Welcome to the Parish of the Isle of Dogs Advent Calendar. Each day there is a piece of music from our choir, a passage from the Bible and a meditation for you to read, and a simple activity for you to do. To accompany each 'window' a poster has been placed in a window of a home in Grosvenor Wharf Rd and Castalia Square. Why not make a visit part of your daily exercise?

Isaiah 44. 21-23

 “Remember these things, Jacob,     for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant;     Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offences like a cloud,     your sins like the morning mist. Return to me,     for I have redeemed you.”

Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;     shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains,     you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,     he displays his glory in Israel.

To feel that you are truly forgiven is possibly one of the most invigorating experiences in life. Human forgiveness is all to often putting the problem behind a closed door. It is still there and it still has dark power over us. It's very human to go back and peek behind the closed door and check that the sin, the problem, is still there, and that it is as monstrous and as frightening as you thought it was.

God's forgiveness is completely different, because it is complete. As Jesus says on the cross 'It is finished!'. When we are forgiven by God the sin is no longer there, behind the door, for us to go back to. What has held us apart from God, and apart from each other, no longer is. We can burst into joyful song like the mountains, the forests and the trees of nature, for we have been redeemed.

Take a moment to revel in the knowledge that you are loved - and forgiven by God.

Fr. Tom

Christmas Services to watch out for:

Saturday and Sunday 12th +13th Dec  Crib at the Door.  We are turning Christmas inside out this year, so that everyone can join in. We are building a crib scene at the Manchester Rd entrance to the church. Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus will be joining us 'live' for short periods over the weekend.

Sunday 13th December 13th December 11am Christingle Service. A beautiful service in church to support the work of the Children's Society who work with young people who have been neglected or abused.