Dear Friends,
Apologies for getting my months mixed up in last Friday’s Fellowship News! I hope people worked out from the date (Friday 15th) that Judith Bauer is having surgery this Friday, 15th November! Please pray for her and for Richard as they both navigate significant health challenges at present.
You would also have seen in last week’s bulletin that Advent is coming!
Advent is not just about cardboard calendars containing overpriced chocolates! Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas, is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the arrival of Christ (both as a baby and as the coming Saviour of the world).
There are many ways to mark this time as we expectantly wait and prepare! Some people do use an Advent calendar (I like this example (left) more than the supermarket versions!) Or set up their Christmas tree. At CBC we light an Advent wreath and hang special banners, and we publish an Advent daily devotional – containing contributions from the people of our church!
This daily devotional is the highlight of my Advent preparations! Each morning it helps me to reflect on God’s word and God’s work in our world – through the eyes of people in our congregation. Sometimes the reflections are very simple and straight forward. Sometimes they are shaped by significant challenges people have faced in their lives. Always they reflect the heart of this congregation for the health and wholeness of our world – our commitment to join in God’s work of hope, peace, joy, and love.
So, I am putting the call out again – could you write a reflection for this year’s daily devotional?
They do not have to be long – just 200-300 words – and usually people choose a Bible verse to go with what they’ve written (of their own choice or inspired by the Advent readings for that week). Sometimes people include a favourite poem – or an image. It is entirely up to you!
Below are the themes for the weeks of Advent this year (and the Advent readings to inspire you) and the deadlines for each week’s contributions (5 days before the week starts).
2-6 Dec: Signs of Hope – what are the signs of hope you have noticed during the year? (Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36)Deadline for reflections: Wed 27 Nov.
9-13 Dec: Steps toward peace – where have you witnessed steps toward peace? (Malachi 2:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6) Deadline for reflections: Wed 4 Dec.
16-20 Dec: Songs of joy – what songs of joy is God leading in our world right now? (Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18) Deadline for reflections: Wed 11 Dec.
23-24 Dec: Stories of love – what stories of God’s love are inspiring you to keep loving? (Micah 5:205a, Luke 1:46b-55, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45) Deadline for reflections: Wed 18 Dec.
Thank you to everyone (in advance!) for helping us wait expectantly and prepare for Christ’s coming!
Grace and peace,
Belinda