Debs encourages us to practice the holy habit of sabbath keeping - recognising that God us in charge and we are to orientate our lives around him and rest, reflect and delight in him on the seventh day. She chats through practical examples of how to make this happen - including restraining our phone use - finding time to be thankful for we are, who God is and for all we have been given.

Dan dips into a tale of hospitality and inclusivity. Feet washing was an everyday and intimate service to welcome guests. Jesus welcomed the service of a woman who others thought it improper to associate with. He recognised her dignity and value and used Simon Peter's "gotcha" challenge to open his eyes to the need to treat outsiders as equals. Dan similarly encourages us to look out for opportunities to welcome others we may not normally associate with into the flow of our daily lives - it may be as simple as sharing a smile.

Joe highlights that loneliness is called out right at the start of the bible, Genesis 2, as "not good". He goes on to look at how Jesus sowed community into the fabric of his day; a necessary and messy business. "Come follow me, along with these others" - an invitation to share. Community is not just connectedness nor chemistry but rather vulnerability and accountability enable us to meld and grow together.

Joe highlights that "pausing" machines stop them, "pausing" humans starts reflection. As 2023 gets going Joe invites us to reflect on our intent to be "with Jesus, like Jesus, for everyone".

Silence and solitude supported Jesus' ministry - so it should feature in our lives. In our age of distraction Joe talks about how to decompress and listen to God's quiet voice cutting through 24/7 noise. Good resolutions for the new year.

Richard imagines restarting 2+ years ago pre-crises and points out that problems are inevitable - but who do we look to for help? Well, that depends on what we think the problem is. At the end of the church year Richard explains 3 things: we need an inside out solution - dealing with the heart of the human problem... us; we need to recognise our need to be rescued; and, the full stop at the end of life is just a comma before the life of the world to come - let's live out our remaining years here accordingly.

Joe starts our advent countdown with Abraham's story and the hinge point of Genesis 12. Genesis 1-11 tells of a good world gone bad. Genesis 12 (to Revelation) tells the story of redemption and blessing. Blessing starts with noticing someone, then speaking well of them (affirmation) and finally giving - off yourself - for them (sacrifice). Joe uses this year's John Lewis Christmas ad to illustrate this deep truth - we are invited to bless.

Joe remembers the first Christian martyr, Stephen, as a source of inspiration. He takes us back to Jesus' circles of intended growth "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the Earth" and zips through a recap of the story of the gathered - empowered by the Spirit - and their astonishing progress. Stephen echoes Jesus in his death and appeal for mercy on those throwing hatred and rocks; the early church mourned, faced up to the suffering and - though scattered - pushed on together.

Rachel Bedford from St Stephens Church, talks about the wisdom of Saint Stephen - he was full of grace and power and also experienced the ridicule, insult and martyrdom of Jesus. She shares stories from her own recent experiences to help us recognise the importance of togetherness, curiosity and commitment to enable us to be with Jesus, like Jesus and for everyone.

Joe takes us back to the killing of George Floyd to illustrate our societal recognition of the need to change. He then considers what we can learn from how the early church dealt with issues of discrimination using this passage from Acts 6. An issue was raised, the disciples noticed, they acted like allies and took action. We should similarly look to unlock growth in our own context.

Dan looks at how people in the bible (the apostles, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, John the baptist, the magii, Zacchaeus, the disciples, Saul) were called to be changed and to be change. He looks forward to more recent heroes of the faith and encourages us to similarly embrace kindness, forgiveness, humility as easy on ramps for us to do likewise. He asks us too not to be fearful of failure because being changed is an ongoing process for us all and opportunities to be change will keep coming - worthy of reflection this week.