I’ve been spending the last few days with my mum, so apologies for the paucity of posts. However, it does give me the opportunity to have a guest post from Paul B on the topic of ‘Stir Up Sunday’.
Despite the machinations of Tesco et al to rename and reclaim this day, it hasn’t always been about mixing up Christmas cake. (Nor, as Waitrose claim, should it be called ‘Delia Day’ – much as I love her kitchen manner). No, the real stir-up Sunday is about the beginning of Advent and Cranmer’s prayer that we anticipate Christ’s coming. I’ll let Paul explain…
‘I was thrilled to see that Sainsbury supermarket has really got into the whole idea of Stir Up Sunday, with a website and a hotline running throughout the day! –
As a family we have always made a huge deal of Stir Up Sunday – so today our house is full of raisins, nuts, dried fruit, icing, apples, clementines… so that we can bake our Christmas cake… mince pies and Christmas biscuits. This is the day when we really begin the utter joy and excitement of ADVENT. The LORD Jesus Christ really is coming… to bring a glorious Day of Justice, when all sorrow and sighing will be gone forever and death will be no more… no more night and only light, His uncreated Light, and chapter one of the universe can finally begin. GLORY!
Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people
that, richly bearing the fruit of good works,
they may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who is alive with with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever’.