St Andrew's Church
Your Community, Your Church
Christmas time is here again
So how many Christmas songs do you know the words of? Do you prefer the likes of Bing Crosby, a bit of Cliff or perhaps its Noddy Holder blasting out “So here it is…..”. Maybe you love Christmas carols and it’s not really Christmas for you until you’ve sung “O little town of Bethlehem”, “Away in a manger” and “While shepherds washed their socks….” (or something like that). Perhaps it’s settling down in front of a bit of Wallace and Gromit or another rerun of the Dads Army Christmas Special.
We all have our own Christmas traditions. One of ours in the Ramsey household is watching “A Muppet Christmas Carol” – I’m a fan of the kind of humour which pervades the Muppets (yes I know I’m a grown man) and of the rats who work for Scrooge in particular. There is a song towards the end of the film in which Scrooge (after his change of heart) sings “Wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas”. Whilst this might seem twee, Scrooge actually nails it on the head because Christmas is all about love – not a soppy kind of romantic love but of a love which stretches all the way from heaven down to earth, spanning the gap of all our failings and given as a gift for me and for you. It was from love of me and you (yes really – for you) that God stepped down from his throne to come into the mess of our world to experience all that we live through. God lays aside his glory, his power, his might and his majesty and enters our world as a frail human baby who will grow into a man and ultimately give his life for us, in order to help us know how much he loves us.
That’s what the Christmas carols sing of
That’s why we give gifts of love at Christmas
That’s why we celebrate
God breaks in to our dark world and brings his love – for us- his gift to us.
Wow.
Of course, like any gift we can choose to receive it or leave it. We can know God’s love and light or not – that is the nature of a gift. But the gift is given whether you feel worthy of it or not – the gift is… for you.
Just in case you too like the Muppets or haven’t ever seen it we’re showing “A Muppet Christmas Carol” on the 21st December 6pm at St Andrew’s – free admission, all welcome. We’ve also got lots of other opportunities to think about and celebrate the Christmas story – dates below. We’ve also had our own early Christmas present as the wrappings have come off the chancel end of the church – our chancel roof is now finished! Hurrah! Our plans for the chancel interior can now move forward making it a light bright usable worship space in the church. Many thanks to all who helped contribute to this essential work!
For now may I wish you and yours, a blessed and happy Christmas in which you might come to know, a little bit more, about God’s love for you.
Blessings,
Chris.