Dear All,
And so we reach the final week of Advent. It must be different for each of us but I am finding it quite a ‘long’ advent – I suppose it is partly because we are getting the fullest advent this year with Christmas Day coming on a Sunday.
We hope it has been a peaceful week for you. On Sunday 18, the 4th Sunday of Advent, at 730 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Church, we will be leading an Advent Service lasting just over half an hour followed by some pre-Christmas cheer in the form of mince pies & mulled wine – all are welcome. This is in addition to the final of the Advent Reflections on zoom and we hope you can join us. The Reflection will be at 5.30pm on Sunday and the link the same as before; no registration necessary – just come! If you haven’t been to any yet, it isn’t too late.
Zoom link for ALL Advent Reflections:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86310896698?pwd=TWJOdEhDUW9EVHJQZ0ZubmRlQ2VWdz09
Meeting ID: 863 1089 6698
Passcode: 356819
The blessing this week is a Celtic blessing from ‘Light in our Darkness’. May it bring you peace & also a blessing of peace to anyone to anyone who is troubled at this time.
With our love
PSALM 85.
You, LORD, showed favour to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
Restore us again, God our Saviour, and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation.
I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
KINDNESS & TRUTH SHALL MEET TOGETHER; JUSTICE AND PEACE SHALL KISS.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
We look forward to many things during the season of Advent. Ps 85 arouses a deep longing that speaks to the fulfilment of the human heart. Are any of these ideals really possible? Are these truly hopes or merely wishes? The answer to those questions lies within ourselves.
We are the meeting place of kindness & truth, justice & peace. We are where dreams become reality, & ideals have possibilities. It is we who make things like truth & justice come to be ………through human living. If I want truth to be, I must ‘be’ in truth. If I want justice to be, I must be just. If I want peace to reign, it must first reign in my heart. If I want love to be, I must live in love. The living requires commitment & perseverance. With God all things are possible.
Welcome to the One who Comes
Joyce Rupp
Advent has beckoned us.
Be still.
Be alert.
Cry out to God.
Cry out to be open & receptive.
Sharpen your awareness
of the one who dwells within.
Open up.
Hollow out.
Receive.
Welcome the one who comes.
I pray not only ‘Come, O Lord’,
but move me to let you in,
for already you stand at my door knocking,
your presence immediate, urgent, powerful;
not simply ‘be with me’, my God,
but let me feel your presence always,
for you are always here;
not so much ‘hear my prayer’,
but give me words which resonate
with the energy of your love,
for you are the eternal listener of our souls’ song;
not always ‘help me’,
but let me learn to see your working in my life;
not ‘give me’,
but humble me,
that in my lowliness
I may fall no further;
not ‘protect me’,
but immerse me in life
and let me love and give and learn to follow
the driving, compelling power of your wild spirit;
not ‘save me’
but let me understand that
in the vastness of your universe
you lovingly surround me,
always & completely.
In you alone can I safely lose myself
and so find you.
Annie Heppenstall-West