I have just been talking to a friend who said she was hoping to go away for the weekend. Her husband has decided to cancel their journey because he is anxious about the bad weather forecast. ‘The trouble is,’ she said ‘he is such a home bird I don’t think he wanted to go anyway – he likes to stay at home with his slippers!’

Advent begins this Sunday, 27^th November, and I have been thinking about journeys. Our Travelling Crib will begin its journey round the village on Sunday, after the Family Eucharist. Wherever it goes, it will be welcomed ‘in the name of the One who is to come and in the name of all who search for truth.’ It is a lovely custom; it was started in Mexico as real people in each village travelled round to see who would give them welcome. So Mary and Joseph travel round this parish – and as they do, they remind us of our Advent journey.

Advent is a time of assessing where we are in our Christian life – and where we need to be if we are ready to greet our Lord. For Advent should be a time when we prepare ourselves not only for the coming of the baby Jesus at Christmas, but also for the second coming of our Lord at the End Time.

The temptation is to delay the journey – and we look for all sorts of excuses – time, other pressing engagements, fear of what might happen if we begin and can’t find an easy route out, we are all right as we are – the list is endless. The reality, however, is that we may be like my friend’s husband, too set in our comfortable ways to risk what may be a costly shake up in the way we are asked by God to live our lives.

Mary set out on her Advent journey waiting for the birth of God’s Son, without hesitation – our journey is easy in comparison. As we welcome the travelling crib into our homes this Advent, so we need to work out what God is really asking of us in making Christ welcome at the centre of our lives. May we be equal to the task!

Yours in Christ

Jo Spray

the homeless and hungry

all prisoners and refugees

the people of the Holy Land – and peace in the Middle East.

Turvey Mysteries.

Don’t forget! When the Christmas lights have all gone and the last of the turkey eaten up, there is light along the dark tunnel of winter! Turvey Mystery Plays are to be performed in Church on 13^th & 14^th January. The music is superb and the plays both very funny and rather rude as well as being thought provoking. We look forward to seeing you there. Tickets from either shop or from the Rectory.

The Christingle Service in aid of the Children’s Society will take place on Sunday 12^th December at 11.00am. We have not had collecting boxes this year so we do hope you will be able to give generously to the collection for this worthy cause. Details of the other Christmas Services are given overleaf.

The November coffee morning at Barton Homes raised £260 towards church funds. Grateful thanks to everyone who helped with and supported a very enjoyable and successful event. There is no coffee morning in December because of the Christmas Fair, but they will resume on 14^th January. Details will be announced later.

The church will be decorated for Christmas on Thursday 22^nd December and the afternoon of Friday 23rd December. If you would like to help decorate please let Anne Claypole White (881661) know. We would be grateful for contributions of holly, ivy (especially variegated) and any other Christmas foliage. These could be brought to the church before the 22^nd. Thank you.

We omitted to say, in the last newsletter, that the Harvest Workshop raised £20 for Christian Aid. Many thanks to Sarah Beecham and all concerned.

If you would you like this newsletter delivered to your home address, within Turvey, please call Matthew Beecham on 881180.

Carol Singing

Members of the choir will, as usual, be singing carols around the village before Christmas to raise funds for the Children’s Society. This year, weather permitting, it will be the evenings of 19^th and 21^st December. If you would like to help – by singing or collecting – please contact David Nightingale, 881453.

Rob and I would like to wish you all a very peaceful and joyful Christmas.

Jo Spray