Advent - St Martin-in-the-Fields & Churches Together in Westminster

I will be preaching on Advent in the 10.00am Eucharist at St Martin-in-the-Fields tomorrow. Then I'll be leading the second in our Inspired to Follow Advent Course.

As part of our Advent preparations, we are running a new Inspired to Follow course exploring Advent Characters:

• 24 November - Elizabeth & Mary, Luke 1:35-49 / ‘The Visitation of the Virgin to Saint Elizabeth,’ Workshop of Goossen van der Weyden, about 1516.
• 1 December - Joseph, Matthew 1:18-25 & 2:13-15 / ‘‘The Dream of Saint Joseph,’ Philippe de Champaigne, 1642-3.
• 15 December - Zechariah & Elizabeth, Luke 1:57-71 / ‘The Naming of Saint John the Baptist,’ Barent Fabritius, probably 1650-5.
• 22 December – Herod, Matthew 2:1-12 & 16-17 / ‘The Massacre of the Innocents with Herod,’ Gerolamo Mocetto, about 1500-25

Like earlier Inspired to Follow sessions, these use fine art paintings from the National Gallery, along with Biblical story, theological reflection and conversation with others, as a way to explore big questions that we all wrestle with. ‘Inspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story’ is a free resource produced by St Martin-in-the-Fields in partnership with the National Gallery. The course uses fine art paintings in the National Gallery’s collection, along with a Biblical text and a short theological reflection. To access this free resource register your details here

Following the viewing of art in Inspired to Follow, we will be making art in an Advent Oasis (Sunday 1 December, 1.30-4.00pm, George Richards & Austen Williams Rooms).



This ‘Oasis’ time will include quiet scripture reflection, prayer and practical art. Art materials will be available for you to explore, play with colour and be creative through collage, painting, drawing or writing. All are very welcome.

The artists and craftspeople's group who are organising the Advent Oasis have also contributed images to the Advent Meditations booklet for St Martin's entitled Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord. This is a booklet to guide our meditations through the Advent season and is available from the Stewards on Sundays or from the Vergers during the week for a suggested donation of £3.00.

Our Advent Carol Service begins at 5.00pm when, in words and music we explore our Advent theme with the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The preacher is Revd Sally Hitchiner.

Churches Together in Westminster hold their Advent Service at 6.00pm at St James Piccadilly. The Light Shines in the Darkness has readings and music for Advent with Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir providing uplifting and inspirational songs. All followed by wine and refreshments.

Then we have Sacred Space for Advent at 7:00 pm at St Martin's. This is a reflective service using chants from the Taizé community focusing on the themes for Advent.

See Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir again at St Martin's on Sunday, 8 December at 6:30pm for
THE NIGHT WATCHMEN'S NATIVITY: HOW THE OUTSIDERS WERE WELCOMED IN. It's the Nativity story with a difference! And it's not just the catchy uplifting songs by Stevie Wonder and Jackie Wilson. It's the untold story of the outsiders at the heart of the Nativity: the low wage workers and rough sleepers watching the sheep, the Bethlehem night watchmen, the people God chose to reveal Jesus’s birth. The kind of people God finds it easier to talk with! The Night Watchmen's Nativity sees the birth of Christ through the eyes of the marginalised, using a mix of known and original contemporary gospel songs, secular as well as sacred, interspersed with spoken word and “sung scripture”.

Join Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Sunday 8th December 2019 at 6.30 pm for the premiere of The Night Watchmen’s Nativity. The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend!

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Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir - Oh Come Emmanuel.