Happy Advent St. George’s Families,

Advent is a season of waiting and preparation.  Traditionally it is a time to prepare a place in our lives, our hearts for Christ.  It is one of those times when our spiritual life has a different understanding of reality than the secular world.  The secular world sees time as a river that flows onward, never to return to what has passed.  We talk about Christ who has come, is now and is yet to come.  For Christians time has a fluidity that challenges our secular understanding.  Advent illustrates that idea perfectly.  In the busyness of our lives, in our preoccupations and the myriad of demands on our attention, we can set Christ ‘on the back burner’, even loose sight of the one who longs to be in relationship with us.  Advent acknowledges that Christ has been with us, is with us, and calls us to reflect, refocus and to once again make room for the loving embrace of the one who offers us life in all its fullness.

Messy Church is December 12 this month.  The doors open at 5:00.  There will bebirthday cake for Jesus’ birthday.  Once again we will be doing a Christmas pageant.  The costumes are all ready, waiting to be worn by a would be shepherd, wise man or angel.  Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus will be the family of the newest member of our Messy Church family.  It is my hope that once again we will video tape our pageant and have copies for the participants at the January Messy Church.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Our Christmas services at St. George’s are:

• December 20 – 7:00 PM – 9 Lessons and Carols
• December 24 –  5:00 (family service), 7:00, 9:00  and 11:00 PM
• December 25 – 10:00 AM

Please remember that Christmas is now and always has been a celebration of the birth of Christ.  Christmas without Christ at the centre is simply a shopping frenzy that ends with overindulging in a feast that celebrates consumerism.

It is very difficult to keep Christ in Christmas when we are bombarded with demands that we buy, buy, buy to ensure the happiness of those we love, we are urged to work to make the day perfect, when the songs we hear on the radio and in the malls focus on Santa Claus and maudlin sentiment.  To help you keep your focus, I encourage you to use the Advent wreath as a family each day.  Last month I included the first two weeks of Advent and in this letter is the reflections for last two weeks of Advent.  It is my hope that this simple activity can help your family to know the simple joy that Christ offers.

Church School this coming month includes:

• Dec. 9 – Christmas prep, angel craft and snowflakes
• Dec. 16 – Christmas prep and stocking craft
• Dec. 23 – Christmas play in the church
• Dec. 30 – no 11:15 service or church school (sevices at at 8 and 9:30 am)

I wish you a joyful and blessed Christmas.  I am looking forward to seeing youduring the Christmas season.

Blessings,

Nancy