The Salvation Army Chatham

This weekend is always one of the most tiring for almost every member of the corps because it features the annual carol concerts in the town’s Central Theatre.

But even before the weekend arrived there was a huge amount of preparation going on. All last week rehearsals for the great event were being finalised, equipment was being assembled and transported to the theatre, supplies of goods were being purchased and collected ready to be sorted with the toys and gifts to be collected during the concerts. Even family dogs were being organised for a day when owners would not be at home from early morning until late at night. But, as usual, the end result was just great and we now all feel that the Christmas season has started even though we have only just entered December. Here are just a few pictures. We shall publish more tomorrow.

Not surprisingly everyone seemed a bit sluggish on Sunday morning and so it was good that we had a different option for the rest of the day (to help recover before the delights of school and work today). Not that everyone had free time. Some of the ladies who will be preparing the food and gift parcels have already started work and others attended a prayer meeting in the evening, held instead of our usual form of worship.

So Advent has arrived and the first candle on our advent wreath was lit at the  start of our morning meeting.

Sue Willard lights the first candle

The theme of the meeting was ‘Waiting for God’ and it focussed on the long wait, experienced by the Jewish nation, for the coming of the Messiah. Songs chosen were 80 and 614 from the Salvation Army Song Book together with 298, 627 and 895 from Songs of Fellowship. As has become tradition on this Sunday no musical ministry was brought by the usual sections allowing some, who felt the need, to take a rest. Isaiah 40:3-5 and 8-11 together with Psalm 103 were the chosen portions of scripture and Major Beverley spoke, in her message, of the difficulties we all experience in waiting. In English there are two meanings to the word waiting, waiting for something to happen and waiting at table. This latter can be very tiring. Zechariah and Elizabeth waited a very long time for a child. It had also been a long time since the nation had heard the voice of God (400 years). These were very dark times. But for this couple their waiting was active. They had prayed for a child and God intervened. God often speaks to people when they are busy and there are many examples of this in scripture. This occasion was one of those. The Bible exhorts us to wait on God in an active way. We must be positive about our purposes and then God will lead us. But stepping out in faith is often very difficult. However, there is no point in asking for God’s direction if you are not prepared to move your feet. God is still gracious today and always gives the opportunity to begin again. We all wait for God in some way. How do we wait, actively or passively? Will we recognise God when He intervenes?

Over the next few weeks the activities of the Christmas season will take us into places full of opportunity. We will bring you an account of as much of it as we can but, more importantly, we pray that God will make this celebration of the birth of Jesus one in which we can show His love to all we come into contact with. God bless you and we’ll see you next week.