The Crib Service

This morning I went to a local hall to help lay all the tables ready for the Christmas Lunch tomorrow which is put on by volunteers for those older people in the area living by themselves. Each year it is organised by a different church in the area and I have helped set up before ( but no lunch allowed in 2020 or 2021) and one year I also collected some of the guests in my car on Christmas Day. A friend came with me and it did not take long to put on the tablecloths, napkins, cutlery and crackers plus a candle and ribbons decoration in the middle of each table…I forgot to take a photo! The hall is rather shabby and planning permission has just been approved to build a new one on a little car park nearby, then this one will be pulled down and 16 ‘ affordable ‘ flats will be built by the council.

This afternoon I went with my daughter and family to the first of three crib services held at a local church. ( Meanwhile my son and family had gone to the Nativity service at Winchester cathedral) This is the church where my children went to Sunday school sometimes when young, where my daughter got married and the twins were christened. It has a very vibrant congregation, helped by lots of families with young children attending regularly so that they can get their children into  the local C of E school! They have so many people wanting to go to the crib service that this year you had to book places for 2, 3.30 or 5pm. We went to the 2pm service and then had hot chocolate in a local cafe afterwards. 

The blip is the screen that is used for a lot of services there, sometimes to show the hymns etc, but today it was just nice illustrations for each part of the service when we also sang a relevant carol.  When we went in my granddaughter was not automatically given a service sheet until I asked for one…presumably they thought she could not read! I was disappointed to see some children who were older not singing during the carols and their parents not making them!
The extra is the actual crib scene, at the start of the service the baby was covered up!