Advent & Christmas
Submitted by Sue
As we arrive in the winter months our lives change. The weather becomes colder, the days grow short.
The earth settles to sleep and we light our fires.
Advent is a time of anticipation and waiting- waiting for the sun to return.
Waiting for Spring to bring warmer days.
Waiting for an awakening .
For Christians it is a time of preparation; a time when we await the arrival of the Christ Chilld
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To help me along with this month's prayers, I have turned to Singing the Faith.
This hymn book was published in 2011. It holds many traditional hymns and carols and also a wonderful collection of more modern ones that have been written for our times.
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Please send me any prayers that you would like to contribute to the January / February Prayer Page This page would be enriched by your contribution. bjcdfs@gmail.com
The humble lifted high....
Elizabeth & Mary were cousins.
Elizabeth was older and married, disappointed that, as yet she had no babies.
Mary was young, unmarried but betrothed.
They were pregnant at the same time.
Zechariah & Joseph were to become
cousins-in -law when Joseph married Mary.
-you can read their story in
the first chapters of Luke's & Matthew's Gospels.
Here are some words from Timothy Dudley-Smith's interpretation of Mary's song of acceptance & celebration:
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Savior shall my heart rejoice
Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children's children and for evermore!
Waiting & Preparing........
Christians mark a time of spiritual preparation throughout December as they wait to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
These words are from a hymn is by Jan Berry:
Praise to the God who waits with us
for hope and joy to reign,
who shares our suffering and our loss,
embodied in our pain.
Praise to the God who comes to bring
comfort to all who mourn.
The whole creation ‘Glory’ sings
as Christ the light is born.
Jan Berry (b.1953)
Light of the world....
There had been foretellings of the birth of a Messiah in the scriptues but no one knew the time or the place or how it would happen. Isaiah was a prophet many years before Jesus' birth and had seen visions .
People anticipated that what Isaiah had said may be foretelling of the Messiah's coming.
You can read his words in Isaiah chapter 9:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned. [...]
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
reflect upon some words written by Graham Kendrick:
Like a candle flame, flick’ring small in our darkness,
Uncreated light shines through infant eyes.
Stars and angels sing, yet the earth sleeps in shadows;
can this tiny spark set a world on fire?
God is with us, alleluia, come to save us, alleluia, alleluia.
A Surprise gift ..........
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, (John 1:14, )
Jesus birth is God's affirmation of humanity.
Jesus becomes a bridge that reconciles humanity with Divinity. His humble birth in poor circumstances demonstrates that Divine love is for all people:
Here are words from Clare Stainsby:
Beneath the paper wrappings,
there’s an open stable door,
beneath the fir tree trappings,
there’s a welcome and there’s more.
Beyond the tinsel fairy is a presence that’s divine,
there’s a child to change the future,
turning water into wine.
Look inside, look above, look beyond
and see the love,
look inside and you will see.
Look inside, look below, look beyond,
and you will know,
the one who came to give his life for you and me.
Our Response.....
Here is the season of Wonder...
We read in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 :
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
And so we respond to that love, that life and his teachings with words from an old hymn by Henry Burton (1840-1930):
Hark! we hear a distant music,
and it comes with fuller swell;
'Tis the triumph song of Jesus,
of our King Emmanuel;
Zion, go ye forth to meet Him,
and my soul, be swift to bring
All your fineest and your noblest
for the triumph of our King.
Emmanuel- God with Us
Torrisholme Methodist Church wish you a very happy & blessed Advent & Christmas