Greetings all!
Anyone know what the liturgical colour for Advent is? While you’re thinking, let me explain. The church – or more properly ‘The Church’ – has colours for different church seasons. Purple for Lent, White/Gold for Easter, Red for Pentecost, Green for Harvest, that sort of thing. OK, you’ve now had 10 seconds to guess… Advent is… purple! I think it’s partly to mirror Lent, suggesting that both are seasons to reflect and prepare for something momentous in the church year – birth of Christ; death and resurrection of Christ.
If red and blue mixed together make purple, then Emmanuel’s Christmas leaflets this year have rather beautifully split purple down the middle, back to the red and blue. The Methodist church tends to brand in red and the United Reformed Church in blue. We couldn’t find any decent purple Christmas leaflets so we’ve gone to our constituent colours this year!
If the Magazine contains lots of information of greater interest to our church family, the Christmas leaflets are for our wider circle of friends and community. So you might see plenty of these at church – but they are to be taken and given away, popped through neighbours’ letterboxes and handed out to visitors and friends alike.
There are many red and blue rivalries out there – think Manchester United and Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal – and that’s just in football. I love that Emmanuel brings red and blue together in partnership, in community, and in love. So take a handful of the Christmas leaflets to give away and why not a mix of red and blue?
Have a wonderful and happy and purple Advent and Christmas!
Rev. Paul Tabraham
Excerpt taken from Emmanuel Magazine December 2023. The magazine, published ten times annually, features articles contributed or authored by our members. It includes a delightful blend of testimonials, devotions, book reviews, prayers, jokes, upcoming events, and more. Grab your copy of the latest magazine at the church foyer. If you prefer to receive a copy by mail or email, feel free to reach out to us.