You would be very welcome to join us at our 10:30am service of Holy Communion in St Andrew, Cuffley, this Sunday. We welcome the Rev’d Tom Lilley (Vicar, St James, Goffs Oak) to take the service. There will be no other services this Sunday.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)
This Christmas Morning, in our all-age Christmas Celebration, we will be praising and glorifying God for all we see and hear about the birth of Jesus.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
We’re at the final Sunday in Advent, and the last of our Sundays looking at being ready in Advent. The writer to the Hebrews wants us to have two things in mind as we prepare. First, the Day is coming - the day when Jesus returns. Second, that we can draw near to God because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:5-6)
“The Lord is near.” What does it mean for us that the Lord is near? As we get ready for Christmas and for Jesus’ return, do we remember that the Lord is near? Do we act as if the Lord is near?
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10)
We’re continuing our theme of being ready in Advent - how can we be ready, not just for Christmas, but also for Jesus’s return. St Paul, writing to the Philippians wants them to grow in love and in knowledge and in insight. As they do so, they will be able to know what is not just good, but best. He wants them to be pure and blameless when Jesus returns. Is that what we want for ourselves?