​ADVENT 2020
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"What resources have I other than the emptiness without him of my whole being...?" 
('The absence'  : R S Thomas)

We approach Christmas 2020 feeling empty and devoid of so much of what we long to do and to be. But maybe R S Thomas put his finger on the pulse; it's not just that we approach Christmas and say "O Come Emmanuel".
It is that we accompany God to the point of incarnation and give our emptiness. That's a thought isn't it? - our emptiness as a gift. Sometimes that's all we have, so that's all we can give....

But we walk through these dark weeks with anticipation in our hearts, reflected in our desire to show the world that 'all is well', 'all is happening' - under the surface. 'The Advent Calendar is alive and well' and these photographs of Wellspring's 'Bags-of-Blessings' initiative echo the joy we hope our Shoeboxes will give to homes in Moldova and Belarus, offering HOPE to the people of our town and to show the colour of Christmas.


ADVENT REFLECTIONS

1
During Advent Kevin Price (our minister) has been following a sequence through the weeks : 'Waiting....'. Here are his talks, all in one place; they will remain here until Epiphany.
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1st Sunday in Advent - Waiting in the Darkness
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​2nd Sunday in Advent - Waiting in the Wilderness
 
3rd Sunday of Advent - Waiting for the Messiah

​4th Sunday of Advent -  Waiting on the Lord

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Other Advent reflections (from a variety of sources)

2.1  The children's shop

One Christmas some years ago, I was standing in a queue waiting to pay for a gift I was purchasing. In front of me was a young mother with her mother. She was recounting to the grandma the story of her 4-year-old daughter’s Christmas request. “All she wanted was a colouring book,” the young mother said, “she had to be really persuaded to have the bike, a princess dress and that really gorgeous doll!”

Children have an innate wisdom, and in their perceptiveness can often, like the prophet, speak God’s word into a situation. If Christmas and children go together perhaps it’s because children are so much open to the wonder of Christmas and more receptive to God’s message of peace and love to all humanity than we are as adults.

“With adulthood often comes cynicism; children, in that respect, are unspoiled. So this Christmas, let’s rediscover our inner child and see again with the eyes of faith the wonder of it all. “

[A reflection from Sanctuary First by Jane Denniston, Minister of Campsie Parish Church, nr Glasgow]

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