So here’s what we bought as a church – together – through World Vision’s “Gifts of Hope” program.
All the info about this initiative can be found at:
https://worldvision.org.nz/Catalogue/GiftsOfHope/
Business Loan x 4
Dairy Goats + Training x 8
Chickens x 3
Water Maintenance + Filters x 1
Pump x 1
Thanks team!
Beautiful.
Hi everyone
As I write this the weather forecast for our little corner of Germany is letting us know about all the snow we can expect this weekend, so we may even have a white Christmas. The big change for us in the last three months is the addition of our little Lucy to the Todd clan. She’s now almost three months old and doing all kinds of cute things. Of course there’s no question that’s she’s the cutest baby in the entire world, and we’re sure she’s got music in the blood. We’re doing well. I (Wayne) have some private music students (mostly singing lessons) and I’m planning on doing some worship seminars next year.
The Christmas tree is up and decorated much to the German’s surprise – they don’t decorate theirs until December 24 which is when they have their big celebration. Needless to say we’re doing a kiwi style Christmas at our place. We’d like to wish everyone at Edge a wonderful Christmas and many blessings for the new year.
Love from Wayne, Kylie and Lucy.
The Virgin birth is more, much more than a Christmas story; it is a picture of how close Christ will come to you.
The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world?
Look deep within Mary for an answer.
Better still, look deep within yourself.
What he did with mary, he offers to us.
He issues a Mary level invitation to all his children.
‘If you let me, I’ll move in!”
-Max Lucado, ‘Next Door Saviour’ 2003
Advent is a season of Waiting, a hopeful expectation of something new to come.
Some of our hopes and dreams are our own to hold onto, things that perhaps others will not nurture or appreciate the way we will.
Others come with an excited announcement, and command the attention of the family or the community.
A pregnancy for example.
The good news can be contained for a brief few weeks by the expectant parents, but before long it manages to find a way into the ears and hearts of friends and loved ones.
And the expectant parents then wait for the arrival assisted by the anticipation and excitement of the extended family.
Mary contained her news briefly, but before long had to share it with another who could identify and understand her joy. Her cousin Elizabeth was also overwhelmed with this same sense of life as she was six months into a pregnancy that was conceived out of barrenness.
So they waited together and wrote songs about the coming event.
Advent is a season where we gather with friends, families and a community who shares the same hope. We tell stories of the coming king, we celebrate and exchange gifts.
We wait together.
We have entered the season of Advent which marks the official New Year of the Christian Church. Advent, from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ means Arrival or Approach, and is the season in our church calendar where we anticipate and celebrate the coming of Christ. Advent is a short season, embracing the four weeks leading up to Christmas.
The Church’s Liturgical Calendar helps us stay in step with the life of Jesus, and during this time engages us with a different rhythm than our usual frenzied pace. It offers us sacred moments of time to reflect on the coming of Jesus, and with that a sense of hopeful expectation.
Advent is also referred to as ‘Little Lent’, the significance being that Advent mixes joy and hope with a sense of awe and trepidation as it prepares us for Christ’s birth at Christmas, as well as His second coming in the future.
The first of four Advent readings takes in the narrative of the Annunciation , found in Luke 1 v 26 – 38 where the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to announce to her the arrival of the Messiah, of whom she is to be the Mother! This may read as a simple story, but when considered in the light of the fact that she was a virgin, being pregnant outside of
marriage in that culture would have seen her cast out of community, even put to death.
How would she have reacted to this ‘good news’. Possibly a mixture of both fear and wonder, yet in her words,
‘I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say’.
How do we respond to the arrival of Jesus into our lives today?
As we approach the festivities of Christmas, and the pace that life demands, let’s continue to take some sacred moments to reflect on the true meaning of this Season.
Anunciation- Colin McCahon
