Advent Calendar – Day 19 – St George and St John, Newbury

Welcome to Advent…Day 19
These short meditations can be done alone, with a partner, or with the whole family.
My suggestion is evening time; light a candle, play the music suggested below,
Have a little treat, it’s an Advent Calendar, after all!
(Maybe hide some chocolate around the house each day, or hang it from the ceiling?)
And read the material aloud together…
There’s quite a lot here. You dont need to do it all; either follow the story and the blessings, or simply enjoy the poems.
Make it a special moment, ten minutes of togetherness in this busy season.

Christmas Table Decorations, by Doris Collof, St John’s

Music Suggestion

from Spotify playlist ‘Advent Meditations’

Three Magi see a new star
For younger families,
King Herod met with the three Kings. He told them to find the child, and to let him know so that he could also go and worship him, (this was a lie of course).

The three scholars folowed the star again and found it hovering above the place of the child. They were so excited – they’d found him!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

For older readers

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

A Poem – Journey of the Magi by TS Eliot

an excerpt…
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

You can the full poem here.

Reflection and Blessing for you and your loved ones
TS Eliot’s poem about the Magi, tells of the arduous and life changing journey undertaken. There are many times they think back to the comforts of home, and wonder why and what they have come for.. but as they journey along small signs are given, a running stream (the water of life), a mill beating the darkness, and maybe most telling, three trees on the horizon – a foreshadowing of Easter.
The magi finally discover a sight which changed them forever, nothing would ever be the same… but in a sense, nothing ‘extraodinary’ – only ‘satisfactory’. The wonder and the awe, it seems, is in the journey.

Holy God, the star led the magi to a place of worship, help us to discover you in the most surprising of places.
May the JOY that bought wise men to their knees captivate our hearts too. Amen

The Food Bank

West Berks Foodbank Reverse Advent Calendar
Day 19 – stuffing mix

Please note – the Food Bank have requested that all food donations come to them by the 18th December.
The full list is on the link above.

Advent Calendar – Day 19

St George the Martyr

St John the Evangelist

St Michael & All Angels