Bowland Benefice
Pews News 3 December 2023
Advent Sunday!

Hark! A herald voice is calling:
‘Christ is nigh!’ it seems to say.

Collect
Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the
light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This week in the Benefice
Sunday
3 December

10.30am Christingle Service
in Upton Snodsbury
11.00am Holy Communion in
Peopleton
6.00pm Advent Carol
Service in White
Ladies Aston

Friday
8 December

6.00pm The Nativity at The
Crown, Peopleton

Saturday
9 December

10.30am
to 4.00pm

Christmas Tree
Festival in Upton
Snodsbury

Sunday
10 December
Advent 2

10.30am Holy Communion in
Upton Snodsbury

2.00pm
to 4.00pm

Christmas Tree
Festival continues in
Upton Snodsbury
10.30am Christingle Service
in White Ladies
Aston
3.00pm Carol Service in
Churchill
4.00pm Christingle Service
in Peopleton

A thank you

Thank you to everyone who contributed bedding,
toiletries etc to St Paul’s Hostel last weekend. It has all
been safely delivered and will be put to very good use.
Advent and Christmas can be difficult for people. If
you feel a chat with Revd Claire would help, please

ring her on 07921 101320.
Hope for today

We look forward to the time when the power of love
will replace the love of power.
Then our world will know the blessings of peace.
(William Gladstone 1809-1898)

Thank you to everyone who contributed bedding,
toiletries etc to St Paul’s Hostel last weekend. It has all
been safely delivered and will be put to very good use

at the Hostel. Gill Creed
and…….A plea

Please don’t forget the needs of the two local Food
Banks too. Festive items and basic foods can be
donated by leaving in the box in Peopleton Church, at
The Pantry, Peopleton and in the boxes in most
supermarkets. Many thanks.
A bit about Advent

The word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus,
meaning coming. During the 4 th and 5 th century it
was a season of preparation for the baptism of new
Christians at the Festival of Epiphany.
40 days were spent in penance, prayer and fasting.
By the 6 th century Advent was tied to the ‘coming’
of Christ – his second coming in the clouds as judge

of the world.

During the Middle Ages Advent became linked to
Christmas. Nowadays there are 4 Sundays in
Advent, balancing elements of remembrance and
anticipation. The first 2 Sundays look forward to
Christ’s second coming and the last 2 look
backwards to remember Jesus’s first coming as a
baby in the manger in Bethlehem.
It is difficult to keep in mind, during the hustle and
bustle and stress of December, that Advent is
intended to be a season of fasting, and reflection
on all the evil in the world - and there is certainly
enough of that at the moment. - A time to cry out
for God to make things right and to put death’s

dark shadows to flight.

A time to look at our own lives and where we have
gone wrong; a time of contemplation on our need
for God’s grace and healing touch.
O come Thou Day-Spring Come and cheer
Our spirits by thy Advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Please support Revd Claire, the congregation of St
John the Baptist and the White Ladies Aston
Singers on Sunday at 6.00pm as they prepare for a
new and exciting service for Advent – an Advent
Carol Service with wonderful strong and dark
Advent music and hymns and the Old Testament
readings preparing us for Advent. Please do go
along. You will be made very welcome!
Next Friday 8 December please again venture out
for 6.00pm, this time to The Crown in Peopleton
where a group of people, led by Revd Claire will re-
enact the Christmas Nativity Story. Then warm up

in the pub afterwards!