A freshly baked loaf of bread.
A pristine notepad.
A freshly made bed.
A new sheet of paper.
The first day of a holiday.
I don't know about you, but I love new beginnings and the hope that comes with getting to make a fresh start.
And I also love when something is completed and brought to a satisfying end.
If you follow the lectionary, we've just had the last Sunday of the Christian Calendar (Christ the King Sunday) and we're about to enter into Advent, the first Sunday of a new year. Many churches will be dusting off Advent rings, purchasing new candles, and getting ready to sing O come, o come, Emmanuel.
We find ourselves on a threshold. Between one year and the next, so to speak.
What are we thankful for as we look back over the last year?
What has come to fulfilment?
What has been difficult?
What has been joyful?
And as we step into Advent, what do we hope for?
What are we looking forward to?
What are we waiting for?
In ministry I found there was a great temptation to live several weeks if not months ahead of the calendar. You get caught up in planning and forget to live in the moment.
In life, it is tempting to rush ahead to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing.
Can I encourage you to pause for a moment? Go back to the questions. Take some time with them. Talk to God about them. Open up your journal on a fresh page and write down your thoughts.
And then enjoy cracking open your Advent calendar and eating the first chocolate...
We look forward to joining together for our final Presbytery meeting of 2024 next Tuesday. And then our induction services at Aberdeen Hillside (12th December) and St Andrew's Lhanbryd and Urquhart (16th December).
Rev Stella
