St Nicolas' Day

At the First Sunday Thing next week we will share news from our linked parish in Zimbabwe. It has just written to thank us for money to buy maize seed at the beginning of the rainy season. It tells us that a 10kg bag will be given to each 'child headed family'. On the feast of the Patron Saint of Children, the idea of the head of many parentless families being the oldest child is awful, and we shall be praying for those using the seed we have brought. The picture of him comes from the church in this parish named after him at St Nicolas', Great Coates.

Children's Society

Our next First Sunday Thing (on 6th December) will be on St Nicolas' Day. Nicolas is the Patron Saint of Children. So one of the things we will be doing is discovering what the Children's Society does. This will be an opportunity to hand out their candle shaped collecting boxes to be brought back a month later when the following First Sunday Thing (on 3rd January) will include a Christingle Service; it is the Children's Society which popularised Christingle in England partly as a fund raising activity. St Nicolas', Great Coates will also be holding a Christingle Service there at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 12th December.

Sunset

Until next week we won't be able to post anything about plans for the First Sunday Thing on 6th December. We have failed to make a date for a planning meeting, and we have ideas about the future to share with St Nicolas' Church Council on Thursday before we do so, so getting things sorted for December will become an urgent task after that. Meanwhile, this is what the sky looked like over Laceby Acres at about four o'clock this afternoon, and somehow it seemed wothwhile having this as this week's post.

Waiting

This is perhaps the biggest thing about the way the church prepares for Christmas, and prepares for Jesus' final coming. The song we had at the beginning of the month and the opportunity then to spend time quietly in the Lady Chapel were intended to speak about this. Not beginning buying now. Not putting carols on the loud speakers now. Not getting frustrated or over excited now. Spending time attending to God, just as people in love simply spend time with each other. Praying for the bereaved around the time of All Souls' Day last week. Keeping silence in the face of the loss of war on Remembrance Sunday today. It is a different rhythm altogether, and is a way of stopping our own activities and anxieties getting in the way of God.

Fair trade for Christmas

As the rate of spending for Christmas begins to kick in again, this Traidcraft stall at our First Sunday Thing today was one of the reminders about how our own approach to Christmas can be different. Beyond it the picture shows the back row of the congregation and beyond them the Revd Terrie Stott changing slides as she conducted the service for the first time.