Services at St Michael and All Angels

Sunday 3 December, First Sunday of Advent

Colour: Violet

Intent: Discrimination

Sunday 17 December, 3^rd Sunday of Advent,

Gaudate Sunday

Colour: Violet

Intent: Love

Sunday 24 December, Christmas Carols

6pm at St Michael’s

Monday 25 December, The Nativity of our Lord.

Christmas Day

Colour: White

Sunday 31 December, First Sunday after the

Nativity

Colour: White

Sundays with no Eucharist service at St Michael’s:

Sunday 10 December 2^nd Sunday of Advent

Colour: Violet

Intent: Self-forgetfulness

Sunday 24th December, 4^th Sunday of Advent

Colour: Violet

Intent: Right action

                                                  Artist: Cathy Baxter

Reflections on Advent and Christmas

It may well be that the dominant thought in a lot of people’s minds at this time in December is the bustle to complete the Year’s tasks before Christmas. Maybe December brings a furrowed brow just thinking about it!
 

In contrast to the very necessary and earnest pursuits we are all engaged in, we can also bring to mind that the 3^rd December is the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the church year. Advent is a period of preparation, hence the colour violet, which is the colour adopted for spiritual review and re-focussing. We now look towards the 25^th December and the Nativity of Our Lord, the first of the significant celebratory festivals in the church calendar.
 

The broad structure of the church year is designed to present the significant stages of the Christian path. The four church festivals, in order on the Spiritual Pilgrim Path, are the Nativity of Our Lord, the Baptism of Our Lord, the Transfiguration and the Crucifixion which leads to the Resurrection. These represent stages on the spiritual path at an earthly level, which are intertwined at some level with people’s activities and intentions. The fifth festival, the Ascension, is more concerned with experience and intentions at a higher spiritual level, which is none the less still accessible to us all in due course.
 

Each festival has its period of preparation. Our Founding Bishops structured these periods using Intents, or Precepts, linked to each of the Sundays of preparation. We are also encouraged to use these precepts during the week days for individual prayer and meditation.
 

For the Advent Sundays the intents are:

1^st Sunday: Discrimination

2^nd Sunday: Self-forgetfulness

3^rd Sunday: Love

4^th Sunday: Right Action

The Epistles and Gospels selected by the Founding Bishops to accompany these intents provide a rich context for gentle exploration in our daily meditations.
 

I will conclude by wishing you all a very happy and safe Christmas as we gather together again with friends and families. Enjoying the very real pleasure of such human interactions at this time brings great refreshment for us all.
 

I look forward to seeing you at our Advent services this month, at the Carol Service at 6pm on Christmas Eve and at the service on Christmas Day.
 

With God’s blessing