This Sunday – 14th December 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent – “Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?”
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Sunday 21st
  • Coming Up: Christmas Tree Festival, Advent Doors, Christmas Baroque, Dare to Pray, Christmas Services,
  • Interesting Blogs: Australia’s Social Media Ban, God watches the way we work
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Over the last few weeks we have been considering the great Advent question: “Am I ready for Jesus’ return?” It is a really important question to ask and as we have seen it needs to be considered from different angles.

One angle is to ask the question, “Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?” This is the thrust of the last of the stories that Jesus tells to help us consider whether we are ready for his return in Matthew 25.

Jesus uses a day to day image of sorting to illustrate the ultimate separation that will divide people between those who are in God’s eternal kingdom and those who are excluded. In this case the image is of a shepherd dividing the sheep and the goats. It was a common scene in the ancient middle east. However, in this parable the imagery quickly falls away and the reality that Jesus is trying to illustrate is put forward bluntly.

Jesus identifies himself with those in need and says that if you have helped them, then you have helped Jesus. In so doing you have shown yourself to be a true believer and you will be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom. If, however, you refuse to help those in need, then Jesus says you have failed to help Jesus. So, naturally you will be excluded from God’s eternal kingdom.

Do we see Jesus when we see someone in need? If we say we are a Christian now, if we believe that Jesus gave his life, so that we can have the hope of eternal life, then how would we not help Jesus in need? Jesus says the way we need to do that is to help those we come across who find themselves in need.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

This week is the last chance to take some fliers to deliver. It would be great if most of them could be taken out! If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back of St. Luke’s, check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Sunday 21st December

Please note that there will be no service at 9:30am on Sunday 21st December, because there will be a carol service at 5:30pm that evening.

Coming Up:

Christmas Tree Festival at St. George’s, 2-5pm

Running from Friday 12th December to Sunday 21st. Come and view the beautiful Christmas Tree festival inside St. George’s church

Advent Doors at St. George’s, 16th December, 5-7pm

Thanet Festival Choir, soup, hot drinks, mulled wine and mince pies.

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – Thursday 18th, 7pm

We have now sold over 60 tickets online. If you cannot buy online, then tickets can be bought at church this Sunday for only £10 each or for £15 on the door. We are also looking for a small team of volunteers to serve mulled refreshments on the night. Let Paul know if you can help.

Dare to Pray – Saturday 20th, 9:30-10:30am

There are lots of events happening over Christmas and it is a great opportunity to welcome more people into our churches to hear the good news about Jesus. But we need to pray for God to work. So please join us at our monthly Dare to Pray meeting at St. George’s church this Saturday.

Christmas Services:

For more information see the fliers or website.

  • Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour), Friday 19th, 3pm and 5pm
  • Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s), Saturday 20th, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Family Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Sunday 21st, 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Sunday 21st, 5:30-6:30pm
  • Crib Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 4:00-5:00pm
  • Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Midnight Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Christmas Eve, 11:30pm
  • All Age Service and Communion (St. Luke’s), Christmas Day, 11:00am

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Australia’s Youth Social Media Ban – Brave Step or Overstep? There are lots of articles outlining the harmful effects of social media on young people. Should our country follow Australia’s lead and ban Social Media for under 16s? This article provides a brief summary of and a link to a much deeper article, that argues that the social media ban for under 16s in Australia is an overstep. It raises interesting questions about how much young people’s voices should play a part in policy development, rather than adults deciding what is best for them. Read more…

God watches the way we work

This article by John Lennox, tells the true story of a man in Hungary during the Communist era. He worked as a maths teacher and preached in local churches in his spare time, without being paid. The police forced him to make a decision. He couldn’t be both a maths teacher and a preacher. So would he give up his well paid job or give up preaching? Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 14th – The Third Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)

Monday 15th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 16th          

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Advent Doors (St. George’s Church) – 5:00-7pm

Wednesday 17th   

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 18th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Baroque Concert (St. George’s Church) – 7:00-9:00pm

Friday 19th       

Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour) – 3pm and 5pm

Saturday 20th       

Dare to Pray (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s) – 6:30-7:30pm

Sunday 21st – The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill) – 5:30-6:30pm

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.

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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Use your gifts (Matthew 25:14-30)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Last week we saw that Advent is a season for making sure we are ready. Not just to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but more importantly to be ready for when he returns again to bring both judgement and a new heaven and new earth. During this time we are encouraged to think about whether we are living lives that will please Jesus he returns. One of the questions I said we need to consider is: “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Use your gifts (Matthew 25:14-30)

Dragon’s Den:

Have you ever seen the programme, Dragon’s Den? The basic idea of the show is that you have five or six very wealthy investors who are looking for small entrepreneurial companies to invest in. These are the dragons. In each episode a handful of entrepreneurs come before them and try to persuade them to invest in their company, to help them to grow it and make it successful.

What the ‘Dragon’s care about’ is making a profit on their money. So, if they are not persuaded your company will be successful then you leave with nothing. But if they are persuaded that you will be successful, they will entrust you with a large lump sum in exchange for ownership of a percentage of the company. Confident that they will eventually receive more money in return.

An Entrusted Life

We like to think that our life is our own. But I want to invite you to see your life differently. It is not your own. Who you are and all that you have has been entrusted to you by God.

It is a radical idea, but it makes sense if we understand God to be the Creator of the world. After all, if I build something or create something, then I would expect people to see it as belonging to me. I would have the right to sell it on to someone else or do with it what I like. Why hasn’t God the same right over us as our Creator?

This idea is fundamental to the Bible, but it is expressed powerfully at the start of Psalm 24:

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1-2)

So just as the investors of Dragon Den will at some point come and settle accounts with those they have invested in and expect to receive more money back than they have invested, so the Bible says that one day, God will want to settle accounts with us and expect to receive back more than he has entrusted to us.

That is the point, Jesus is making in the story he tells in Matthew 25:14-30. It comes as series of parables all designed to encourage us to be ready for when Jesus returns to judge the world. Something Jesus says that could happen at any time, so we always need to be ready.

The Key to the Story:

To understand the point Jesus is making, we need to understand what the elements in the story stand for. So let’s look at the key to the story. 

  • The Master = Jesus

He is going away, but will come back one day to settle accounts, to see what his servants have done with what he has entrusted to them.

  • The Talent = What is entrusted to us

When we hear the word, ‘talent’, we often think of people’s abilities and skills. We might say he is a very talented painter or musician for example. That meaning of the word, ‘talent’ has actually developed from this story.

However, to the people first hearing this story and for the first people reading Matthew’s gospel, ‘a talent’ was literally a very large amount of money worth about 6,000 denarii. One denari was worth the days wages of a labourer. In modern terms a talent is about half a million pounds. Two talents is a million pounds and five talents is two and a half million pounds. The servants in the story are being entrusted with very large sums of money, much more than the investors give out on dragon’s den.

So, what does Jesus mean this large sum of money to refer to? The story does not make it clear, so I think it is best to see it as referring to all that God has entrusted to us. That will include our skills and abilities, it will also include our personalities, our bodies, our possessions, our money and even the family and relationships we are blessed with. Ultimately, everything belongs to God.

  • The First Two Servants = Those who seek to grow God’s kingdom

The first two servants then stand for those who live lives, that want to make the most of what God has entrusted to them to expand what belongs to God.

  • The Third Servant = Those who refuse to grow God’s kingdom

The third servant, however, has a completely different attitude. He buries the money. This stands for those who do not want to do anything with all that God has entrusted with them to grow God’s kingdom.

The Final Outcome:

The focus of the story is on what happens when the Master returns. Jesus wants us to be ready for his return, so he tells this story, both as an encouragement and as a warning.

The Encouragement:

When the Master returns, the first two servants report to him that while he has been away they have each doubled the amount he has entrusted to them.

Notice, that although they were not given the same amount originally and they made different amounts of profit to each other, God, nonetheless rewards them in exactly the same way. God does not care so much about the level of success, he understands that some are capable of achieving a lot more than others. What he cares about is that we are faithful with what we are entrusted with. It is the faithfulness not the success that is rewarded.

Secondly, notice the encouragement and generosity of God. As reward for their faithful service, God gives each three things:

Firstly, praise. We all like to be praised by others and as a general rule the more important the person praising you the better. After all if your next door neighbour tells you, “Well done, great job” that is one thing, but if you receive a letter of praise from the king then that is something far more wonderful. How much more wonderful, then to hear the God of the whole universe, the king of kings say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That is the praise Jesus says we will receive for all that we have done for God in this life. Isn’t that encouragement in itself to serve God now.

 Secondly, promotion. The two servants are told, that having been faithful with a little, they will be put in charge of much more. Remember the amounts they were given were millions of pounds. So, the promise is to have huge responsibilities. This is a hint, that eternal life, is not so much like retirement as taking on even greater and more fulfilling work.

Thirdly, pleasure. The servants are invited to share in their master’s joy. To become part of a happy, joyful and wonderful team in God’s eternal kingdom.

All of this is deep encouragement to make the most of what God has entrusted us with and live to serve him in this life.

The Warning:

But alongside the encouragement, Jesus gives a warning. The third servant decides to bury the treasure entrusted to him, rather than work to invest it. He says he does it, because he is afraid of the master. He is afraid of failure, so he does not try.

 But this attitude is wrong for three major reasons:

Firstly, as we have seen the Master’s expectation was that the money be used to make more money. If you have half a million pounds, you do not bury it, you invest it to make more money.

Secondly, as we have also seen, the Master is incredibly generous towards those who do seek to make the most of what is entrusted to them. If we are seeking to be faithful, we have no reason to be afraid.

Thirdly, what he should have been afraid of was being judged for not even trying. If the investors on Dragon’s Den discovered that those taking their money do nothing with it, then they will be furious – they could have given it to someone who would seek to grow it.

We are all entrusted with so much by God. If we act as though we have no responsibility to use it for God’s purposes, to advance God’s kingdom in this life, then we are making a mockery of God’s will for us. If we do that in this life, Jesus warns that when it comes to his return, rather than praise, promotion and pleasure, we will lose the little we have and be locked out from God’s eternal kingdom and joy. Avoid this at all costs.

What to do with what is entrusted to us?

So, if we are to heed Jesus’ encouragement and warning, how can we live as good and faithful servants? Put simply we need to use what we have for God’s purposes.

 That means developing our gifts and talents, through hard work in our studies when we are at school and beyond.

It means doing our jobs, as though we were doing them for Christ. Do them for the good of others, rather than just as a way to make a wage. We need to seek to make a positive impact on the workplace, whilst being known as a Christian, so that seeing your good works, people may come to praise God.

It means caring for our families, with the love and compassion of God and encouraging our children and others to follow Jesus themselves. That is what Jack and Hannah you are promising to do for Eloise today.

 It means supporting the more obvious aspects of God’s work in the church and Christian agencies through financial giving and service.

In short it means accepting that all that we have has been entrusted to us by God and using it for God’s purposes and glory, confident that one day, the king of the whole universe will say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Thanet Festival Choir @ Advent Doors

On Tuesday 16th December Thanet Festival Choir will be joining us at St George’s to participate in the annual Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar, Advent Doors.
The choir will be performing plenty of Christmas favourites as well as some choruses from Handel’s Messiah.
Please come along from 5pm until 7pm where there will be soup, hot drinks, mulled wine, mince pies, music and lots of festive good cheer.
The Christmas Tree Festival will be open so the church will be looking extra sparkly and beautiful.

© Vicki Couchman Photographer
vickicouchman.com

This Sunday – 7th December 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent – “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Parish Safeguarding Officer Role, Sunday 21st, Let there be light
  • Coming Up: Churches Together Prayer Breakfast, Meal and Magic Evening, Carol Singing at Care Homes, Women’s Share & Care Group Get Together, Christmas Baroque, Christmas Services
  • From the Wider Church: Safe Family Events
  • Interesting Blogs: What’s the role of the Bible and Mission, Don’t mix children and AI
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Last week we saw that Advent is a season for making sure we are ready. Not just to celebrate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas, but more importantly to be ready for when he returns again to bring both judgement and a new heaven and new earth. During this time we are encouraged to think about whether we are living lives that will please Jesus he returns. One of the questions I said we need to consider is: “Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should?”

It is not a question about whether I am doing or giving more than others. All of us have different gifts, strengths, energy levels and wealth. Neither is it a question about whether I should be doing the same as others. We all have different callings or vocations in this life. Rather, it is a question about whether I am making the most of what I have to offer in the vocation I am called to, so that I do the good works God wants me to do.

The good works will include doing my job, whether paid, voluntary or family care in the best way I can and to glorify God. It will also include the part we play in the life of the church, both in the support we give in serving the church family, but also in giving financially out of the resources God has already given us. At times in our life we will be able to do and give more to the church, at other times other important responsibilities will limit what we can do. Advent gives us a chance to review whether we have the balance right at this stage of our life, given the skills, energy, wealth and gifts we have.

The ultimate aim is to be ready for Christ’s return. I want to be able to look forward to the day when Jesus will look at what I have done for him and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21,23)

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

The Christmas publicity is now ready to deliver. If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back. Check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Parish Safeguarding Officer Role

Safeguarding in church is the responsibility of everyone. However, we need someone to champion and promote safeguarding in the church and to be a point of contact for any concerns raised. There is a lot of Diocesan training and support for this role. If you think you might be the person to take it on then please let Paul know and he can share more about what is involved.

Sunday 21st December

Please note that there will be no service at 9:30am on Sunday 21st December, because there will be a carol service at 5:30pm that evening.

Let there be light

Thanks to all those who helped out with the let there be light event last Sunday. It was a fantastic event with over 700 people coming through the church doors.

Coming Up:

Churches Together Prayer Breakfast, Saturday, 9-10am

Join Christians from all over Ramsgate for the monthly prayer breakfast. This month it is at Newington Free church.

Meal and Magic Evening, Saturday 6th December, 7:00pm

The Men’s group will be hosting this fantastic event at St. Luke’s Hall. It will include a hot meal, a quiz and magic from Colin Hoult. This is open to everyone: children go free, adults only £5. For more information or to buy a ticket see Bruce (07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com ) or Peter Erlam.

Carol Singing at Care Homes

We are planning to go into a couple of local care homes to sing some Christmas Carols for the residents. If you can join us for these events, then please let Paul know:

                Keele House, 2:30pm on Wednesday 10th December

                Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm on Monday 15th December

Women’s Share & Care Group Get Together

Evening get-together for women on Friday 12th December at 92, South Eastern Road, Ramsgate CT11 9QD. 7pm to 9pm-ish. Drinks, nibbles and maybe a festive quiz or two! Please speak to Lesley or Willow. (Ask Paul for contact details)

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – 18th December, 7pm

The Baroque Collective warmly invites you to the fifth annual Christmas Baroque Concert at St George’s on 18 December at 7pm. Tickets: £13 in advance, £15 on the door; free admission for children under 16. Find out more and buy tickets.

Christmas Services:

For more information see the fliers or website.

  • Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour), Friday 19th, 3pm and 5pm
  • Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s), Saturday 20th, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Family Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Sunday 21st, 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Carol Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Sunday 21st, 5:30-6:30pm
  • Crib Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 4:00-5:00pm
  • Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s), Christmas Eve, 6:30-7:30pm
  • Midnight Service (St. George’s, Church Hill), Christmas Eve, 11:30pm
  • All Age Service and Communion (St. Luke’s), Christmas Day, 11:00am

From the Wider Church:

Safe Family Events

Christmas Zoom, Thursday 18th December, 12:30-1:30pm

This is a time for all our supporters in London and the South East to meet online, to share stories from this year and take part in a quiz (trivia). This will be an opportunity to meet our team and celebrate this year. Totally optional but we’d love to see you if you can make it! RSVP using this form.

Kent Celebration, Saturday 10th January 2026, 2-4pm, St. Christopher’s Newington

Please do bring your friends and family along to our celebration of Safe Families and Home for Good in Kent. There will be fun, food and friends – lots for both children and adults to enjoy and all free! Please do pop in, we would love to see you!

RSVP using this form

Interesting Blogs to Share:

What’s the role of the Bible in Mission?

How are people finding faith through Scripture? And how can the Church host honest discussions about the Bible? The Bible Society podcast highlights why church leaders need to be confident to share the Bible’s message. Listen to the Podcast…

Don’t Mix children and AI

This is a short article lambasting allowing children to interact with AI as a fake companion. It also looks to some other articles about AI. From Jon Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. Read article (10 mins)

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 7th December – The Second Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Monday 8th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 9th          

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 10th   

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 11th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 13th       

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 14th – The Third Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

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.

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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Advent Sunday (Matthew 25:1-13)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42)

Why not take time this Advent to prayerfully consider whether you are ready for Jesus’ return? The sermons will help. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three of the stories Jesus tells to help us in our Advent reflection. They pose the following questions for us to consider: Am I prepared to follow Jesus for the whole of life or is it just a fad? Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should? Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

This Sunday – 30th November 2025

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

(Matthew 24:42)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: Advent
  • Key notices: Christmas Publicity, Carol Singing at Care Homes
  • Coming Up: Let there be light, Meal and Magic Evening, Christmas Tree Festival, Christmas Baroque, Christmas Services at St. George’s
  • From the Wider Church: Safe Families Events
  • Interesting Blogs: Resources for Advent
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

The Christmas decorations are already going up. Some have been up for weeks already and it is not December until Monday! However, Sunday marks the beginning of the church’s season that leads up to Christmas: Advent.

Advent is meant to be in part a season to prepare for celebrating Christmas, the festival that marks the Son of God coming among us as a baby. Yet, it is also a time to remember that Jesus will come again, not as a baby, but as the one who will judge, rescue and restore the world, so that God’s kingdom is fully realised and there will be a new heaven and new earth.

As such Advent is meant to be a time of reflection and repentance, when we ask ourselves whether we are ready for Jesus’ second coming. You may think the more urgent question is: “Will I be ready for Christmas? Have I bought the presents, made arrangements to visit family and prepared for the feasting?” Christmas is less than a month away after all.

Yet, not being ready for Christmas is not the end of the world. On the other hand, not being ready for Christ’s return means missing out on the next world. Christmas may feel imminent, but we do not know when Jesus will return. It could be another 2,000 years or it could be today. We need to be ready now.

Why not take time this Advent to prayerfully consider whether you are ready for Jesus’ return? The sermons will help. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three of the stories Jesus tells to help us in our Advent reflection. They pose the following questions for us to consider: Am I prepared to follow Jesus for the whole of life or is it just a fad? Am I using the gifts and talents God gave me as I should? Do I treat other people, as though they are Jesus?

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Christmas Publicity

The Christmas publicity is now ready to deliver. If you can deliver to one or more roads, please grab enough leaflets from the pile at the back of St. Luke’s (this week, next week we’ll have some at St. George’s). Check the roads are not already taken on the maps, then cross out the road(s) so that others do not deliver there. It would be great to cover as many roads as possible.

Carol Singing at Care Homes

We are planning to go into a couple of local care homes to sing some Christmas Carols for the residents. If you can join us for these events, then please let Paul know:

  • Keele House, 2:30pm on Wednesday 10th December
  • Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm on Monday 15th December

Coming Up:

Let there be Light

This evening from 5pm at St. George’s Church, there will be the  Let there be Light event. This is a free event with refreshments and entertainment (see fliers for more information). Last year we had over 500 attend. If you can offer to help steward then please let Paul know, and come to the briefing at St. George’s at 4pm.

Meal and Magic Evening, Saturday 6th December, 7:00pm

The Men’s group will be hosting this fantastic event at St. Luke’s Hall. It will include a hot meal, a quiz and magic from Colin Hoult. This is open to everyone: children go free, adults only £5. For more information or to buy a ticket see Bruce (07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com ) or Peter Erlam.

Christmas Tree Festival

This will be running from 12th December at St. George’s. If anyone would like to decorate a Christmas Tree on behalf of St. Luke’s, then please let Paul know.

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – 18th December, 7pm

The Baroque Collective warmly invites you to the fifth annual Christmas Baroque Concert at St George’s on 18 December at 7pm. Tickets: £13 in advance, £15 on the door; free admission for children under 16. Find out more and buy tickets.

Christmas Services at St. George’s

Carol Service – Sunday 21st December, 5:30pm (note earlier time than previous years)

Midnight Service – Christmas Eve, 24th, 11:30pm

From the Wider Church:

Safe Family Events

Christmas Zoom, Thursday 18th December, 12:30-1:30pm

This is a time for all our supporters in London and the South East to meet online, to share stories from this year and take part in a quiz (trivia). This will be an opportunity to meet our team and celebrate this year. Totally optional but we’d love to see you if you can make it! RSVP using this form.

Kent Celebration, Saturday 10th January 2026, 2-4pm, St. Christopher’s Newington

Please do bring your friends and family along to our celebration of Safe Families and Home for Good in Kent. There will be fun, food and friends – lots for both children and adults to enjoy and all free! Please do pop in, we would love to see you!

RSVP using this form

Interesting Blogs to Share:

This week, some Advent resources that may help you be ready:

Bible Society Free Advent Resources

LICC resources: The infinite in an infant

Church of England: O Come, Emmanuel, reflections on the carol

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 30th – Advent Sunday

Joint Service – (St Luke’s Church, 11:00am), Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Let There Be Light (St George’s Church) – 5:00-7:00pm

Monday 1st December        

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 2nd         

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 3rd  

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 4th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 6th       

CTiR Prayer Breakfast (Newington Free) – 9:00-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Meal & Magic (St. Luke’s Hall) – 7:00-9:00pm

Sunday 7th – The Second Sunday of Advent

Eucharist – (St George’s Church, 9:30am), Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

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.

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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s make sure we are ready for Christ’s return.

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Christmas Services 2025

Check out our Christmas services below and those at our partner churches below that.

Carol Service (St. George’s)

Sunday 21st, 5:30-6:30pm

Join us in the beautiful setting of the town centre church, for carols and creating a crib scene.

Midnight Service (St. George’s)

Christmas Eve, 11:30pm-12:30am

Welcome in Christmas Day itself with this special Holy Communion.

Christmas Services at our linked churches:

Carol Services (Sailors’ Church, Harbour)

Friday 19th, 3:00-4:00pm and 5:00-6:00pm

Join us for Christmas at the beautiful Royal Harbour’s church. The services is repeated to ensure there is space for everyone.

Tree of Love Service (St. Luke’s, Hollicondane Road)

Saturday 20th, 6:30-7:30pm

Formerly known as the ‘Service of Remembrance’.
In partnership with Pilgrims Hospices. A chance to remember and give
thanks for the lives of loved ones whom we will be missing this Christmas.

Family Carol Service (St. Luke’s, Hollicondane Road)

Sunday 22nd, 11:00am-12:00pm

A carol service for all ages.

Crib Service (St. Luke’s, Hollicondane Road)

Christmas Eve, 4:00-5:00pm

An interactive retelling of the Christmas story for young children.

Traditional Carol Service (St. Luke’s, Hollicondane Road)

Christmas Eve, 6:30-7:30pm

9 lessons and carols by candle-light, not suitable for young children.

All Age Service and Communion (St. Luke’s, Hollicondane Road)

Christmas Day, 11:00am-12:00pm

An informal Christmas Day celebration for all ages.

Christ the King (Luke 23:33-43)

“For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)

He is also our shepherd. ‘Shepherd’ was a common image in the ancient world for kings. They led the people as a shepherd leads his flocks. In this verse, however, in imagery echoing Psalm 23, we are told that Jesus as our shepherd king will lead us to springs of living water. His rule brings us life, a life where God will wipe every tear from our eyes.

Why not recommit to making Jesus the king of your life, accepting his sacrifice for your sins and allowing him to lead you to eternal life?

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Luke 23:33-43, Christ the King

What makes reality TV so appealing?

What makes Reality TV so appealing to watch? There are probably many reasons, but I think one of them, is that we enjoy the ignorance on display. Whilst we as viewers are shown all the facts, the contestants on these shows are often portrayed as deeply ignorant.

This used to happen in the early stages of X-Factor. Contestants would claim to be amazing singers, but when we watched them perform, they were terrible. They were ignorant of their abilities.

Similarly, shows like the Apprentice, are often edited to highlight someone claiming to be for example a great salesperson and then to show that they fail to make any sales at all.

The most successful recent TV show has been Traitors, where ignorance is almost the whole point of the show. Most of the contestants, ‘the Faithful’, have one task, to find the Traitors, the ones who have the power to ‘murder’ someone each night. But the faithful are ignorant of the identities of the Traitors. Despite this they often become convinced they know who one of the traitors is only to be shocked to discover that they were wrong.

People sometimes say that ignorance is bliss, but the reality is that ignorance is dangerous – not because people may laugh at you, although that is a danger, but because you may not realise you have a serious problem and you may not see your greatest opportunity.

Christ the King?

Our passage today is from Luke’s gospel. It is the set gospel reading for the Sunday before Advent, which is called, ‘Christ the King.’

When you think of kingship, normally we imagine, palaces, thrones, adoring cheering crowds and the various symbols of power and majesty. The scene in this passage is completely opposite to that. Jesus is being crucified alongside two criminals and is mocked by the crowds. The cross was designed not just as an instrument of torture or execution, but as a public display of humiliation. Jesus on the cross was as far away from the idea of kingship as you can imagine.

Yet, above his head a placard was placed, which read, simply: “Jesus King of the Jews.” As we read on, we know this statement to be true, but almost everyone else is ignorant of the fact.

Jesus’ Astounding First Words: “Forgive them…”

Jesus’ first words on the cross in Luke’s gospel are astounding:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Forgiving people is never easy. When we are hurt, upset or abused we naturally want justice to be served, we lash out at our abusers, we want them to hurt as much as we do. Jesus was receiving the most brutal treatment imaginable, but rather than lashing out, he prays for their forgiveness.

But Jesus is doing what he has taught others to do. He said to his disciples:

 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Forgiving others is not an easy thing to do, yet occasionally we hear of Christians saying that they forgive people who have done them incredible harm. The most recent example of this was Erika Kirk, who announced at the thanksgiving service for her assassinated husband, Charlie Kirk, that she forgave his killer.

How can we forgive people as Christians? The answer is to look again at the cross, not just to the example Jesus shows here by forgiving those who had put him on the cross, but the fact that Jesus was willing to go to the cross so that we could be forgiven. If Jesus paid such a price for our forgiveness, then how can we not pay the lesser price of forgiving others?

Jesus gives another reason why the people who put him on the cross should be forgiven – their ignorance. ‘They did not know what they were doing.’ It was an ignorance expressed through the mockery of Jesus.

Ignorant Mocking:

Luke describes three groups that mock Jesus: the Jewish Leaders, the Roman soldiers and the criminal on the cross beside him.

Ignorant by motive:

The mockery came from a place of ignorance. None of them truly understood who Jesus really was or why he had come. But ignorance is no real defence. Often, we are happy to stay ignorant of the facts, when it helps us achieve our goals. This seems to be true at the cross.

The Jewish Leaders had been publicly criticised by Jesus for their corrupt practices. One way to deal with critics is to mock them. Sadly, we see that tactic used increasingly commonly in our political debate today. Their attitude is that it is better to be ignorant than to allow truth to stop their mockery.

The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus on three separate occasions. For them to mock the King of the Jews was a way to bully the Jews as a whole. It was an expression of racist bullying, that allowed them to feel superior as the conquering Romans. They did not want truth to get in the way of racist bullying – better to remain ignorant.

The criminal was probably just following the crowd. It’s much easier to accept the ignorance of the prevailing view around you rather than risk questioning it and standing out. Ignorance was the easy route to take.

Ignorant of Christ’s role

They had different motivations, but the nature of their ignorance was remarkably similar. They all assumed that God’s special chosen king, couldn’t suffer the humiliation of death on a cross.

All three groups basically say the same thing:

“If you are…  the Messiah / the King of the Jews… Save Yourself!”

For them the successful crucifixion of Jesus is evidence that his claims to be the Messiah are unfounded. But this was to judge Jesus in human terms. It assumes that strength is the foundation of power. That death is the end of human ambition.

When Jesus first told his disciples that he was going to die, Simon Peter would not accept it. But Jesus’ response to Peter was strong: “Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but of men.” (Mark 8:33) That same ignorance was now being expressed by Jesus’ enemies.

Ignorant of Salvation:

They were also ignorant of the power of God to save his anointed King. Psalm 22 is referenced in all the Gospel accounts of the cross. It is a Psalm of David, the archetypal King of Israel, who himself was persecuted by enemies, but saved by God before he eventually became king.

The Psalm particularly emphasises the mockery of those around him, a mockery that is strikingly similar to the mocking of Jesus at the cross.

“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”” (Psalm 22:7-8)

The Psalm even includes details that although written by David 1000 years earlier, match what happened at the cross. In particular, it mentions Jesus clothes being divided up and lots being cast. The Psalm says:

“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalm 22:18)

So, the Psalm expresses the reality of God’s future king suffering in terrible ways, but it finished with confidence in God’s salvation.

“For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” (Psalm 22:24)

It was this hope of salvation that all the mockers at the cross seemed ignorant of. But there was an exception.

Majestic Faith:

Somehow, the other criminal being crucified, sees through the ignorance of all around him in a way that brings him last minute salvation. Rather than ignorance he has a majestic faith. He recognizes what everyone else has missed.

He is Guilty

Firstly, he sees that he is in fact guilty. That should have been obvious, he was being crucified as a criminal after all. His guilt was writ large for everyone to see. Yet, he accepts not just that his punishment is justified, but also that he needs to give an account to God beyond death.

‘Don’t your fear God?’ he says to the other criminal.

We all naturally like to think of ourselves as being basically good people. Or at least not as bad as most. But comparing ourselves to others is to be ignorant of the judgement of God.

Accepting our guilt before God is the first step to overcoming ignorance.

Jesus is King

Secondly, though, this criminal sees the truth about Jesus. Not only does he see that Jesus is innocent and undeserving of crucifixion, but that he is going to come into a kingdom. He sees that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the King.  

The next step to being free of ignorance is to recognise the spiritual truth of who Jesus is. Only then are we ready to look to him for salvation.

God saves those who call on him!

Thirdly, this man understands as the Psalmist did, that God saves those who call on him. He understands that Jesus will be saved, he understands also that the only hope of his own salvation is to call out to Jesus.

 That is the final step of being free from ignorance to see that Jesus is the way to salvation and crying out to him for help.

Jesus’ Amazing Last Word: “Paradise”

Which brings us to the end of our passage. Jesus’ last word in the passage is addressed to the criminal:

“Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The word ‘Paradise’ comes from the Persian word for garden. In the ancient world, the gods were seen to live in beautiful gardens. The Greek version of the Old Testament uses the word, ‘Paradise’ for the ‘Garden of Eden.’ It was where God walked with Adam and Eve. For the Jews of Jesus time, ‘Paradise’ had come to be seen as the place where people went to be with God when they died, while they waited for the final resurrection.

For Jesus, to tell this man who had been condemned by the world to the most serious punishment imaginable, because of his crimes, that God would nonetheless welcome him to paradise was truly amazing grace.

 This man after all, was on the point of death, he had done nothing in life to deserve a place in heaven, and he had no chance to mend his ways and repay God for his wrongdoing. No matter how bad you have been, no matter how late you have left it, you can still cry out to Jesus for mercy. But first you need to deal with your ignorance.

Deal with ignorance

Jesus said he was being crucified because of the ignorance of those who put him on the cross.

Peter in one of his first sermons said to the crowds in Jerusalem:

“Now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.” (Acts 3:17)

 Later, Paul when challenging the Athenians about their worship of idols said,

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)

Ignorance is not bliss and it is no defence. The people who crucified Jesus were ignorant because it suited their agendas. They were ignorant of what God’s Messiah would come to do and they were ignorant of God’s power to save.

But the criminal on the cross who cried to Jesus for help, had a majestic faith. He recognised his guilt before God, the kingship of Jesus, and the possibility of salvation for those who call out to him. For him, faith had dispelled all ignorance.

So, have you dealt with your ignorance? If not, why not look afresh at the gospels of Jesus to see if Jesus is indeed, Christ the King.

And if you believe he is, then let us as a church work to help others deal with their ignorance so they can join us in Paradise.

This Sunday – 23rd November 2025

“For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

(Revelation 7:17)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening reflection: What kind of King?
  • Key notices: Carol Singing at Care Homes
  • Coming Up: Advent Sunday, Meal and Magic Evening, Christmas Tree Festival, Christmas Baroque, Christmas Services at St. George’s
  • From the Wider Church: ACTS Update Evening
  • Interesting Blogs: Pascal’s Wager, The Homeless Man who moved in
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, access Safeguarding training

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Those of us who have recently done the Bible Course, or indeed read through the Old Testament, will have noticed that there are a lot of kings in scripture. Most of them are rubbish. They lead people away from God and are often oppressive and unjust. Even the best ones are murderous. Sadly, it is not difficult to think of world leaders today who are not much better.

This coming Sunday is called, ‘Christ the King’. So, what kind of king is Jesus? The verse above from Revelation beautifully encapsulates an answer to this question. In a wonderful play on imagery, it describes Jesus as both “lamb” and “shepherd”.

Jesus is “the lamb at the centre of the throne”. He is our ruler, but also the sacrificial victim, who died on the cross “to take away the sins of the world” (cf. John 1:36). Jesus does not rule for himself, but gave up everything for his subjects. He is the ultimate servant king, the true king of love, who has our interests close to his heart.

He is also our shepherd. ‘Shepherd’ was a common image in the ancient world for kings. They led the people as a shepherd leads his flocks. In this verse, however, in imagery echoing Psalm 23, we are told that Jesus as our shepherd king will lead us to springs of living water. His rule brings us life, a life where God will wipe every tear from our eyes.

Why not recommit to making Jesus the king of your life, accepting his sacrifice for your sins and allowing him to lead you to eternal life?

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Carol Singing at Care Homes

We are planning to go into a couple of local care homes to sing some Christmas Carols for the residents. If you can join us for these events, then please let Paul know:

  • Keele House, 2:30pm on Wednesday 10th December
  • Ramsgate Care Centre, 2:30pm on Monday 15th December

Coming Up:

Advent Sunday – 30th November

There will be a joint service for St. Luke’s and St. George’s at St. Luke’s Church at 11am on Advent Sunday, 30th November.

In the evening from 5pm at St. George’s Church, there will be Let there be Light event after the 4:30pm Ramsgate Light switch on. This is a free event with refreshments and entertainment (see fliers for more information). Last year we had over 500 attend. If you can offer to help steward then please let Paul know.

Meal and Magic Evening, Saturday 6th December, 7:00pm

The Men’s group will be hosting this fantastic event at St. Luke’s Hall. It will include a hot meal, a quiz and magic from Colin Hoult. This is open to everyone: children go free, adults only £5. See Bruce for more information, 07708 682464, bruce.stokes@btinternet.com .

Christmas Tree Festival

This will be running from 12th December at St. George’s. If anyone would like to decorate a Christmas Tree on behalf of St. Luke’s, then please let Paul know.

Christmas Baroque at St. George’s – 18th December, 7pm

The Baroque Collective warmly invites you to the fifth annual Christmas Baroque Concert at St George’s on 18 December at 7pm. Tickets: £13 in advance, £15 on the door; free admission for children under 16. Find out more and buy tickets.

Christmas Services at St. George’s

Carol Service – Sunday 21st December, 5:30pm (note earlier time than previous years)

Midnight Service – Christmas Eve, 24th, 11:30pm

From the Wider Church:

ACTS update evening

Join Active Christianity in Thanet Schools for their latest update evening on Monday 24th November, 7pm at St. Philip’s, Palm Bay.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Pascal’s Wager

Have you ever come across ‘Pascal’s Wager’? It is the argument by 17th century French mathematician and philosopher, that in view of all possible outcomes, you are best off betting on believing in God. The following video was recommended by someone on the Christianity Explored Course. Watch video (26 minutes).

The Homeless Man who moved in

Some of you may have heard of Rob Parsons, from Care for the Family, who has written a number of Christmas books. This article from the Metro is about what happened when he and his wife let a homeless man stay in their home. Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 23rd November – Christ the King

Eucharist – (St George’s, 9:30am), Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3.6-13

Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)

Youthwork Consultation (St. Luke’s Hall) – 12:30-2:00pm

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Monday 24th       

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 7:30-9:00pm

Tuesday 25th        

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 26th

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 27th         

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Christianity Explored (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 11:30am-1:00pm

Saturday 29th       

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Sunday 30th – Advent Sunday

Joint Service – (St Luke’s Church, 11:00am), Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

Christianity Explored Youth (13-18s) (St Luke’s Vicarage) – 5:00-6:30pm

Let There Be Light (St George’s Church) – 5:00-7:00pm

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. Luke’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. You can also listen to the sermon through the podcast website castbox.

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@churchramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s remember that our redeemer lives!

Yours in Christ,

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)