FROM
THE RECTORY
Before
we reach the season of celebration at Christmas, the Church observes the
four-week penitential season of Advent. The underlying theme of this is
the coming of Jesus Christ; both his first coming as a baby born in Bethlehem
and also the expectation of his second coming at the end of time. Because of
the busy time during the four weeks of the Advent season, the opportunity to
think seriously about the meaning of these aspects of the coming of Jesus tends
to get squeezed out. Oh, of course, we sing our carols (hopefully not too
soon before Christmas!) and they remind us of the birth of Jesus as the Saviour
of the World but beyond that it's activity in the fast lane to get everything
done so that we can flop exhausted in front of the television screen having
probably over
indulged ourselves on Christmas Day itself.
This year I suggest we might consider a little Advent reading to help us
prepare, in particular, to celebrate the true meaning of the first coming of
Jesus. The book in question is called 'Lighted Windows' - An Advent
Calendar for a World in Waiting by Margaret Silf and
published by BRF at £6.99. (ISBN 1 84101 255 6).
It is available from The Priory Bookshop in Ruislip and Maranatha
Christian Bookshop in Uxbridge. There are readings from the Bible set for
each day from 1 December until the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January with a reflection for the day written by Margaret Silf and a prayer. All you need to do is try
to set aside 10 minutes each day - not exactly a heavy demand even with all the
busyness of the season!
The description of the contents of the book includes these words, which are
quoted by permission. 'Each window (daily reading) seeks to bring familiar
scripture into focus with everyday living, encouraging us to enter right into
the place where God is coming to birth, and to make the experience of Bethlehem
our own. And finally, the windows become doors, through which we are sent
back to a waiting world to share our personal experience of God-with-us.'(By
Margaret Silf from Lighted Windows copyright BRF
2002)
I wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas in the knowledge of the birth of
Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the
World.
Philip
Ê
Oct.Ê 27thÊÊÊÊÊÊ Kirstie Anna
Allison
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
Katrina Jade Allison
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
Madeleine Charlotte Alexandra Chilton
Cremations at Breakspear Crematorium
Oct. 21stÊÊÊÊÊ
Sidney Cock, aged 81
Oct. 24th Keith Edward Toms, aged 45
Oct. 29th Peggy
Amelia Littleworth, aged 76
Oct. 30th John Fletcher, aged 82
Nov. 6thÊÊÊÊÊÊ
Trevor Hann, aged 71
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 7thÊÊÊÊÊÊ
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
Burials of Ashes
Nov.Ê 2ndÊÊÊÊ Margery
FROM
THE U.R.C. MINISTEROnce again, the period before
Christmas is when two very popular films are released - "Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets", and "The
Yet it is not real - it
is a fantasy world. I would not base my own life and my hope for our world on
the exploits of Frodo Baggins (or of Harry Potter)!Ê But I do base my own life and my hope for the
world on the life and death of Jesus Christ, and how he overcame the corruption
of human nature by being born and living as one of us, and giving his own
sinless life on the Cross. His story is not a fantasy - it really happened
exactly as described in the Bible. No-one has ever been able to prove it did
not, and there are good reasons to trust that the New Testament writers did not
make it all up.
I hope you might enjoy the two
films, and that they might give you much to think about as well as being
entertaining. But please also look at the story of Jesus. Once again we will be
presenting the story of his birth at our Christmas services, and I will seek to
explain how you can entrust your life to Jesus and find in him the only hope
for the world.
With best wishes for
Christmas.
Richard
CHRISTINGLE IS
COMING ö15th December··.
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·.SO IS CAROL
SINGING
10 a.m.
Christmas Eve outside the Village Hall
Everyone is
welcome so letâs create a huge village choir
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