Werrington Parish Church

Advent calendar Day 1

#AdventWord #Unexpected
“The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Advent reminds us that accountability (this is what the second coming represents) will be unexpected. It might be the cosmic intervention or it might just be the passing from this life into the next. Either way, the point is simple: Life is precious and short. Are we using the gift of time well? We should treat every second as an opportunity to grow, to forgive, to support someone in need, and to love.
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#Inesperado
“El Hijo del hombre vendrá cuando menos lo esperen." El Adviento nos recuerda que esa responsibilidad (eso es lo que significa la segunda venida) será inesperada. Pueda ser una intervención cósmica, o pueda ser solamente el pasar de esta vida a la próxima. En cualquier caso, el punto es sencillo: la vida es preciosa y corta. ¿Estamos usando el don del tiempo de manera responsable? Debemos de tratar cada segundo como oportunidad para crecer, perdonar, dar apoyo a los que necesitan, y amar.
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#Sanzatann
“Moun Bondye voye nan lachè a ap vini lè nou pa ta kwè." Tan Lavan an raple nou ke responsabilite pou nou rann kont de sa nou fè (se sa retou Jezi a represante) ap vini nan yon le ke nou pat atann. Li ka vini tankou yon gwo fenomèn natirèl oswa li ta ka jis yon pasaj soti nan lavi saa ale nan lòt lavi tou nèf la. Nenpòt fason sa fèt, ide a se senp: Lavi kout e li koute chè. Tan nou genyen, se yon kado, èske nou itilize kado sa a byen? Nou ta dwe konsidere chak segond tankou yon opòtinite pou nou grandi, padonnen moun, sipòte yon moun ki nan bezwen, epi renmen.

--The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, PhD ... See more

Look out for this year’s daily Advent message.

Come along this weekend and see our Christmas Tree Festival in St John's Church and Werrington Parish Village Centre. FREE to come along and FREE refreshments and Christmas Crafts in Werrington Parish Village Centre. All donations will go towards the upkeep of Werrington Parish Village Centre for the use of the church and the community. ... See more

TIME WASTED OR WELL SPENT?
Ephesians 5:16 "... making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

"In the 'Effective Father', Gordon MacDonald writes:

It is said of Boswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson, that he often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his mind, and he often reflected upon many things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell's father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader only found one sentence entered:
"Gone fishing today with my son--a day wasted."

Spending time investing in meaningful relationships is never a waste. On the other hand, it is a total waste of time to indulge in shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, faithless worrying, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, or hurtful resenting. Spending endless hours on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, shopping, or playing video games is a waste of time.
Back in the nineteenth century, Robert Murray McCheyne was mightily used in Scotland. His small rural church grew to 1,200 people. He sent out missionaries, mobilized others to help with the local poor, and wrote a daily Bible-reading plan. His impact was huge, and all accomplished by the time he was twenty-nine, when he died of typhus. When he was twenty years old, having wasted an evening, he penned these words in his journal, "My heart must break off from these things. What right have I to steal and abuse my Master's time? 'Redeem it', He is crying to me."
All people who live well use their time well. Will you choose to be one of them?

Lord God Almighty, with the limited time I have before me today, I choose to spend it well, for your glory. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Do you waste time or spend it well? Sometimes wasting time in God's presence is really time well spent because we draw closer to Him. Ask Jesus for guidance in your use of time today!!! ... See more

‪May your burdens be lifted by the strong arms of God, may you be shielded from harm by His loving embrace and may your fears be assuaged by His whispered Voice. In every moment of your life, as you sleep and as you wake, the God Who never slumbers is watching over you #niteblessing‬ ... See more

ACCEPTING OR EXCLUSIVE?
Luke 14:21 "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame."

"A jetlagged Tony Campolo was preaching in Hawaii but couldn't sleep so went to a cafe at 3 a.m. In walked a dozen prostitutes at the end of their night's work. He overheard one of them, Agnes, say it was her birthday the following day. "What do you want from me? A birthday cake?" was the sarcastic reply. "Why be so mean?" she replied, "I was just telling you. I don't expect anything. I've never had a birthday party." When they left, Campolo asked the owner, Harry, to make a cake and prepare a party. The following night, at 3 a.m. Campolo had brought decorations and Harry had baked a cake, and word had got out so the cafe was packed with almost every prostitute in Honolulu. When Agnes entered, she nearly fainted. She was overwhelmed. She nipped out for a moment and there was a stunned silence. So Campolo piped up, "What do you say we pray?" And they did. Campolo led a group of prostitutes in prayer at 3.30 a.m. When they were done, Harry said, "Hey! You never told me you were some kind of preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?" In a flash of inspiration, Campolo answered, "I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3.30 a.m." Harry thought for a moment and then sneered, "No you don't. There's no church like that. If there was, I'd join it. I'd join a church like that."
Wouldn't we all? Wouldn't we all love to join a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3.30 a.m.?! Jesus loved spending time with society's outcasts: the tax-collectors, prostitutes, "sinners". Pious people couldn't relate to him but those lonely folk who didn't usually get party invites were drawn to him.
Could you or your church do something crazy like that? Go for it!

Lord, help me invite and include everyone in your party. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Are you accepting like Jesus? Is your Church open to throwing a party for the outcast? Ask Jesus what He would have you do and then do it! Be spontaneous!!!! ... See more

ENCOURAGED OR DISCOURAGED?
2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17 "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

"An old legend tells how a man was once lost for days in a dark forest and stumbled across an imposing barn. He sought shelter inside it because of the howling winds. His eyes grew quickly accustomed to the dark and he was amazed to discover that this barn was where the devil kept his storehouse of seeds. These were the seeds that were sown in the hearts of humans. He lit a match and looked at all the different types of seeds. Most of them, surprisingly, were labelled "Seeds of Discouragement". Just then one of the devil's helpers arrived to pick up a new load of seeds. The man asked him, "Why so many discouragement seeds?" The helper laughed and replied, "Because they're so effective and they take root so quickly." "Do they grow everywhere?" the man asked, to which the helper suddenly grimaced back at him and said in disgust, "No. They never seem to grow in the heart of a grateful person."
It's simplistic to put down all our discouragements to a lack of gratitude, but gratitude has an undeniably powerful and positive effect on us when we're going through tricky times. The sages said that ingratitude was our most besetting sin, so they developed a good motto: "Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace."
Are you discouraged today? Is anything sapping your joy or dragging you down? Re-read the above verse, which encourages us to keep things in perspective. List all the positives in your life, the blessings you have, and be renewed in your spirit.

Lord, I choose today to take nothing for granted, to receive everything with gratitude, and to pass on everything with grace. Amen!"

'Choose Life 365 Readings for Radical Disciples' by Simon Guillebaud.
Do you choose today to take nothing for granted to receive everything with gratitude and to pass on everything with grace? Ask Jesus to help you see everything through His eyes and turn from discouragement to gratitude!!!! ... See more