News – Page 13

From the Epperstone , Gonalston , Oxton  and Woodborough Churches’ Benefice.

Advent = Countdown Advent-ure

PANIC!!!!!!!!! At the time of writing this there are only 6 weeks to go, the shops are full of glitzy items, the sound of Christmas music fills our ears, and the adverts fill TV airtime. Is Kevin the Carrot going to making an appearance this year? What is the John Lewis advert all about? I cannot believe we have reached this time in our year already. It is a very exciting time filled with frantic preparations and hopefully this year we will be able to share it together with our families and our friends. That is our prayer, our hope, which fills us full of joy at the thought and that peace and love will surround us all.

Hope, Joy, Peace and Love are our focus during the season of Advent. Each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day we light a candle and centre our prayers on Hope, Joy, Peace and Love for all.

 Advent is the start of the Church’s New Year. The Church has a 3-year cycle and 2021-2022 is known as Year C and many of the Gospel readings for the year will be taken from St Luke’s Gospel. Luke was a Doctor, a Greek and a Gentile (non-Jewish) Christian. He is the only known Gentile author in the New Testament. He was a close friend and companion of St Paul formerly known as Saul, of persecuting fame.

This Gospel is said to be the most comprehensive of all. Its main purpose is to provide us with an accurate account of the life of Jesus and to present him as the perfect human and Saviour. It takes us on a journey into finding out who this person Jesus is, Son of God and Son of Man. This all seems a bit heavy but actually it is a massive adventure into preparing to receive the greatest gift ever, the gift that needs no batteries, is free and never breaks. The greatest gift of unconditional love and of the reminder of hope.

Hope is so important when we look at our changing climate, the need to keep coping with Covid, alongside the need to keep going despite all that life throws at us.

The journey is not an easy one, as I am sure it wasn’t for Mary and Joseph but despite everything they kept going, just as many have done over these past months. Let us keep on going and keep on preparing to hold on to Hope and Love shared by so many over the months and of the Joy that is yet to come. What an Advent-ure.

May we hold onto the hope of sharing special times together in our communities, Churches, and homes, celebrating that greatest gift ever given. The knowledge of a Saviour’s unconditional love filling all hearts and homes and our world with peace once more. Let this be uppermost in our prayers.

May you have a blessed hope-filled, joyful, and peaceful Advent time.

God Bless, Annie <;)))><…
Children and Families Worker and LLM/Reader

We are really look forward to sharing fellowship together in Church this year.

Please see our proposed Services and Activities for the Christmas Period across the Benefice.

 *To book please contact Annie Hill by text on 07890776809 or by email anniehill160656@outlook.com.