St Oswald's Magazine StOM 1512 | Page 3

Anglican Calendar of Prayer for January 2016 03 The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Polynesia. –The Most Revd William Brown Turei, Archbishop and Primate in New Zealand and Polynesia 10 The Anglican Church in Australia, The Most Revd Philip Leslie Freier, Archbishop & Primate 17 The Church in Bangladesh, The Most Revd Shisher Sarker, Moderator 24 Pray for the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, The Most Revd Francisco De Assis Da Silva, Primate of Brasil 31 The Anglican Church of Burundi, The Most Revd Bernard Ntahoturi, Archbishop FROM THE PULPIT (Actually, the Comfy Sofa) Advent and Christmas Greetings to you all. I have just received a mailshot from Dobbies Garden Centre, and as much as I enjoy a browse and a coffee in that fine establishment, I worry that they may be making me redundant!! It says in big red letters on the top of the page. ‘ALL YOU NEED TO DELIVER THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS’ Gosh and there was me thinking I ought to be putting Christmas services together, creating opportunities for all ages to hear the wonderful Christmas story, decorating the church, making mince pies, singing carols, decorating the church tree with the children etc. But I don’t have to, the leaflet says that ‘nobody does Christmas like Dobbies’. So let’s go and find Christmas there and I will take a holiday. Sorted!!!! I am only kidding, but I am wondering what Christmas means to people in this age of consumerism. How do I as a minister compete with the multi million pound advertising and gift selling in shopping centres? How can St Oswald’s church family and building be seen and heard amidst the StOM Page 3