Dear friendsI was so lucky to be able to attend the consecration of the new Bishop of Swindon, Neil Warwick, on Thursday. In many ways it was the Church of England at it's best, with pomp and ceremony, great hymns and a beautiful church building. There were moments of humour - their own version of what we might fondly call "St Martin's moments", where those distributing communion consumed all of the bread and wine that was left, without realising there were about 60 more people who had yet to receive. It was quite a relief to see that even Canterbury cathedral can make mistakes, and that only God is perfect! There were also moments of quiet and depth - the simple and beautiful singing of the Agnus Dei by a small but powerful choir; the intimacy of the moment when Neil was anointed with holy oil, which could only be seen by the few people in the first rows, but within the stillness of a cathedral full of people. There was even a strange moment when a random tourist turned up part way through the sermon and sat on a step directly behind the Archbishop of Canterbury ... soon swiftly moved on by a stern verger (the tourist that is, not the Archbishop!) I was thankful to be there, carrying greetings from us all at St Martin's.Worship can contain all of these moments, can't it. Those intentional aspects of ceremony, and choreography, the unintentional "moments" where things might not go according to plan, the stillness and depth, and perhaps the unexpected interactions that we just respond to. Primarily our worship is about God, singing and saying praises, listening to and dwelling in the word, reflecting on the way we live our lives, and seeking to be shaped and formed going forward; gathering as the Lord's people around the Lord's table, gathering to be nourished in order to be sent.You are invited to gather this weekend. On Saturday we gather as a community for the Christmas Bazaar - with my thanks in anticipation for everyone who works so hard to make an event like this happen. Do please come along between 10.15 and 2.15.It's Advent Sunday this week - the start of the new church year, and our weekly anticipation of Jesus Christ coming again. We gather at 8.30am for our traditional Holy Communion Sunday, at 10.30 for our Sung Eucharist, with Sunday Spirit for our young people, and at 4.00pm for Evening Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer tradition. Whilst none of these services may be as eventful as the consecration of a new Bishop at Canterbury cathedral, they will each have the same aim of offering a space for a connection with God, as we gather to worship Him. You're invited.With every blessingBecky