Dear Friends
The season of Advent is almost upon us, and perhaps for many of us that signals the beginning of a headlong rush towards Christmas. There can be so much to do at this time of year – presents to buy, cards to write, food and drink to be ordered, etc. But in that busyness, we can easily fail to recognise the gift of this season. The opportunity to prepare ourselves once again for the coming of Christ into the world, and indeed his coming again at the end of time.
So how might we use this season wisely? One of the things we can do is to make time to speak to someone about our spiritual lives. That might be one of the clergy, a spiritual director (if we have one), or another wise and trusted Christian that we know and respect. Sharing our spiritual journey with another person at a deep level can be one of the most liberating and helpful things we do as Christians. We also might like to take time to read our bibles, to read a devotional book, and to pray. For some of us, these may be activities we do regularly, in which case why not make some extra time for this during Advent? For others of us perhaps that is not so, in which case it’s never too late to start. If you are looking for some advice on reading and praying, do contact one of the clergy. Another thing we might want to consider doing is joining an Advent course. This year, I will be taking part in the course being organised by Sabeel-Kairos, a Christian human rights charity working for a just peace in Israel/Palestine. It’s called ‘Challenging Apartheid in Advent’ and will run on the four Sundays in Advent on Zoom at 7pm. Further details can be found here. We may find the idea of apartheid in relation to the Holy Land a strange one – in South Africa in the past maybe, but not in the land of Jesus’ birth now? However, if you have visited the place and taken time to speak to those concerned for human rights who live there – whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim or of no faith – then you will have realised that all is far from well. If you are Palestinian, you face daily challenges in relation to freedom of movement for work, education and healthcare. So much so that Amnesty International have recently published a report entitled Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians – Amnesty International. Do look at this link and join the course if you can, for part of our calling as Christians in this diocese is to work for justice, to be part of a bigger church making a bigger difference.
Finally, do pray for Marise Seville at St.Paul’s who is being recommissioned as a Local Missional Leader by Archdeacon Simon this Sunday, as June Dunning at St.Philip’s will be in January. Might God be calling you to serve His church in this way also? Do speak to Marise or June, or to one of the clergy if you would like to explore this further.
With my prayers and best wishes.
Jeremy Tear, Pioneer Team Rector
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