“I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.”
(Psalm 25:2)
Sometimes in life we need to decide who to back or which side to choose. If it turns out to be the winning side, then we can relish the glory and rejoice in the victory. However, if we choose the losing side, we can find ourselves shamed and defeated. For trivial issues, like deciding on which football team to support, this does not ultimately matter, but in other contexts it can be a matter of life and death. Joining the Nazi party in late 1930s Germany may have looked like backing the winning side, but ten years later it would have been a matter of deep shame and utter defeat.
Daniel 5 tells of the last days of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. He had everything and spent his time partying and mocking the God of Israel. The Babylonians seemed conquering, whilst Israel was just one of several small kingdoms vanquished decades before. Then comes the ‘writing on the wall.’ Literally. A ghostly hand appears from nowhere and writes some mysterious words on the wall – words that no-one can interpret.
No-one that is except a well-respected Israelite, Daniel. Despite his exile working in the king’s palace, he had kept trusting in the God of Israel – the God Belshazzar had mocked. He tells the king that this God has judged him and that his reign and life will soon end. Indeed, that very night, the Persians marched into Babylon and Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on the wall proves true.
Often it is not obvious who will ultimately win. Yet, Advent is a time when we remember that God will be finally victorious. Whoever seems victorious in the present will face God’s judgement in the future. Advent is a chance to remind ourselves to keep trusting in Christ, so that we will not be put to shame.
Paul Worledge
This Week’s Sunday Service – 11am
Our main reading is Daniel 5, the origin of the phrase, “The writing is on the wall.” Join us for praise, prayer and Bible teaching. This Sunday we have our normal children’s groups running.
Churches Together in Ramsgate Prayer Meeting
This Saturday, 9-10am at St. Augustine’s.
Christmas Publicity
We would love to deliver as many leaflets as we can around St. Luke’s, St. George’s and Christ Church parishes. Please pick a road, indicate it on the map, take a bundle of fliers and deliver to the road asap. You can also point people to our website for details of the Christmas Services.
Carol Singing in Town Centre, Saturday 14th December, 12pm
Churches Together in Ramsgate are going to gather in the town centre (outside Timpsons) for carol singing, Bible reading and handing out candy and fliers promoting Christmas services. If you can join us, please just turn up!
Christmas Baroque Concert, St. George’s, Monday 16th, 7:30pm
Tickets available online or from Paul in church. Do join us for lovely Baroque music in the setting of St. George’s Christmas tree festival.
Carol Singing at Ramsgate Care Centre, Monday 23rd, 2:30pm
We are planning to go into Ramsgate Care Centre to sing some carols with the residents. If you can come along to help at 2:30pm on Monday 23rd for less than an hour, then please let Paul know asap.
Christmas Baroque Concert, St. George’s, Monday 16th December, 7:30pm
Tickets available online or from Paul in church. Do join us for lovely Baroque music in the setting of St. George’s Christmas tree festival.
Stewarding the Sailors’ Church light display
Coming up at the start of December on Thursday 12th, Friday 13th, Saturday 14th December 2 to 8pm and Sunday 15th December 2 to 7pm we are looking for volunteers who can sit in the Sailors Church down on the harbour to look after a sculpture which is part of Ramsgate Lumiere. You can now offer shifts using this online form.
Vision 2030
If you weren’t able to come on Monday night and missed the livestream, you can still watch it here. You can find the Vision 2030 document here. We are asking people to give us feedback on the vision using this simple and short online form by the end of the year. Then we will review the Vision and agree how to move forward at our PCC meetings in January.
Links to Share:
This week a couple of articles with some suggestions about navigating some of the difficult situations that life throws up. Including Christmas!
Working with your boss
This article is written for those who work as staff members in big churches with the senior minister as a line manager. However, I think most of the advice is transferable to most work settings and volunteer roles! Read more…
Take back your family’s Christmas
7 strategies to beat the Christmas Grinch and take back your Christmas… Read more.
Finally, let’s pray that we can keep trusting God for his eventual victory.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 8th – Second Sunday in Advent
Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church), Daniel 5:1-6, 13-17, 22-30,
11:00am-12:00pm
Monday 9th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:15-9:30pm
Tuesday 10th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Christ Church Toddlers @ St Luke’s (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 9:30-11:30am
Study Group (Lyndhurst Road) – 2:30-4:00pm
Wednesday 11th
Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10-12 noon
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm
Thursday 12th
Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am
Friday 13th
Play and Praise (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 10:00-11:30am
Gather, Women’s Drop-In (St. Luke’s Church) – 12:30-2:30pm
Saturday 14th
Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Service of Remembrance (St. Luke’s Church), 6:30am-7:30pm
Sunday 15th – Third Sunday in Advent
Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church), Daniel 6:1-23, 11:00am-12:00pm
Online Forms
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
- Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
- Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
- Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.
St. Luke’s Website
- What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
- Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
- Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. You can also listen to the sermon through the podcast website castbox.
Safeguarding Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.
If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
St. Luke's Church Ramsgate 