Dear Friends<\/p>\n
Advent has arrived!\u00a0 Christmas trees are already appearing in windows and thoughts are turning to who\u2019s coming and what there will be to eat and how everyone will be entertained over the festive period \u2013 so many things to think about and prepare for!\u00a0 How will we ever manage it all?<\/p>\n
But how do we as Christians prepare for the greatest gift of all \u2013 Jesus Christ?<\/p>\n
Once again our thoughts turn to Sunday School parties, Christmas Lunch, preparation for the various Services \u2013 how will we manage it all on top of the preparations for Christmas at home?<\/span><\/p>\n Maybe we should try slowing down so we can think about what\u2019s really important at this time of year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not easy but our hearts and spirits need to be reminded of the One who came among us as a baby, a baby born into poverty but also into love.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 parents loved Him with every ounce of their being but they also knew He had come with a purpose which was to serve us all and die on a Cross so we might know what true forgiveness is, so we might really believe the promises made for our future.<\/span><\/p>\n Last week we came to the end of the E100 series through the readings from the Book of Revelation and the final picture we are left with is the New Jerusalem, a place waiting for God\u2019s final Word through which all that is now will be changed forever into a new heaven and a new earth, where we will worship Him forever, live perfectly and know what the love of our Lord God Almighty truly feels like.<\/p>\n So as we unwrap our gifts this Christmas, share our homes, come to the Services, let us remember that through a baby there is new hope for our future, a gift beyond worth waiting for us in the New Jerusalem and let us enter the New Year with the expectation of great things for our future together in Clincarthill.<\/span><\/p>\n Graham and I wish you every blessing in this Advent and Christmas Season and thank you for your support and encouragement over these last few months, and may God encourage us all to hear and see His presence in all that lies ahead.<\/p>\n Blessings and love\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joan & Graham<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Friends Advent has arrived!\u00a0 Christmas trees are already appearing in windows and thoughts are turning to who\u2019s coming and what there will be to eat and how everyone will…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8z2vw-8F","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4055,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/lenten-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":0},"title":"Lenten Reflections","author":"admin","date":"24 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We are now in the period of 'Lent', which is what we call the 40 days leading up to Easter. As we prepare to journey with Christ through this period of lent, the Church's Worship and Christian Growth team are providing weekly scripture reflections to help you meditate upon the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lent-Graphic-3.jpg?fit=1063%2C728&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lent-Graphic-3.jpg?fit=1063%2C728&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lent-Graphic-3.jpg?fit=1063%2C728&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lent-Graphic-3.jpg?fit=1063%2C728&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Lent-Graphic-3.jpg?fit=1063%2C728&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3826,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/reflections-for-lent\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":1},"title":"Reflections for Lent","author":"admin","date":"26 February 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2018Lent\u2019 is the six week period leading up to Easter (similar to \u2018advent\u2019 being the build up to Christmas). While advent is a celebration and a time of great anticipation, Lent is more often seen as a time of serious preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Lenten-Reflections-graphic-1.jpg?fit=783%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Lenten-Reflections-graphic-1.jpg?fit=783%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Lenten-Reflections-graphic-1.jpg?fit=783%2C783&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Lenten-Reflections-graphic-1.jpg?fit=783%2C783&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3196,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/holyweek2021-holy-wednesday-jesus-is-anointed\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":2},"title":"#HolyWeek2021 – Holy Wednesday: Jesus Is Anointed","author":"Stuart Love","date":"31 March 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Clincarthill Parish Church Holy Week Reflections. My name is Isabel. Today is Holy Wednesday, and we reflect on the theme of \u201cJesus is Anointed\u201d. We read about this in the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 14: 1Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflections"","block_context":{"text":"Reflections","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jesus-Anointed.jpg?fit=798%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jesus-Anointed.jpg?fit=798%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jesus-Anointed.jpg?fit=798%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jesus-Anointed.jpg?fit=798%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1805,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-april-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":3},"title":"Minister’s Letter – April 2018","author":"Stuart Love","date":"2 April 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20: 30-31 NIVUK)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2245,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-june-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":4},"title":"Minister’s Letter – June 2019","author":"admin","date":"10 June 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2018Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.\u2019 But he replied, \u2018Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.\u2019\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Minister's Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Minister's Letters","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/ministers-letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":703,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/message-from-our-locum-joan-kilpatrick-nov-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":537,"position":5},"title":"Message from our Locum \u2013 Joan Kilpatrick \u2013 Nov 2015","author":"admin","date":"1 November 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Friends Some bright spark reminded me recently that we\u2019re heading rapidly towards Christmas!!\u00a0 The truth is Christmas cards have been in the shops for a couple of months at least, gifts are appearing, schools are working towards their Nativity Plays and we\u2019re beginning to plan for the Church Services,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=537"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":544,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537\/revisions\/544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}