messiah's arrival. 

2. Peace.

The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace - He came to

bring people close to God and to each other again.

 
3. Joy.
To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. 

4. Love.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
 

The fifth candle represents LIGHT and purity and is called Christ’s Candle.

It is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day. This candle

is white to represent pure light and victory and proclaims Christ as the Light of the World.

As we light them week by week, the growing light pushes back the darkness

The light of the flickering candle flames reminds us who Jesus is and echoing John’s Gospel:
" In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5).

Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of the darkness, symbolising and reminding us that
Jesus came as Light into our dark world. 

The wreath teaches us that waiting is active. Each flame is a sign of progress, a visible reminder that God’s promises are unfolding. In a world that often feels shadowed by uncertainty, the Advent wreath calls us to trust that light is coming— and that we are called to bear that light for others.

Think
Which candle’s theme—Hope, Peace, Joy, or Love—do you most need to embrace this Advent?
How can the growing light of the wreath inspire you to bring light into someone else’s darkness?
What does the circle of the wreath teach you about God’s eternal presence in your life.

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Collect for 2nd Sunday in Advent

Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when Your son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive Him who is our Lord and our God. Amen. 

https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/common-material/collects-and-post-19

December 6th

Hark The Hearld Angels Sing

The angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people' (Luke 2:10)

“Hark! The herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King; peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. ”
This carol, written by Charles Wesley in 1739, is one of the most triumphant hymns of Christmas. It begins with a command: Hark!—listen, pay attention, don’t miss what is happening. The angels are not whispering; they are proclaiming with joy that heaven and earth are forever changed. The heart of the hymn is reconciliation: God and humanity brought together through the birth of Jesus. The angels announce peace, mercy, and glory, not only as ideas but as realities embodied in the child lying in the manger. Every verse of the carol builds on this theme, reminding us that Christ’s coming is truly cosmic in scope—He is the “Sun of Righteousness” who brings healing, light, and eternal life. 

Think

What voices do you need to “hark” to this Advent?
Where do you see reconciliation at work in your life or community?
How can you join the angels’ chorus by proclaiming peace and mercy in your own words and actions?

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For special events on today click on Festive Christmas Market

December 5th

The Light of The World

Holman Hunt, the English pre-Raphaelite artist, painted “The Light of The World”. Jesus Christ is depicted preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door. This work is an allegory – a piece of visual art based upon scripture :

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me"(Revelation 3:20).

How does Hunt depict this? 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock” - the door is closed and overgrown, which symbolises the human heart or soul that has become neglected to spiritual renewal.

“If any man hear My voice” – the door has no exterior handle, showing it must be opened from within, reflecting that faith and acceptance are voluntary.

“I will come in to him, and will sup with him” – Christ holds a lantern, radiating warm light. This represents the light he brings to a darkened world; that his illumination will guide who choose to follow him.

‘And he with Me - this light contrasts with the darkness around the door, signifying the spiritual awakening Christ brings to our living hearts.

Notice the overgrown vegetation and rusted ironmongery – this reinforces long spiritual neglect, that hearts and souls have been closed-off for years.

His crown and robe signify the duality of King and High Priest. As King, his crown depicts victory against darkness. His intricately detailed and luminous garments evoke priestly garments, making clear his mediating role between humanity and God. He comes in both majesty (king of kings) and mercy (high-priest), ready to reign in the hearts of those who open the door.  

How can you lift your heart up to receive Christ’s light?
How can you be a living witness to Christ’s light in your actions?
Do you know of people, presently in the darkness?
How can you reflect the light of Christ to them? 

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For special services on today click on Advent And Christmas Services. 

 

 

December 4th

The Holly and the Ivy

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The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14).

This carol sings of Christ’s birth through winter’s symbols: holly with its sharp leaves and red berries, ivy with its evergreen strength. These humble plants remind us of sacrifice and eternal life. The carol has the words "the playing of the merry organ" that lifts these images into worship. The organ, breathing wind into pipes, becomes the Spirit’s herald. Its music is not mere festivity—it is proclamation. Each phrase declares: the Child is coming, the Light will dawn, the Word will be made flesh.  

As holly and ivy cling through frost, so faith clings through waiting. As the organ resounds in joy, so the Church resounds in expectation. Advent is not only preparation— it is praise in advance, a melody of hope before the manger is revealed. So let the merry organ play, and let the holly and the ivy remind us: Christ is near, and His song of salvation will soon be sung in full.

Think

In what ways can you, like holly and ivy enduring through frost, cling to faith and hope during Advent’s darkness?
As the merry organ proclaims joy before the manger, how might our own voices and actions become a melody of expectation, preparing the way for Christ’s coming?

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December 3rd

The Gift of Peace

In the gentle hush of Advent,
Peace descends like a dove.
A gift wrapped not in paper,
But in unconditional love.
It’s not found in bustling stores,
Or beneath a twinkling tree,
But in the quiet moments,
When our hearts are still and free.

In Advent our hearts are guided along our spiritual journey as we prepare for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This poem tells us that our gift of Jesus is not wrapped in paper, found in a store or wrapped as a gift under a tree but in our hearts. The birth of every baby is a wonderful miracle of life, but the birth of Jesus is the miracle of new life for everyone.

In the Christmas story the angels appear to the shepherds in the field and say ‘Peace be with you.’ We are able to have the fullness of peace in our hearts on Christmas Day and every day. In Advent we pray for peace as our minds are focused on God’s love.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Think

It’s quite difficult to find peace in the run up to Christmas. 
Take some time today to make room for Christ.

Where did you notice Jesus with you?

Have you been looking in the right places?

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December 2nd

NATIVITY

This Christmas will be different: the angels got the sack.
A choir of heavenly llamas sing, conducted by a yak.
Here come the three wise penguins, riding camels. (Well, why not? We can’t go changing everything to fill the festive slot!)
The shepherds on the hillside are looking after cats. The sky is filled with magic from supersonic bats.
But hidden in a stable three people never change: Joseph, Mary, Jesus, whose absence would be strange.
Some things in life may alter, but some things stay the same. May God be praised for Christmas and Jesu’s holy name.

© Celia Warren 2024.

 

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7). 

Think

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without... What makes Christmas for you?

What do you believe the meaning of Christmas is as a Christian

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December 1st 

If you believe in hope, all things are possible. 

We pray for peace for all people around the world at this time of year.

Joy to the world! May happy times be for all.

Let us love the Lord just as He loves us.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace forbearnce, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control"
(Galatians 5:22-23).

Think

Spend time today thinking about what you are praying for this Advent season.
It might be helpful to think about one thing to focus on with hope.
Advent is a time of waiting and watching.
Waiting can be uncomfortable and uncertain. Where can you find peace in the time of waiting?
Jesus loves us enough to live with us and share out human life.
Who do we notice in need of solidarity as we get ready for Christmas?
How can we share the message of hope, peace, joy and love with them?

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