This week you can’t help noticing that things are changing. The weather is turning, the days are getting shorter, and the Christmas displays are appearing in the shops. It won’t be long before Advent is here.

Over recent weeks, through All Saints, All Souls, and Remembrance Day, we have had opportunities to pause and remember. To think about those who have gone before us, the lives they lived, the sacrifices they made and the things they have left with us. Perhaps remembrance is also about how we carry those memories and lessons into our own lives.

Our Gospel reading this week shares the parable of the talents, which makes us think about action and inaction, and what we do with what has been entrusted to us. Alongside this, Paul’s words to the Thessalonians offer a practical reminder to encourage one another and support those who need help.

As we approach Advent, we don’t need to rush ahead. We still have time to pause, pay attention to what matters, and consider how we respond to the opportunities before us.

Loving God,
Help us to remember with thankfulness,
To live with care and kindness,
And to use well what you have entrusted to us.
In the busyness that surrounds us,
Help us to pause and notice the things around us.

Amen

Rev’d Charlie