Thought for the Week - 27th November 2022

 

Dear Friends, 

Most of us don’t find waiting easy. Waiting for that long-promised telephone call or letter telling us when our next hospital appointment is, and which never seems to arrive; waiting for the bus or the train only to realise that it has been cancelled or delayed; waiting for the shopping to arrive at the appointed slot you had chosen only to discover that the delivery van has broken down and now won’t get to you; trying to keep children occupied as they wait for something – a plane ride to a holiday destination, a visit from a friend, or for Christmas morning to open their presents. But waiting for what is coming, when it arrives, brings a sense of relief and satisfaction knowing that we have endured. As the season of Advent begins once again, we enter a time of waiting as we count down the days until we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but also as we await his Second Coming, and I’m reminded of a verse from the psalms, ‘Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord’ (Psalm 27:14). May we be found faithfully following the Lord’s way as we wait patiently for Jesus’ return.                                                                                                                          

Grace and peace,

Neil

A Prayer for the Season of Advent

O Immanuel, God with us, truly in this Advent season we celebrate that you are not hidden in some faraway cloud, but you chose to be with us in the blur and mystery of our lives. In the midst of lists and rush, you are with us as a song that echoes in our minds, as the light of a candle, as a card from a friend. They are signs of your presence. We turn to you this season and pray that you would birth joy and healing, blessing and hope in us. Let something wonderful begin in us – something surprising and holy. May your hand be upon us. Let your love fill us. Let your joy overwhelm us. Let our longing for you be met on a coming holy night. Immanuel with us once again. Amen.

(taken from the United Methodist Church)

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