Last Sunday, we began the season of Advent with a reflection from Revd Tim Scott who encouraged us to light a candle of faith, especially when life is difficult.  

This Sunday, 8th December – the Second Sunday of Advent – we will light our second Advent candle as Revd Ola Franklin presides and leads and Revd Alan Moss preaches at 9am (Holy Communion) and again at 10.30am (Morning Worship). 

Advent is a time for us to renew our hope in Christ; we do this not as an escape from reality, but as an affirmation that ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5). Just as Jesus entered a tumultuous and violent world in humble circumstances, in Advent, we prepare our hearts to welcome him into our troubled world. 

We’ll have supervised children’s groups at this Sunday’s 10.30am service, with a Baby Lounge in the South Vestry at both services. For those unable to join us in person, we’ll livestream the 9am service to our Facebook page (facebook.com/StMarysE17). 

Take Home Christingle Sticks Available at St Mary’s this Sunday, 8th December 
Many thanks to those of you who have offered to help us put Christingle sweets on sticks at home and then bring them back to church. This is a huge help to those who will gather for Christingle-making in the church on 23rd December, as it gives us a head start on assembling Christingle oranges for our three Christmas Eve Christingle services. Take-home bags of sticks and sweets will be available at the back of church after both services this Sunday 8th December: if you’ve signed up to help with this, please pick your supplies up and bring your completed sticks back to church by Sunday 15th December; if you can’t complete your sticks by then but are still able to get them to us by 23rd December, do let us know by emailing Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

Ticket Holders: Please Arrive by 5.45pm for Orchestral Carols on 15th December 
Due to the popularity of Orchestral Carols – and the church’s reduced seating capacity since the completion of our renovation project – we’re ticketing this year’s 15th December Orchestral Carols service in order to prevent misunderstandings on the door. All advance tickets to Orchestral Carols have now been reserved; if you have booked a ticket, please be aware that we are encouraging all ticket holders to arrive by 5.45pm for a 6pm start, and that anyone who arrives after 6pm may have their ticket given away to someone else. There will be a limited number of walk-up tickets available on the door, however, we can’t guarantee entry. If you have any questions, contact Cameron at . 

21st December Quiet Christmas Service for Neurodiverse Children: Tickets Available 
In addition to Orchestral Carols, St Mary’s other ticketed service this December is our Quiet Christmas – specifically geared towards neurodiverse children and their families – on Saturday 21st December at 2.30pm. This service is ticketed to keep numbers low and create a positive experience for children who might find larger services overwhelming. A parent or carer must accompany each child but tickets are only needed for children. To book your child’s ticket, click here, or find the booking link at stmaryswalthamstow.org/christmas. 

Advent and Christmas 2024 at St Mary’s and in the Parish of Walthamstow  
In addition to our Sunday Advent services at 9am and 10.30am, we’ll have special services throughout December, including two evening carol services, community carols on The Drive and Attlee Terrace, three Christingle services on Christmas Eve, and a 10.30am Christmas Day service. For more details, visit: www.stmaryswalthamstow.org/christmas. 

Join St Mary’s Christmas Choir + Rehearsal Dates 
St Mary’s is putting a choir together for the beautiful Carols by Candlelight service – held on Sunday 22nd December at 6pm – and all are welcome to join. Rehearsals are on Friday 13th December and Friday 20th December, 7-8.30pm, with a 3.30pm rehearsal the day of the service. Those interested in joining the choir can hear music in advance by clicking here, or by emailing Musical Director Jonathan Rathbone at . 

Crochet/ Knitting Group Meeting on Saturday 7th December in Exhibition Space
St Mary’s has started a crochet and knitting group which has now met several times in our Exhibition Space in the church extension and has had a brilliant response. The group will meet again this Saturday 7th December, 10am-Noon. Bring wool, needles, crochet hooks and whatever you’re working on; if you’re a beginner, do let us know in advance so we can provide wool and crochet hooks! For details, email  . 

Final Service for Revd Alan Moss on 15th December + Worth Unlimited Donations 
Revd Alan Moss has been appointed Estates Youth Missional Lead for the Diocese of Chelmsford and his last official Sunday service at St Mary’s will be on 15th December. Some of Alan’s work in Walthamstow has involved creating stronger links with Worth Unlimited, a local Christian youth charity, and in lieu of financial leaving gifts, Alan has asked that we consider donating to Worth Unlimited as a way of thanking him for his ministry. Donations can be made via the tap-and-go donation boxes in church (select ‘Worth Unlimited’); by donating via our website (stmaryswalthasmtow.com/donate) and writing ‘Worth Unlimited’ in the notes; or by donating via the Worth Unlimited website (worthunlimited.co.uk/donate). 

Praying for and Giving to St Mary’s this Advent 
As St Mary’s continues to operate in a deficit budget in order to keep our ancient building open to all during the week, please pray for our clergy, staff team and PCC as we continue to try and work out the best way forward. If St Mary’s is your church, please consider this Advent whether you might give monthly by standing order if you don’t already. You can donate via the Parish Giving Scheme (which automatically allows us to reclaim Gift Aid) by going to parishgiving.org.uk and searching ‘St Mary’s Walthamstow’ on the ‘Find Your Parish’ page; you can also set up a standing order at stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate. 

Please pray this week for:

• The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and all efforts to stop oil and gas expansion 
• The many crises that threaten our world, from climate change to conflict in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, Sudan and elsewhere – for reconciliation and real leadership 
• The UK’s many problems, from pollution and low-paid work to substandard housing, underfunded services, poor health, economic inequality and crime 
• St Mary’s this Advent and Christmas: for our outreach and ministries  
• All of those in our church, parish and wider community who are unwell in any way 
• Those who are lonely and looking for connection and hope this Advent/ Christmas 
• Our Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe: for more volunteers, and for all who need its help 
• All who enter our buildings/ churchyard this Advent, that they would know God’s love 
• St Mary’s community and commercial partners, including Food Cycle, Ruttle & Rowe, the Welcome Garden, Community Payback and Worth Unlimited 
• Rest and support for those who are exhausted and shouldering heavy burdens 

Next Week in the Welcome Centre (9th-14th December) 

Monday 9th December 
Daphne & Friends (baby and child loss community), 10-11am 

Breathe into Balance: Stress-Relieving Breathing Workshop, 12.30-1.30pm (). 

Tuesday 10th December 
No community/ commercial hires in the Welcome Centre on Tuesday 10th December 

Wednesday 11th December  
HulaFit, 6.30-7.30pm 
Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe (free help with confusing paperwork), 10am-Noon

Thursday 12th December 
Baby Massage, 10.30am
FoodCycle (free community meal), 6.30pm 
The Singing Room, 7.30-9.30pm

Friday 13th December  
Candlelight Choir Rehearsal, 7-8.30pm 

Reflection: ‘Waiting for the Promise’ 
Revd Jacintha Danaswamy writes: 

As we marked the First Sunday in Advent last Sunday, we lit our first candle in our Advent wreath, watched the liturgical colours of the Church calendar change from green to purple, and reflected on this season of waiting for the light of Christ. As we sang the great Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, we were reminded of God coming, and God with us.  

The First Sunday of Advent, during which we often focus on the theme of hope, is also when we remember the patriarchs and matriarchs – those who came before us: the women and men, the founding mothers and fathers of our faith, who responded to God, trusted God and waited for his promises – people like Abraham, Sarah, Issac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. We remember them in Advent as we wait for the light of the world to come. 

In Women of the Nativity, Paula Gooder focuses on Sarah’s story on the First Sunday of Advent. She draws our attention to how long Sarah waited for God’s promise of a child and reflects on some of the doubts and frustrations she may have felt in the waiting, as well as on the general challenges and difficulties of waiting. The promise was fulfilled long after Sarah or Abraham thought it was possible – but it was fulfilled. When God promises her a son, she laughs: a laugh of joy that God has heard her prayers, but also a laugh that holds little doubt that after this long wait, and their advanced years, they will receive this promise.  

‘The laugh hovered for a moment and then travelled back down again, warming my heart as it went… so nine months later, when the midwives placed the tiny bundle of life in my arms, there was only one name for him: Isaac. It means laughter.’ 

Sarah’s beautiful laugh is filled with hope, the hope of God’s love, the reminder that God sees, hears, knows our pain, our struggles, and challenges, and that God cherishes and deeply loves each one of us.

I pray this week, in this season of Advent, as we wait together in the darkness for the light of the world – for Jesus’ birth at Christmas – we will remember our first Advent candle and be encouraged by Sarah’s hopeful waiting and joyful laughter.

Much love,

Jacintha