Advent Sunday 2025 St Andrews Milngavie
Feast of St Andrew – Patronal Festival
Today we celebrated Advent Sunday, which marks the beginning of a new church year and our preparations for the celebration of the birth of Christ.
We also celebrated St Andrew’s Day our Patron Saint.
This evening everyone is invited to join All Saints for their Advent Carol Service – 5pm
Advent Study Group will begin this Tuesday All Saints Hall 2pm ( 2nd 9th 16th December). We shall be using the book “Advent in Narnia” by Heidi Haverkamp. All very welcome
Sunday 14th December 4pm St Jospeh’s Church – Milngavie Choir Christmas Concert – please do come and support – tickets available at the door
Thursday 18th December 5-7.00PM All Saints Musical Soiree with Sarah Green and friends – Cello, piano and soprano. Mulled wine and mince pies included. £10
This Week
Tuesday 10am – Prayer Group in the Garden Room
2pm – the Advent Group All Saints Hall
Thursday 10am – Said Holy Communion followed by coffee in Friendship House.
Readings for next Sunday – 2nd Sunday of Advent – Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12
Today’s readings – Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44
“The light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it” John 1:5
Every year on Advent Sunday churches through the country will hold special services to mark the beginning of Advent focusing on the central theme of “from darkness to light”
The services start in darkness and in the context of beautiful liturgy, music and singing gradually more light is introduced until the churches are filled with light. The experience is profound and spiritually very inspiring.
At its core Advent is about waiting and preparing for this great light that is about to come into the world. In other words, we prepare to welcome the Christ child – the light that “the darkness does not overcome.”
And the world needs this light!
Throughout history and throughout the centuries humanity has been no stranger to difficult times through plagues, war and famine. There have endless been times of despair and hopelessness. But into this chaos came a child, God incarnate, who brought light to this world. He grew up to teach a message of love and forgiveness. He brought hope to the many who crowded round him to hear his words of encouragement.
He even overcame death – our ultimate fear – to bring eternal salvation to us – that light that the darkness does not overcome.
One of the best things about Christmas and advent I think is the hymns. The writer of “O little town of Bethlehem” tells the Christmas story, but it also applies to our present lives in a very moving way with the familiar words
“How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So, God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still
The dear Christ enters in.”
“No ear may hear his coming”. Inviting Christ into our lives need not be a dramatic incident like St Paul’s encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, often it is in the routine, the mundane and even the suffering that we meet Christ and often we may not even recognise him. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the righteous, who are to inherit eternal life are unaware that Christ has visited them and that they have received him.
“Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?…….”
The king replied, “I’ll tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:44-45
We meet Christ in others and often when we are least expecting it.
So, this Advent may we be alert to Christ’s presence in our lives and allow his transforming love to dwell in our hearts and souls bringing hope and salvation to us, our communities and our world. It was on this subject that Paul urgently appealed to the Romans as we heard this morning in the epistle. These words can still speak to us today.
“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” Romans 13:11-12
Today, as well as Advent Sunday, we also celebrate our patronal festival, the feast of St Andrew.
Andrew, one of the apostles, who perhaps had been part of the crowds, and had heard extraordinary things about Jesus before he met him. Then astonishingly, when he does meet Jesus face to face, Jesus calls him to follow, and he did just that. We have much to thank him for.
It is the apostles who were responsible for beginning the early church, for proclaiming the gospel to those first Christians who in turn passed on the Word, the Good News, and so keeping the light of Christ glowing throughout the centuries. Years and years when people through thick and thin have so needed to know the presence of Christ in their lives and the light that he brings to us.
The hope in the darkness.
On this Advent Sunday we give thanks to God that he came amongst us as the person of Christ to bring light to our world – to lighten our darkness.
We also give thanks for Saint Andrew and all the early evangelists who were responsible for keeping that light burning in our hearts and our souls through the centuries.
And we pray for the life of our church here, dedicated to Saint Andrew.
For each other and the part we are all called to play in keeping this great light aflame, so bringing hope to communities and our world today.
Amen