Magazine Article for December 2018

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just around the corner!  It seems to come round very quickly these days.  It feels like it was just five minutes since we were planning for the last one.  

Advent and Christmas are a wonderful time of year, and although the world seems to be rushing around organising everything for a good celebration, as we go through Advent as a church we do so in quiet expectation and preparation for remembering again the coming of our Lord Jesus.  It’s helpful to remember that there are a number of themes that run through Advent that help us to prepare for Christmas, especially that of light; light in the darkness; Jesus the light of the world.  

In the Nativity of Jesus Christ, light is important, especially when we think of the star that appeared at his birth, a star that caused Magi from the East to come and visit the new born King and showed lowly shepherds where the boy and his parents were.  So, the star is very significant.  This year we are going to joining with many Anglican churches across the country who are going to “Follow the Star.”  

Throughout Advent we are going to have this Star focussed theme in our services as we follow the star to Bethlehem and Christmas, just as the Magi did.  We are going to begin that focus with our Christingle Service on 9^thDecember at 10am.  This service is going to be led by our Messy Church Team and we hope you will be able to come and enjoy all the fun of a Messy Church type celebration and make Christingles and stars and table decorations to help us focus on the coming of Christmas. We also hope to put up a large Star of Bethlehem that will be prominent in church throughout Advent and Christmas, right through to our Epiphany Services on 6^thJanuary.

If you are not able to come to church you can still follow the star with us.  Those of you who have internet access can sign up for a daily email containing a short reflection and prayer so that you can also follow the wondrous story of Jesus’ birth and join with others in thinking about what that means for the world.  You can sign up at this web address;  https://www.churchofengland.org/followthestar  Don’t forget to look out for the logo!  You can sign up the daily emails whether you are able to be in church or not.

I hope you will follow the star with us this year to Bethlehem to worship the Son of God.  And I hope you will join us for one of our many services over the Advent and Christmas period, details of which you will find in this magazine and on our website https://www.stmarksbilton.org.uk

Wishing you all a very happy Advent and wonderful, peaceful Christmas.

Tim