St Andrew

  30^th November

And [Jesus] said to them,
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 4 v 19

Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said
and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him,

We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

John 1: 40 - 42a

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without 
someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those 
who preach the good news!”

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10: 13 – 15, 17

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Apostle &

Patron Saint of Scotland

St Andrew was originally one of the disciples of St John the Baptist;

John 1: 36 tells of St John pointing Jesus out to his disciples as he passed,
describing him as “the Lamb of God.” Then St Andrew, along

with another disciple, left him and followed Jesus.

Though St Andrew was not a member of the 'inner circle' (i.e. Peter, James and John),
nor described as a leader among the disciples, he nevertheless appears prominently in several
recorded incidents, namely: his immediate response to Jesus' call to follow him,
and the subsequent fetching of his brother Simon Peter;

and the part he played in the parable of the feeding of the five thousand,
when he brought the boy with the five loaves and two fishes to Jesus.

It is said that St Andrew was killed by being fastened to an X-shaped cross,

where he suffered death at the hands of angry pagans.

Activities:

Sing 'For Those in Peril On the Seas'; pray for fishermen

Advent Sunday

4th Sunday before Christmas

“The night is far gone, the day is near.

Let us then lay aside the works of darkness

and put on the armour of light...”

Romans 13 v 12

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9: 2 – 6

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The Patriarchs 

Advent, from the word 'adventus' in Latin, meaning 'coming', is the season of preparation for Christmas.

At this time the Church anticipates the coming of Christ into the world;

this involves both looking back and remembering his

Nativity at Bethlehem, and also looking forward to the Second Coming,

when Christ shall come to judge 'the quick and the dead.'

As Christians prepare themselves for Christmas, they remember first their

old state of sin and darkness from which Christ has saved them.

On the first Sunday in Advent, we can take time

to look back at the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.

These great people of faith were given promises by God,

and they believed in them and lived by them, even though God

often didn't bring those promises to fruition for many, many years,

or even in their lifetimes.

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made

you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will

make nations of you, and kings will come from you.”

Genesis 17: 4 - 6

The Collect for the Day

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,

and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life,

in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;

That in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty

to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal,

through him who liveth and reigneth

with thee and the Holy Ghost,

now and ever.

Amen

 Activities: 

Make an Advent wreath; make an Advent calendar