THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT...

…on the Third Sunday of Advent.  This morning was the highlight of Christmas for many people - the Children’s Nativity Play - and didn’t they all do well - so thanks to all the children and to those teaching them week by week and especially in the run-up to Christmas.  For obvious reasons, there are no photographs of the children - you will have to take my word for it that they were all brilliant.  

Some were shy, some not so shy - some (all Dads, I might add) enjoyed playing the game that opened the All Age Family Service - whilst some cheated - although a bit of friendly cheating, if you can call it that, at a service like this is often overlooked!  The children whose dads were taking part in the game didn’t seem to mind though.

And then we were reminded that the candle being lit today was the candle of Joy - not just any old joy, but the joy that Jesus brings and is longing to give to all of us, if we will only hold out our hands to receive it.

In one of the songs we were reminded that “It’s about the cross”, which was the whole reason for Jesus coming into the world and as the words came up on our new overhead screens, I managed to capture that shot.

The banner I chose for today tells us that the LIGHT shines in the darkness but the darkness has not, and can NEVER, overcome it.  What a truth and a blessing that is to us.

After the service, we gathered, as usual, for coffee and biscuits in the hall and I was thrilled to hear my friend, Michael, whose Christmas jumper this is, shout out “I love you, Maureen!”  If only we were all that eager to tell people that we love them!

Then when we were leaving, I looked into the room where there was much activity - people from our church bringing food from the various supermarkets and piling the tables high, and all trying to get it done quickly today, so that they could also be part of the Carol Service this evening.  Much of this will be put into the Bags of Hope that will go out this week to families in need and a lot of the fruit will be taken by those who come in this week to the Community Fridge.  I hope they like clementines because there are certainly plenty of them!

May you be blessed this week with the joy of Christmas and in this busy week, leading up to Christmas Day, spare a thought for those for whom this will NOT be a good Christmas.  Those who are finding it difficult to make ends meet, those living on the streets, underneath a cardboard box, those estranged from their loved ones, for whatever reason, those who are mourning the loss of a loved one and those who are the victims of war.  

May we be kind to all we meet and show them the joy that could be theirs and which we would love to share with them.  Bless you all.  With love M xx