Greetings Advent people,
This Sunday December 8th is Advent 2 in the church calendar year. At St Andrew’s we will be lighting the Peace candle and enjoying a service for the young at heart. The Rainbow Room children will present a moving tableaux assisted by the St Andrew’s Singers.
Most of us enjoy the festive season and the opportunities for rejoicing, reflection, reunions and recreation that it brings. This year we are very mindful that for the people of Samoa this Christmas will be shadowed by a cloud of grief. Our hearts go out to all those caught up in this unfolding tragedy. We remember also those for whom Christmas is a lonely time or a time that brings back unhappy memories.
The Christian World Service Christmas Appeal 2019 is focused on WATER: the essence of survival. Donation money will be spent on projects which provide vulnerable children safe clean water, help drought stricken farmers manage scarce resources, assist fisher people safeguard access to the sea and fund emergency relief operations. Donation brochures will be placed inside the Orders of Service this Sunday.
To end a short note from Michael Leunig which has a Christmas flavour I think. It is from his book “Short Notes from the Long History of happiness.”
(Michael Leunig is an Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, journalist, philosopher and poet. His commentary on political, cultural and emotional life spans more than fifty years and has often explored the idea of an innocent and sacred personal world.)
“Happiness is the child of Love and Truth,
who struggled just to live yet found each other;
and in the crib of all their weariness
their little happiness lay sleeping.”
Nga mihi
Rosemary Lawrence
P.S. There is no congregational lunch this Sunday as it is rather soon after Susan’s farewell luncheon. But I will still bring some cheerios for you Angus and Callum (and the other children) so as not to disappoint!
To view the full e=news click on this link: https://mailchi.mp/d4deb5178c22/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-3794805
