Join us for a traditional Midnight Service with Christmas carols and readings surrounded by beautifully decorated Christmas trees and welcome Christmas Day in in style. Christmas Eve, 11:30pm.
Follow the Star
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6)
The Christmas message is about God’s gift to us – to all of us. The only question is will we unwrap the present or leave it sitting there until next year?
As recorded at St Luke’s
Carol Service
Join us for a traditional feast of Christmas carols and readings, creation of a Nativity Scene and all surrounded by beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Today (Saturday 21st at 7pm).
This Christmas Notices 2024
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’
(Isaiah 9:6)
Christmas is a time of giving. Most people exchange gifts, piling up presents under the Christmas Tree, putting them in stockings by children’s beds or engaging in secret Santa with colleagues at work or as groups of friends.
There is nothing, particularly Christian about doing this at this time of year, the Romans used to do it as part of their December festival of Saturnalia. What Christianity brings, however, is the idea that by giving to one another we echo, the great theme of Christmas, God’s gift: “to us a son is given.”
But to whom is God’s gift given? People often say to me, ‘I’m not religious.’ Such a statement is designed to deflect any attempt to draw them into the faith or church, but it also assumes that Christianity is only for certain types of people, that God’s gift is only for those who fit into a particular category.
This is far from the truth. The Christmas story emphasises that God’s gift is for everyone. Mary and Joseph, a young couple are the first to be told about the coming miraculous birth. When Jesus is born, they take him to the temple and two older people, Anna and Simeon, celebrate his arrival. God’s gift is for the young and old. It is also for the poor. We see this when the angels proclaim the message to poor shepherds, doing arduous shift work on a hillside. Finally, it is for the rich and people from all nations. The wealthy Magi, foreigners to the Jews demonstrate this as they make a supreme effort to celebrate God’s gift.
The Christmas message is about God’s gift to us – to all of us. The only question is will we unwrap the present or leave it sitting there until next year?
Paul Worledge
Christmas Break
Daily Prayer – the last one will be on Saturday 21st and they will restart on Saturday 5th.
Coffee Morning – restarts on Tuesday January 7th.
Community Meal – restarts on Tuesday January 14th .
Beth Keenan
As many of you know Beth has been off ill for the last week. There is some really good news behind this. She and Tom are expecting another child in the summer of 2025! However, the bad news is that Beth is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarium, which is an extreme form of morning sickness, a medical condition needing hospital treatment and medication. As a result, Beth has been signed off work for the coming weeks. Do uphold Beth, Tom and Toby in your prayers over this difficult period.
NEW YEAR’S EVE LANTERN PARADE
Grand Finale to the Ramsgate Lumiere sets off from St George’s
On New Year’s Eve in the afternoon, Tuesday 31st December, St George’s will be the gathering place for the grand finale of the new Ramsgate Lumiere. The parade organised by GB Carnival will set off from the church at around 4.30/4.45pm and head down the High Street, through the harbour and onto the Ramsgate Main Sands beach. St George’s Regeneration Officer Jemima Brown is looking for volunteers to pull the St George’s lantern.
The 4 people needed to walk with the lantern should be strong enough to work together hold the weight of it, in pulling it uphill and stopping it from sliding downhill. Helpers would need to arrive at the church at 4pm
Is this something you can help with please? If you are interested in helping out and being part of the St George’s team in the parade please contact Jemima directly on 07971 782 477.
The parade is meeting at the church from 4pm and moves off at 4.45pm. The event will go on for just under 3 hours so we should be all finished by 7pm.
You can also get involved in making lanterns at the final workshops being held on the following dates:-
Saturday 28th December, 2 – 5pm, St George’s Hall
Sunday 29th December, 2 – 5pm, St George’s Hall
Monday 30th December, 2 – 4.30pm, St George’s Church
Church Finances Update and Appeal
As we come to the end of the year, we have been looking more closely at our church finances. The bad news is that at present we are heading for a significant deficit in 2024 of around £14,500. Stripping out the hall running costs and Project 200, it costs nearly £30,000 a year to run St. George’s. Much of that, around £18,500 is covered by the generosity of people’s giving through planned giving, donations, money in the collection plate and the gift aid we can claim on these donations. We will write to people asking them to consider their planned giving to the church in the New Year, but it would be really good if we can significantly reduce this year’s deficit.
Could you consider giving a one off gift to the church before the end of the year to help us reduce the deficit? We know many people are struggling financially, but if you have the means to give generously to the work of the church this year, it would be a great help. You can give by putting a cheque in an envelope in the collection or online using this link: stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/donate/
Christmas Baroque Concert
Thank you to all who helped put this on. It was a fantastic event, with around 80 people attending. It raised over £350 in profit for the church.
Vision 2030 – Please respond by the end of the year
If you weren’t able to come on Monday night and missed the livestream, you can still watch it here. You can find the Vision 2030 document here. We are asking people to give us feedback on the vision using this simple and short online form by the end of the year. Then we will review the Vision and agree how to move forward at our PCC meetings in January.
Links to Share:
Some deeper reflections on aspects of the Christmas message:
Magi: Where did the wise men come from?
You’ve probably heard they weren’t really kings, but the wise men or magi had some impressive royal connections. Far from being one-off royal visitors to the infant Jesus, the magi had a long history of involvement with monarchy, crossing paths with illustrious kings including Cyrus the Great of Persia, Alexander the Great and the Roman Emperor Nero. Read more…
Share some food: the anti-dote to despair
Reflecting on an appeal for toys over Christmas, this writer reflects on joy and how to find it. Read more…
Finally, let’s pray that we can celebrate God’s gift this Christmas and share it with all.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 22nd December – Fourth Sunday in Advent
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Monday 23rd
Carol Singing at Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm
Tuesday 24th
Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s Church), 6:30-7:30pm
Midnight Service (St. George’s Church), 11:30pm-12:30am
Wednesday 25th
Christmas Day Communion (St. Luke’s Church), Luke 2:1-20, 11:00am-12:00pm
Sunday 29th – First Sunday of Christmas
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Luke 2:41-52
Saturday 4th January
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Sunday 5th – Second Sunday of Christmas
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Mt. 2:1-12 & Eph 3:1-12
Online Forms
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
- Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
- Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
- Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.
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.
Safeguarding Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.
If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
Dare to Disobey (Daniel 6)
‘May the King live for ever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.’ (Daniel 6:21-22)
This week we finish our series on Daniel, with perhaps the most famous story: Daniel in the Lion’s den.
Daniel’s unwavering integrity in worshipping the God he knows to be true is a profound example for us, showcasing the importance of standing firm in one’s convictions while remaining kind and respectful to all.
As recorded at St. Luke’s
This Week’s Notices 15th December 2024
‘May the King live for ever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.’
(Daniel 6:21-22)
The story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is a powerful narrative filled with terrifying beasts, trickery, spying, manipulation, disobedience, and the intervention of an angel sent by God to save Daniel’s life. You may notice that the events in chapter 6, where Jewish exiles face the threat of death but are miraculously saved, are similar to those in chapter 3 involving Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In that chapter, they refuse to worship a statue and are saved from a fiery furnace. The differences, however, are the people involved, what the exiles are asked to compromise on and how the Kings respond to the Miracle.
In the Chapter, God is sovereign, and Daniel is loyal. Daniel’s boldness is evident as he continues to pray to God despite a royal decree against it. This act of defiance illustrates his determination to disobey unjust laws that conflict with God’s commandments, even when the cost of his disobedience is to be thrown into a den of lions. Daniel is gracious and joyful even in the face of threats, and he responds to the King kindly. God’s sovereignty is evident as He protects Daniel from the lions, demonstrating His power over earthly authorities and fierce, wild animals.
Daniel’s unwavering integrity in worshipping the God he knows to be true is a profound example for us, showcasing the importance of standing firm in one’s convictions while remaining kind and respectful to all.
Beth Keenan
Church Finances Update and Appeal
As we come to the end of the year, we have been looking more closely at our church finances. The bad news is that at present we are heading for a significant deficit in 2024 of around £14,500. Stripping out the hall running costs and Project 200, it costs nearly £30,000 a year to run St. George’s. Much of that, around £18,500 is covered by the generosity of people’s giving through planned giving, donations, money in the collection plate and the gift aid we can claim on these donations. We will write to people asking them to consider their planned giving to the church in the New Year, but it would be really good if we can significantly reduce this year’s deficit.
Could you consider giving a one off gift to the church before the end of the year to help us reduce the deficit? We know many people are struggling financially, but if you have the means to give generously to the work of the church this year, it would be a great help. You can give by putting a cheque in an envelope in the collection or online using this link: stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/donate/
Carol Singing in Town Centre, Saturday 14th December, 12pm
Churches Together in Ramsgate are going to gather in the town centre (outside Timpsons) for carol singing, Bible reading and handing out candy and fliers promoting Christmas services. If you can join us, please just turn up!
Service of Remembrance, Saturday, St. Luke’s 6:30pm
This Saturday, 6:30pm at St. Luke’s. A chance to come and remember and give thanks for the lives of loved ones who, who we will be missing this Christmas. Find out more…
Christmas Tree Festival
The Christmas Tree Festival is now open! From 2-5pm every day this week up until Sunday 22nd. Do encourage friends, family and neighbours to pop in for a visit.
Ramsgate Lumiere at the Sailors’ Church, 12th-15th December
Part of Ramsgate Lumiere, a special feature in the Sailors’ Church will be Kinetech Design’s SUPERNOVA sculpture, commissioned for Clerkenwell Design Week, draws inspiration from the Elizabethan ruff. Its folded facets echo the pleated garment, created using Kiriorigami, a Japanese technique combining folds and cuts.
Sailors’ Church carols are at 3pm and repeated at 5pm on Friday 20th December.
Advent Doors, St. George’s, Monday 16th, 3-6pm
On Monday 16th December St George’s will participate in the annual Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar, Advent Doors. Please join us from 3pm until 6pm for soup, hot drinks, mince pies and music. The Christmas Tree Festival will be open so the church will be looking extra wonderful!
Christmas Baroque Concert, St. George’s, Monday 16th December, 7:30pm
Tickets available online or from Paul in church. Do join us for lovely Baroque music in the setting of St. George’s Christmas tree festival.
Vision 2030 – Please respond by the end of the year
If you weren’t able to come on Monday night and missed the livestream, you can still watch it here. You can find the Vision 2030 document here. We are asking people to give us feedback on the vision using this simple and short online form by the end of the year. Then we will review the Vision and agree how to move forward at our PCC meetings in January.
Links to Share:
This week two contrasting on screen offerings…
Conclave the movie
An ecclesiastical election, conducted behind closed doors, by a group of old men hardly seems a subject for a riveting thriller. Yet, back in 2016, Berkshire-based novelist Robert Harris thought otherwise. Conclave became an international best-seller. Now it’s been turned into a movie. Read more…
Cheeky Pandas Christmas Resources
Looking for exciting resources to help children engage with the Christmas story? This series from the Cheeky Pandas includes four videos, each looking at Christmas from a different perspective.
Resources to help you plan children’s group sessions around the videos can also be found in the ‘Downloads and Resources‘ section of the site.
Finally, let’s pray that we can live daring lives for Christ.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 15th – Third Sunday in Advent
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Daniel 6:1-23
Monday 16th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Craft Group (St. George’s Hall, Soup Kitchen) – 2:00-3:30pm
Baroque Concert (St. George’s Church) – 7:30-9:30pm
Tuesday 17th
Prayer Meeting (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 18th
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Saturday 21st
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Service of Remembrance (St. Luke’s Church), 6:30am-7:30pm
Sunday 22nd – Fourth Sunday in Advent
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Luke 1:26-38
Online Forms
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
- Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
- Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
- Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.
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.
Safeguarding Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.
If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
Christmas Tree Festival
Our Christmas Tree festival is open from Friday 13th through to Sunday 22nd, 2-5pm. Everyone is welcome to come in free of charge (but donations welcome) to view the trees and vote for their favourite one.
Christmas Baroque Concert – Monday 16th December
Monday 16th December, 7:30pm. Doors open at 7:00pm.
In the setting of the beautiful St. George’s church as it hosts its annual Christmas Tree festival, join us for this wonderful concert of Baroque music, featuring the Baroque Collective: Hannah Morley, Joel Raymond, Tom Shelley and Petra Hajduchova.
Tickets £15 on the door. Under 16s are free.
Dare to Explain (Daniel 5:1-6, 13-17, 22-30)
“I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” (Psalm 25:2)
Our main reading is Daniel 5, the origin of the phrase, “The writing is on the wall.”
Advent is a time when we remember that God will ultimately win. Whoever seems victorious in the present will face God’s judgement in the future. Advent is a chance to remind ourselves to keep trusting in Christ, so that we will not be put to shame.
As recorded at St. Luke’s
Daniel 5 – Dare to Explain
Idioms
An idiom is a group of words, that have a meaning that cannot be worked out from the words themselves. A great example of an idiom is, ‘the writing is on the wall.’
As an idiom it means that the end is near and there is no way out.
So, this week, we might have said “that the writing was on the wall for Michel Barnier”, the French Prime Minister, because it was clear he was going to lose a vote of no confidence in the French parliament.
Or a few weeks ago, when pressure was mounting on Justin Welby in wake of the report on the abuse of John Smyth and the archbishops failure to do enough to report him, that the writing was on the wall for Justin – and so it proved, he was forced to resign.
More dramatically, we could look back to 1945, as the allied forces were closing in on Berlin. It was clear that the ‘writing was on the wall’ for Hitler and the Nazi high command. They knew it and committed suicide before the fall finally came.
But, why does the idiom, ‘the writing on the wall mean this’? Because that is what happens in Daniel 5. The night before the Babylonian empire comes to an abrupt and surprise end, whilst King Belshazzar is feasting, a mysterious hand appears and writes some words on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. Writing appears on the wall and withing a day, the king is dead and Babylon has fallen. So now we say, ‘the writing is on the wall,’ when someone’s power is about to come to a tragic end.
———————————————————————————————————–
Before we look at the story in a bit more depth, it is worth explaining the historical context.
539BC – A Major Moment in Ancient History of the Near East
The year is 539 BC, around 70 years since Babylon, under the great king Nebuchadnezzar first captured Jerusalem and Daniel was exiled to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar the great king has been dead 23 years. Nabonidus is now the actual king of Babylon, but he has left his son, Belshazzar in charge of the city of Babylon itself.
Meanwhile, the Persian Empire, under Cyrus the great has been expanding. It has already conquered a huge region to the East and North of the Babylonian Empire, including all of modern day Turkey across to Iran and Afghanistan.
However, both Nabonidus and his son, Belshazzar, had become increasingly unpopular and Cyrus was waging a propaganda campaign to show how lenient a king he was in the Babylonian empire.
Then on 27th September 539, there was a decisive battle with the Babylonians at the strategic crossing point of the Tigris river, Opis. The Persians completed destroyed the Babylonian resistance and marched on to Babylon. They crossed the Euphrates at Sippar on 6th October and arrived at Babylon on 12th October, entering unopposed and according to the Persians welcomed by the residents.
The much later Greek versions of the fall of Babylon suggest that its rapid fall to the Persians was a surprise and happened as the Babylonians were celebrating a religious festival. They suggest that the reason Cyrus was able to take the city so quickly, was because he diverted a river that lay between his army and the city, so that the army could cross quickly and without warning into the city and take it by surprise.
This seems to agree with the impression given by Daniel 5, which takes place just before Cyrus’s arrival in Babylon. The focus of Daniel 5, however, is not on the military manoeuvres going on outside the city, but the events in court at the heart of government. In particular, the focus is on Belshazzar, the son of the king.
Daniel does not reveal was Belshazzar knew about the situation or what he was expecting. Perhaps he hadn’t heard the bad news of the defeat at Opis or didn’t understand how bad it had been. Perhaps he hoped his armies would resist and turn back the Persian advance. That there would be a siege that Babylon could survive. That the Persians would be unable to cross the river. Perhaps he just didn’t care anymore and wanted to eat drink and be merry, because tomorrow we die.
—————————————————————————————————————–
The DECADENT KING – 5:1-4
Whatever, the truth Daniel 5, describes the king taking place in a shocking display of decadence, especially considering the perilous situation the empire was in.
The banquet may well have been part of the religious celebration that the Greek historians mention, but the description in Daniel emphasises the decadence of the king.
This scene is extravagant (vs. 1): 1,000 nobles invited to the banquet, a vast amount spent on partying at a time of national crisis.
It is also a drunken scene (vs. 1-3). Notice that verse 1 emphasises the main thing they did was to drink wine, and drinking is mentioned in verses 1,2,3 and 4.
The scene also emphasises the sexual greed (vs. 2-3) of Belshazzar twice mentioning all his wives and concubines (vs. 2,3), who were present at the feast.
But, the decadence is not just a moral one, it is also a spiritual one. His behaviour is blasphemous (vs. 2-3). He takes the gold goblets captured from temple of Jerusalem (cf. 1:2) made to be used in the worship of the God of Israel, a God that Nebuchadnezzar, the former great king had come to praise at the end of chapter 2, chapter 3 and chapter 4 and used them for his own banquet. Finally, he was idolatrous (vs. 4). He praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. Rather than worshipping the creator God, he worshipped created things.
The whole description is one of utter decadence. There is no sense of purpose, meaning or higher good. “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” seems to sum up his attitude. He was just living for his own pleasures and desires. Worse than that the way he used the goblets of gold from the temple showed that he valued the God of Israel at zero.
- It’s worth reflecting how much the attitudes of Belshazzar mirror the attitudes of much of our society. Is our society increasingly decadent?
Or indeed, do you find in the description of Belshazzar one that echoes some of your own traits.
Are you extravagant with your money?
Do you drink more than is healthy or use drink or drugs to cover up your worries? Or do you just live to drink at the weekend?
Or are you sexually greedy? Constantly after sexual gratification, through porn, or relationships that are not a lifelong faithful marriage?
Do you despise God, or rave about technology or your latest purchase more than you worship God?
Belshazzar is a warning to us. If we find we are like him we need to do something about it. Before it is too late. Because Belshazzar was in for a shock.
The WRITING on the WALL
Suddenly, the kings decadence is transformed into utter terror. A hand appears on the wall and writes some words. The feasting ends, now the king is desperate to find the meaning. But none of his advisers are able to tell him.
Then the ‘queen’ or more probably ‘queen mother’ is called. She knows of an old adviser, who has a reputation of being able to interpret these things: Daniel. So, Daniel is called.
———————————————————————————————————————-
The REPUTABLE ADVISER – 5:11-17
By this stage, Daniel would have been very old, probably in his eighties.
But, he had lived a life where he had stayed true to God, and always sought to speak the truth to those in power. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon had respected him and promoted him as a result.
But, now Daniel had been retired off, side-lined and forgotten. But not by all. His lifetime of faithful service, had meant he had built up an amazing reputation. So at this moment of spiritual crisis, even the decadent king comes to him in desperation. He calls Daniel before him and says, Daniel, no-one else can interpret these words, but I have been told you can! Please tell me, I’ll give you the most powerful position in government I can!
- It’s worth reflecting for those of us who want to live for God, whether we follow Daniel’s example in this way? As Christians we may not have many opportunities to talk to family members, work colleagues or friends about our faith. Certainly, if we constantly go around trying to shoehorn an evangelistic message into every conversation, we will probably soon be shunned and avoided.
But, if like Daniel, we can build up a reputation as someone to go to for advice about spiritual matters, then we may have opportunities to speak for Christ at key moments in people’s lives.
This involves playing the long game like Daniel. Building a reputation as someone dependable and honest, open about your faith, but not pushy with it. So, that when people have moments of spiritual crisis, they know who to turn to and then you have the opportunity to give an explanation.
Yet, even in such situations giving an explanation of the truth still takes courage and daring. Will you like Daniel, dare to explain.
——————————————————————————————————————
The DARING EXPLANATION – 5:22-28
I imagine that one of the hardest things for doctors is to give a patient bad news about their situation. To tell someone for example that the diagnosis is cancer and that it is incurable. To do so must take real courage.
Daniel is called into explain the writing on the wall and in a way he has to do the same for Belshazzar. For Daniel this is going to be a daring explanation, as he gives Belshazzar a diagnosis and a prognosis.
- The Diagnosis:
The Diagnosis comes first. And in verses 22-23 Daniel goes to the Spiritual heart of the matter:
“You have not humbled yourself”,
but “set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.”
This is the diagnosis that explains the symptoms: extravagance, drunkenness, sexual greed, blasphemy and idolatry are all just symptoms.
Like Daniel, when we are asked to explain our faith, we need to dare to give the fundamental diagnosis. We shouldn’t get stuck on the rights and wrongs of extravagance, drunkenness or sexual greed, but on people’s relationship with God.
Do they value him at zero, or is he given a place at the centre of their lives, so that all other aspects of life revolve around serving him?
Have they discovered that true joy, comes not from running after immediate pleasures, but seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness?
- The Prognosis
Secondly, Daniel gives the prognosis. He explains the meaning of the words written on the wall:
MENE – God has numbered your days.
TEKEL – You have been weighed and found wanting. Decadence is not what you want in a leader – Belsazzar was an utter lightweight.
PERES – Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
In other words, Belshazzar, you who have valued God at nothing, have been valued by God as nothing and so your day of judgement has come. Your reign and your life will come to an end.
Belshazzar’s situation was terminal. The writing was on the wall. Judgement was inevitable.
But for most people there is still the hope of a spiritual cure. Even as they were dying on the cross, when the thief cries out to Jesus to remember him, Jesus promises that he will join him in paradise.
And it is Jesus’ death on the cross that is the spiritual cure. He takes the judgement of God on himself, so that we don’t have to face the terror Belshazzar faced.
But we must align ourselves with Jesus in this life, before it is too late. When we do and seek to value God at the centre of our lives, then we will find that God joyfully welcomes us into his kingdom.
Do you want to be a Belshazzar or a Daniel?
So are you a Belshazzar or a Daniel?
If you see in yourself, the traits of Belshazzar. It’s not too late. Turn back to God now and seek his ways.
If you aspire to be a Daniel, ask for God’s strength and courage to dare to explain the bad news, so that people may be ready to hear the good news and turn back to God through Jesus.
This Week’s Notices 8th December 2024
“I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.”
(Psalm 25:2)
Sometimes in life we need to decide who to back or which side to choose. If it turns out to be the winning side, then we can relish the glory and rejoice in the victory. However, if we choose the losing side, we can find ourselves shamed and defeated. For trivial issues, like deciding on which football team to support, this does not ultimately matter, but in other contexts it can be a matter of life and death. Joining the Nazi party in late 1930s Germany may have looked like backing the winning side, but ten years later it would have been a matter of deep shame and utter defeat.
Daniel 5 tells of the last days of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. He had everything and spent his time partying and mocking the God of Israel. The Babylonians seemed conquering, whilst Israel was just one of several small kingdoms vanquished decades before. Then comes the ‘writing on the wall.’ Literally. A ghostly hand appears from nowhere and writes some mysterious words on the wall – words that no-one can interpret.
No-one that is except a well-respected Israelite, Daniel. Despite his exile working in the king’s palace, he had kept trusting in the God of Israel – the God Belshazzar had mocked. He tells the king that this God has judged him and that his reign and life will soon end. Indeed, that very night, the Persians marched into Babylon and Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall proves true.
Often it is not obvious who will ultimately win. Yet, Advent is a time when we remember that God will be finally victorious. Whoever seems victorious in the present will face God’s judgement in the future. Advent is a chance to remind ourselves to keep trusting in Christ, so that we will not be put to shame.
Paul Worledge
Churches Together in Ramsgate Prayer Meeting
This Saturday, 9-10am at St. Augustine’s.
Christmas Publicity
We would love to deliver as many leaflets as we can around St. Luke’s, St. George’s and Christ Church parishes. Please pick a road, indicate it on the map, take a bundle of fliers and deliver to the road asap. You can find details of the Christmas Services on the website.
Carol Singing in Town Centre, Saturday 14th December, 12pm
Churches Together in Ramsgate are going to gather in the town centre (outside Timpsons) for carol singing, Bible reading and handing out candy and fliers promoting Christmas services. If you can join us, please just turn up!
Carol Singing at Ramsgate Care Centre, Monday 23rd, 2:30pm
We are planning to go into Ramsgate Care Centre to sing some carols with the residents. If you can come along to help at 2:30pm on Monday 23rd for less than an hour, then please let Paul know asap.
Christmas Baroque Concert, St. George’s, Monday 16th December, 7:30pm
Tickets available online or from Paul in church. Do join us for lovely Baroque music in the setting of St. George’s Christmas tree festival.
Stewarding the Sailors’ Church light display
Coming up at the start of December on Thursday 12th, Friday 13th, Saturday 14th December 2 to 8pm and Sunday 15th December 2 to 7pm we are looking for volunteers who can sit in the Sailors Church down on the harbour to look after a sculpture which is part of Ramsgate Lumiere. You can now offer shifts using this online form.
Vision 2030
If you weren’t able to come on Monday night and missed the livestream, you can still watch it here. You can find the Vision 2030 document here. We are asking people to give us feedback on the vision using this simple and short online form by the end of the year. Then we will review the Vision and agree how to move forward at our PCC meetings in January.
Links to Share:
This week a couple of articles with some suggestions about navigating some of the difficult situations that life throws up. Including Christmas!
Working with your boss
This article is written for those who work as staff members in big churches with the senior minister as a line manager. However, I think most of the advice is transferable to most work settings and volunteer roles! Read more…
Take back your family’s Christmas
7 strategies to beat the Christmas Grinch and take back your Christmas… Read more.
Finally, let’s pray that we can keep trusting God for his eventual victory.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 8th – Second Sunday in Advent
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-17, 22-30
Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)
Monday 9th
Prayer Meeting (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 10th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Coffee Morning (St. George’s Hall) – 11:00am-12:00pm
Study Group (Lyndhurst Road) – 2:30-4:00pm
Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm
Wednesday 11th
Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10:00-12:00 noon
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm
Thursday 12th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Saturday 14th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm
Service of Remembrance (St. Luke’s Church), 6:30am-7:30pm
Sunday 15th – Third Sunday in Advent
Eucharist (St George’s, 9:30am) – Reading: Daniel 6:1-23
Online Forms
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
- Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
- Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
- Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.
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.
Safeguarding Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.
If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
St. George's Church Ramsgate 