To La Côte Church family and friends and visitors,
Dear *|FIRSTNAME|*
Advent – practicing the Art of Waiting
I find that waiting does not come naturally in a culture that encourages the opposite: instant communication (it’s even in the name Instagram!); information at our fingertips – as we tap in words linking us to the world-wide web of “data”; one button to press for goods to arrive within 24 hours.
Yet Advent encourages us to practice the art of waiting. There are areas in our lives where we understand the need to wait. We wait for plants to grow, dough to rise, seasons to come and go. We wait for exam marks, medical results, work placements, job opportunities, permits. We wait for healing, for trust to be restored, for hope to be rekindled, for babies to grow in the womb.
When we await something or someone, we relinquish some control and must yield to uncertainty. Advent encourages us to wait on God in hope, as we prepare to celebrate God’s coming to us in the birth of Jesus and God’s coming to us in fullness one day. Waiting on God when things are beyond our control can lead us into a deeper and richer dependency on God.
R.S. Thomas, in his poem, “Kneeling” sheds light on the fact that profound moments of our lives occur in the in-between times of waiting, when we learn to live in the present and find meaning in the waiting.
As we wait on God in prayer and expectation, we can pray to find meaning in our waiting, and renewed hope and trust in God’s steadfast love for us.
Loving God,
As we wait on you through this Advent season, open our eyes to see you coming to us each day, in the still and the storm of our waiting experiences.
Come Lord and open in us the gates of your Kingdom. Amen.  Advent Sunday starts on 27 November, launching us into four full weeks of Advent. Click here to think about how you can make the most of this rich Advent season.
Two more Advent options:
- The Meaning is in the Waiting, Paula Gooder
- An online, lyrical journey through Advent with Brian Draper: https://www.briandraper.org/advent-2022
Worship this week-end
Sunday 27 November – 1st Sunday in Advent
8.45 Divonne Early Said Eucharist
10.00 Divonne Morning Prayer with Sunday Club
16.00 Gingins Holy Communion
Coming up this Advent Sunday
We look forward to celebrating Advent Sunday – the beginning of four weeks leading up to Christmas.
Sunday club for children will be offered during the Morning Service in Divonne – we would like everyone to start in church and the children can leave after we have lit the Advent Wreath together.
Children are welcome for the afternoon service although there will not be a separate Sunday club this week in Gingins.
Covid-19
We are seeing an increase in cases of Covid-19, in our area.
If you are feeling unwell, we encourage you to rest at home and join us on-line for live streaming, when we are able to offer this.
PLEASE NOTE – If you are unable to attend one of our main services but would like Holy Communion or private prayer in person, please contact Revd Carolyn Cooke.
For any prayer requests for yourself or others, please contact Peta Tracey who will share in confidence with our Tuesday prayer group where we pray for the needs of our world and community.
Worship next week-end
Sunday 4 December – 2nd Sunday in Advent
10.00 Crassier Holy Communion  | 
