From P. J.: Scripture helps us defend our faith. The apostle Peter instructs believers to be ready with an answer for our hope and faith in Jesus. Scripture also helps form our character. Paul makes it clear that the Word of God is alive, active, and pierces our souls. And since God’s Word is so powerful, we should commit some passages to heart so God can work in and through us
December 1st – Psalm 27:4. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in the Lord’s temple
Here is a message I missed from 3 weeks ago: “The Boys’ Brigade raised £197.00 at their Coffee Morning and Lunch last Saturday and would like to thank everyone for their support”.
This week’s Kingswood Foodbank needs are tinned tomatoes, vegetables, meat and potatoes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate bars (for lunchboxes), pasta and curry sauces, coffee, sugar, washing powder, toilet rolls and washing up liquid, Thank you very much.
Carols in Kingswood Park with songs and carols from Beacon Rise Primary School Choir, St George’s Choir and the Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir. The event takes place on the bandstand from 4.30pm on Sunday 7th December. Please wrap up warm and bring a torch! If the weather is forecast to be very cold, wet or windy then the concert will be held in Holy Trinity Church.
Or here is Christmas Carols by Candlelight at the New Room, 6 to 7 pm, on Tuesday 9th December. Admission £6 on the door or £5 in advance.
Also at the New Room, your last chance to see the exhibition “Leadership on a Journey”. This celebrates the rich diversity within the Methodist Church, shedding light on stories that are often overlooked and highlighting an inclusive vision of leadership. On loan from Wesley’s Chapel and the Museum of Methodism in London, the display explores the history of diversity in the Methodist Church, including narratives of migration to Britain and a focus on the varied and vibrant nature of Methodist leadership in Britain today. The exhibition ends on 24th December.
As part of its Christmas offering, the New Room is also hosting a Cards for Good Causes pop-up shop open Monday to Saturday until 17 December from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Visitors can browse a wide selection of Christmas cards, gift tags and wrapping paper, with proceeds supporting a variety of UK charities. The initiative aligns with the chapel’s long-standing commitment to social good and community service.
The idea of celebrating in December with special songs has been around for many hundreds of years - even before Jesus was born. But of course they didn't call them Christmas carols back then, because Christmas didn't exist! In Roman times, when it was dark and cold, people used to cheer themselves up with a winter festival called the Saturnalia. It was a long, noisy party, with lots of wild dancing and singing.
Lectionary 30th November to 6th December. Isaiah 2.1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13.11-14; Matthew 24.36-44. Come, Jesus, and put the world to rights. The prophet Isaiah describes a vision of the mountain of the Lord, to which the peoples of the world flock to find wisdom and guidance. It is a picture of a world of peace, where nations will no longer engage in war and God will bring justice. There will be no need for swords, which will be turned into farm implements. God’s people are to walk in the light of the Lord. We may think we are always right, and the opposing side is always wrong. When we judge, it is rarely positive. But there is a better, more tolerant, kinder way to live with one another. On the first Sunday in Advent, thinks about how we can be less judgemental and how to fight for justice and peace as we await Jesus, the one who will put the world to rights.
The purpose of Kingswood Methodist Church is to respond to God's Love in Christ and to live out that love in God's world.