Thought for the Day

Sunday 29th November

Today is the beginning of the Church’s Year: Advent Sunday. Here at the very beginning of the year the four traditional Advent themes are the on last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, Hell. At one time the church’s sermons on the four Sundays of Advent would be on each of those themes. My experience is that whenever a church follows that pattern nowadays, it is much appreciated. The Christmas season begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Epiphany Eve, 5th January, and the rejoicing over the birth of Christ our saviour is meant to be limited to that period, with carol services and celebrations held then. Advent was intended as a solemn preparation for the Christmas Festival, a time for self examination and penitence similar the preparatory period of Lent before Easter. The focus of Advent is not the first, but the Second Coming of Christ, the all important message that we will all have to stand before him as our judge: a very good reason for delaying the tinsel and feasting and getting serious. Using Christmas, as we do, to push that preparation aside is equivalent to celebrating Easter throughout Lent. May you have a solemn and blessed Advent.
Stay safe
Every blessing


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