Advent - Joy 

I am not the most ebullient chap in the world. I think I spend most of the year in tension between – on the one hand – trying to present as a grown up who has totally got everything together, whilst on the other hand appreciating the need to take a child-like enjoyment in the everyday occurrences life sends our way. More truthfully, I spend my time getting annoyed at how other people seem to be taking such pleasure in things I have no interest in… Game of Thrones anyone!? Surely nobody actually likes Game of Thrones!? Or equally I feel like a complete odd-ball for taking such pleasure in things other people have no interest in… Inside No.9 anyone!? Surely I am not the only person the BBC keeps commissioning this fantastic show for, but I am yet to meet another soul who has seen it (which somehow includes my wife despite us having only one television between us).
 
I digress. The point is that Christmas is the only time of year I truly allow myself to embrace the fact it is acceptable for others to be excitable, and by definition I can relax safe in the knowledge other folks will find it acceptable that I am in turn excitable. 
 
This makes the whole dance much easier, and I become liberated to outwardly express my festive enthusiasm – which I choose to do by wearing my (only) Christmas jumper on two, possibly three, occasions: Christmas board games night (I was the only one in Christmas attire last year); Christmas Day; and Boxing Day (as long as I haven’t spilled gravy down my front during Christmas lunch). So if we’re being honest, we’re looking at two outings for the Christmas jumper in a normal year. I jest.
 
Christmas has a wonderful capacity to bring together families, friends, and communities*, and this is something I really do love to embrace. Enjoying time with family and friends becomes a central focus of the whole month and beyond. And, whilst there are many excesses associated with Christmas in the 21st Century, I allow myself to take great pleasure in eating and drinking with others – I agree with Tim Chester who writes:
 
Few acts are more expressive of companionship than the shared meal… Someone with whom we share food is likely to be our friend, or well on the way to becoming one. – p10, A Meal with Jesus**
 
This aspect of Advent is a real blessing to enjoy. However, is this ‘peak joy’ for a follower of Jesus?
 
And now the star, which they had seen in the east, went in front of them as they travelled until at last it shone immediately above the place where the little child lay. The sight of the star filled them with indescribable joy. 
– Matthew 2:9-10
 
Oh to be filled with indescribable joy over this festive period! 
 
But hang on a minute. What did the magi find so joyful about finding the ‘little child’? They weren’t blessed with the 20:20 hindsight we’ve got… all they had to rely on were ancient scrolls with weird and wonderful, delicately recorded prophecies – Old Testament prophecies like:
 
…the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:
 
“‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
    for the Lord is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!’
 
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.
– Jeremiah 33:11
 
Aha. Joy. Yes. I see. This particular prophecy speaks of a wedding – not something typically associated with Christmas, but an occasion where joy abounds. The Hebrew word for joy is ‘simcha’ (????????) – the phrase ‘simcha sason’ (???????? ????????) is a customary blessing for a newly-married Jewish bride and groom, and comes from the above passage in Jeremiah. So maybe, just maybe, those wise men were excited because they knew there was a wedding to look forward to.
 
So why should we be joyful this festive period? Is it because of the gifts? In a way. Is it because of the Christmas jumpers? Depends. Is it because of the time with loved ones? Certainly. But more than anything else, just like those magi two thousand years ago, we have joy at this time of year because we are reminded that we have a wedding to look forward to.
 
Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:
 
“Let us be glad and rejoice…
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and his bride has prepared herself.”
– Revelation 19:6
 
*unfortunately it is a time that can also bring with it lots of sadness and pain for a great deal of people.
** if you want to be challenged by what Jesus’ Christmas dinner guest list might look like, I encourage you to read this book.
 
References
https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons/advent
https://hebrew.jerusalemprayerteam.org/joy/

- Joshua Harding-Jones

 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 


We know meeting someone for the first time can be intimidating and going to a new church for the first time can be nerveracking. We want to help make your first experience at Bethel a great one.

Where and When

We meet at the Chapel (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am.
For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early.  As we don't have our own car park, you will have to find a spot in one of the many public car parks around town.  Don't worry, there is always loads of parking as it's Sunday morning and its.a very short walk.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers at the door, who will show you where to sit and provide you with a "Contact Us" sheet should you want to us to contact you after the service.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the church hall.

We see our services on a Sunday like a family get together.  We like to laugh and have fun.  Life can sometimes be very challenging, whether you are young or old; it helps to have support and a place to belong; so on Sundays we do just that.  

What you can expect on a Sunday morning at Bethel is:

A warm, friendly community of people
To be welcomed and included.    
To be supported.
To be given a chance.
To sometimes laugh and sometimes cry.
To be challenged and also to have fun.
To experience the presence of God in us and in creation.
To sing, because music is probably the best way we have of expressing our emotions and gratefulness to God.
A love for the Bible and the truths in it.

Bethel04














What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Sunday Club (4 -11 years)
Young people (11+ years) They have a group meeting one week and the next join in the service in the Chapel. 

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, a song or two songs, notices and an all age reflection. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups.  We suggest that on your first visit, you go along with your child to drop them off and meet the leaders, before returning to the Chapel. 

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.


Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Youth Group
Foodbank
Renew Wellbeing Cafe
 

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Phil    
Phil Hibbert    
Pastor    
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.