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.

Taking action next week

We've been putting together the leaflet to hand out and use at the First Sunday Thing next Sunday. In it we are providing a link with two websites people might want to follow up. The first is for Action of Christians Against Torture because people might want to use their scheme to send Christmas cards to those in prison. The link is http://www.acatuk.org.uk/. The second is for Operation Christmas Child because people might want its guidelines about how to put together a shoebox of gifts in the first two weeks of November. It is http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/.

Get ready for Christmas

Our next First Sunday Thing on 1st November will be based on the way in which we get ready for Christmas. Among many stalls for those arriving before or at 10.30 we'll offer how we prepare the Advent Ring rather than just how we buy chocolate bearing calendars. We'll offer stillness in the Lady Chapel rather than just the busy rush to be ready. We'll offer Action of Christians Against Torture's scheme to send Christmas Cards to those in prison rather than just to those we know. We'll offer preparing a prayer to hang on our trees rather than just decorations. And so on. We'll bring all these things together by 11.00 for a simple short act of worship.

More St Francis

And this is the version of St Francis which people got to take home after the First Sunday Thing last week.

Celebrating Francis

We enjoyed our celebration of St Francis' Day this morning. He didn't look like this, but this is one of several of the young people who came who did.