“Coming, ready or not!”
Hello everyone,
One of the strange quirks of the church year is that it ends this coming Sunday! Advent is regarded as the beginning of the new church year, so we ‘begin’ the 2018/2019 year on Sunday 2 December.
At this ‘end of year’ point what will we consider? We’ve just completed the annual meeting process, with a booklet full of what you (we) did this last financial year (July 2017 to June 2018).
How did the year feel for you? Some come to St Andrew’s most weeks. Some come occasionally. Or, if you follow us at a distance, how was that succession of e newsletters, Gatherings and reflections for you? What have you learned? What did you miss? What have you gained? Is there some kind of development or movement in your own spiritual journey? If not, how could St Andrew’s and you create movement in the coming ‘new’ year?
‘Advent’ means ‘coming.’ Remember playing hide and seek as a child? – The person who was ‘it’ counting to whatever number and then calling out “Coming, ready or not!” It can seem like life comes at us, whether we’re ready or not. Christmas arrives like that for me each year. For several years I marked high school national examinations at this time of year. Lots of Christmas prep went by the board – I lost a lot of people off the Christmas card list! I feel mean asking people at this time of year about their holiday and Christmas plans, but to get it all in place we do need to know probably earlier than people are quite ready for! Lots of deep breaths needed! Ahhh!
Life events come up and are right there in our face quite before we are ready for them too. ‘Suddenly’ we are grandparents or great aunts. Or maybe a great grandparent. Or ‘suddenly’ mobility is an issue when we really didn’t think it would be. Or a loved one develops that illness which is more serious than you wanted it to be. There is an advent for which we didn’t ask.
This Sunday we end the year thinking of St Andrew, ‘our’ saint who represents all those who bring others to meet Jesus and Kate Sheppard, ‘our’ suffragist, who represents all the women who worked for the vote in the late nineteenth century. It’s an interesting exercise to compare Andrew and Kate to each other and the two of them to us. Sunday’s Gathering will be followed by the last Exploring Faith study group for the year (lunch provided.)
See you Sunday if not before! It’s coming, ready or not!
Susan
To view the full e-news click here: https://mailchi.mp/8f11b44d4f21/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-1435829
