Christmas preparations

Health advice at the Manna Centre

Today is Advent Sunday, the Church’s new year, when we begin to prepare ourselves for Christmas. But don’t worry you do not need to rush home to update the Christmas card list or book the Turkey delivery quite yet.

Instead, what we are encouraged to do during this period is to prepare ourselves spiritually. Indeed Advent is to Christmas, what Lent is to Easter. It is a time of reflection, repentance and preparation for the coming of Christ. Over these next few weeks our readings will tell us of those who longed for the Messiah and we will pray and sing of our desire that ‘the heavens may drop down from above and the skies pour down righteousness’.

Another of our Advent traditions here at St Stephen’s is to support the homelessness appeal of Churches Together in Dulwich. Last year this raised over £6,000 for projects across the Borough and this year many of them are reporting more and more clients coming through their doors.

This year we will have a special collection at our Carol service but you can also place a donation in an envelope marked Advent Appeal on any of the coming Sundays and put it in the collection plate.

There could be few better ways to prepare ourselves to greet a child who was born in a manger and who grew-up to be an adult who had nowhere to lay his head.