This morning the good people of the Gathering Place were finally permitted to open the mysterious brown boxes that had been sent to them by post.

Inside was, to all intents and purposes, an Advent Calendar with a difference... a Bag of Blessings, with something for each day up to and including Christmas Day.

This morning we prayed for the courage to hope, thought about the interconnectedness of faith and hope, and gave thanks for the little shoots of new growth that are the signs of God's inbreaking kingdom.

Over the coming days, look out for more objects from the bags!

Advent, we tell ourselves, is a journey.

Advent, we remind oursleves, shares its etymology with 'adventure', something we tend to think of as exciting and daring.

Advent, the scholars tell us is a word that means 'coming'

All of these are true... it is an exiciting and daring journey of hearts and minds as we seek the one who has come, who is coming, and who will come.

And so it is a season characterised by hope.

Not hope as wishful thinking, that 'it would be really nice if...'

Not hope as 'if only...'

But hope as chosen trust in the promises of God that will see all creation renewed.

Hope Street, then, a road that we follow on our way to Bethlehem.

Will you join the journey?