The Bishop of London and Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) have partnered to launch a new app helping people to celebrate the season of Advent.
A Good Advent is available for iOS and Android, and features an introduction to the meaning of Advent by the recently installed Bishop Sarah Mullally.
In the introduction, she writes about the relationship between darkness and light.
'During St Paul's Cathedral's dramatic Advent service, a procession moves from darkness to light, mirrored by music and words, reflecting hope and despair,' she says.
'To appreciate the light and hope, you need to wait in the darkness. Advent is a time to be still in the midst of our busy lives. We should make space in the darkness to appreciate the light, and to find time to focus on hope.'
A Good Advent, which was launched this week at St Michael's Paternoster Royal in London, includes short daily meditations to help people dig deeper into the significance of Advent.
The release of the app coincides with new research from ComRes for SPCK showing that 92 per cent of British adults are aware of Advent and 39 per cent plan to celebrate it in some way, including 12 per cent who said they would mark the season by attending a church or carol service.
Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK, said, 'We are delighted to be partnering with Bishop Sarah and the Diocese of London to launch this innovative new app. As this new research shows, the idea of Advent resonates with people of all faith and none, and we hope the app will encourage people to find deeper meaning even during this busy time of the year.'
