Jesus said, “…Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away.”
(Mark 13:31)
Advent is a time of looking forward. For most people these days it is a count down to Christmas, perhaps using an Advent calendar or just longing for all the busyness and preparation to be over and for time to relax. For Christians, however, Advent is more than just the lead up to Christmas. It is an opportunity to reflect on our lives from the perspective of eternity.
In the Old Testament, the book of Ecclesiastes stands out as a book that reflects on the meaning of this life, often concluding that it is all meaningless! In particular it says, “[God] has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). As humans we have a sense of time beyond the present and even beyond our own life. We look back with interest at history and speculate what the future might bring. For our lives to have meaning, we need to be able to set them in the context of eternity.
One of the tragedies expressed in Ecclesiastes, is that so often the things we work for in this life are lost when we die. We invest so much in what is temporary and passing, but if we are to find meaning, we need to invest in the eternal, in things that last.
In Mark 13, Jesus talks to his disciples about the future. Much of this is focussed on the coming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. For the disciples the temple was a magnificent and permanent structure, with its massive stones. But Jesus says that not one stone will remain on another, it will be utterly destroyed. It was – only forty years later in AD70. In contrast, Jesus says his words will never pass away, they are eternal and as Peter acknowledges, they are “the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68).
So, this Advent, lets commit to what will last – to sharing the words of Jesus.
Paul Worledge
St. George’s Website
- What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
- Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
- Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. There are now videos for all the sermons over the summer.
Joint Advent Sunday Service – This Sunday
Sunday 3rd December is Advent, and we will be holding a Joint All Age Service at St. Luke’s at 11am. There will not be a 9:30am service at St. George’s this week, but do join us at St. Luke’s for a great celebration of the start of Advent.
Weekly Calendar
Saturday 2nd December
Ramsgate Churches Together Prayer Breakfast (St. Mark’s) – 9:00-10:00am
Sunday 3rd December
Joint Service (St Luke’s, 11:00am) –Reading: Mark 13:24-37
Monday 4th
Daily Prayer (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Craft Group (St. George’s Hall, Soup Kitchen) – 2:00-3:30pm
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:15-9:30pm
Tuesday 5th
Daily Prayer (St George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Coffee Morning (St. George’s Hall) – 11:00am-12:00pm
Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm
Wednesday 6th
Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10:00-12:00 noon
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm
Thursday 7th
Daily Prayer (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Saturday 9th
Daily Prayer (St George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Sunday 10th
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) –Reading: Mark 1:1-8
Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)
Let there be Light – Thank You
A massive “Thank You,” to Jemima our Regeneration Officer and to all the many volunteers who helped to set up, steward and serve refreshments last Sunday evening. It was a great event with around 400 people coming into the church and over £370 raised for the Friends of St. George’s.
Christmas Fair – Saturday 9th December – St. Luke’s
The St. Luke’s and St. George’s Social Events team will be holding a Christmas Fair in St. Luke’s Church on Saturday 9th December from 10:30am to 2:30pm. Do come along, enjoy the fun and bring friends and family. Donations of Tombola items are welcome. Proceeds go to both churches.
Christmas Leaflet Distribution
We now have 5,000 leaflets detailing the Christmas Services across St. Luke’s, St. George’s and the Sailor’s church. The aim is to deliver as many as possible through front doors across the three parishes of St. Luke’s, St. George’s and Christ Church. If you can deliver some:
- Choose a road on one of the maps and check no-one else has yet chosen it.
- Cross it off on one of the maps, so no-one else chooses it.
- Pick up a pile of leaflets that you think will give you enough to deliver.
- Deliver to the road and return any spare leaflets next week.
Feel free to also take posters and leaflets to put up in visible spaces.
There is No Rose! (Baroque Concert)
Petra and friends will be holding another Baroque concert in the beautiful setting of St. George’s at the end of the Christmas Tree Festival on Sunday 17th December at 7pm. Tickets £15 on the door, £12 online and £10 in church. Under 18s are free. Buy online now. (There appears to be a problem with online ticket sales at present, but we are working to resolve this).
Links to Share:
How to talk to your children about conflict and war
This short article gives some wise advice on talking to children about the wars and conflict that appear on our news. Read more….
What do smaller churches get wrong when they look at bigger churches?
In 2024, we are looking to have a year of discernment, where we consider what God may be calling us to as churches over the coming years. This article may help us develop the right attitudes when we think about this. Read more…
Finally, let’s look to what is eternally important, and share Jesus’s eternal words.
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge of St. George’s)
St. George's Church Ramsgate 