Not long now until Advent, and for those of us who thrive on advance planning (my Worship Planning Team and me) everything is already in hand unitl the end of 2010; in fact because we are forced to book a few months of stand-ins, we are well on the way as far as April 2011...!

This morning I am meeting with someone to plan out evening worship for Advent Sunday.  I know stir up Sunday is the one before Advent Sunday, and I know it's all a bit of nonsense really, but I am hoping that Christmas puddings will find their way in to what we do that day.

I always enjoy Advent with its sense of anticipation and the challenge of restoring the magic and mystery for adults jaded by umpteen decades of the same old same old.  Being forced to step back a bit this year, to trim it back to basics, isn't easy but it does make me ask myself what really matters.  What is it that stirs us up again to live out our faith in a world of brokenness? The BCP collect prayer for stir up Sunday says

Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I hope that as we meet this morning to plan our act of worship we will find the stirrings of God's Spirit, enabling us to help others prepare themselves for the journey of Advent.