Advent Calendar – Day 7 – St George and St John, Newbury

Welcome to Advent…Day 7
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.

‘Annnunciation’ by John Hayward, gifted to St George’s Church

Music Suggestion

from Spotify

Six months after Zechariah and Elizabeth…
God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a young woman engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the girl’s name, Mary.

Upon entering her home, Gabriel greeted her: “Good morning! You are beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you”. She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.

But the angel assured her, “Mary, do not be afraid. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’

He will rule forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom.”

Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’m not even married.”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.”

“And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Nobody thought that could happen, yet here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.”

Then the angel left her.

A Poem – Annunciation by Denise Levertov
an excerpt…
Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked

a simple, “How can this be?”
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel’s reply,
perceiving instantly
the astounding ministry she was offered:

to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power – in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.

Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child needing,
like any other,
milk and love –

but who was God.

The full poem can be found here

Reflection and Blessing for you and your loved ones
Mary’s risk of saying ‘yes’ to God, opened a way for the world to be blessed and transformed. Can we find an inner ‘yes’ that may being Peace into a situation? How might God announce that to you?

You could tell those you love, how God brings ‘good tidings’ through them…
May the PEACE of God’s promise be always with you. Amen

The Food Bank

West Berks Foodbank Reverse Advent Calendar
Day 7 – christmas pudding

Advent Calendar – Day 7

St George the Martyr

St John the Evangelist

St Michael & All Angels