Weekly Update – 8th December
Are you feeling Christmassy yet? Have you got your tree and decorations up yet? It does seem that all the Christmas lights and decorations have gone up extra early this year but maybe its as an antidote to the very dull, grey weather that we had at the end of November and to the general state of the world – we need something to lighten our darkness! We are only a few days into December but I have already delivered 2 Christmas assemblies, sung at 2 Christmas song/carol services, hosted a Christmas party, retold the Christmas story at a pre school and at a school group and been questioned about the validity and truth of the Christmas story by Y5 pupils!
Next week will be very exciting, keep a lookout for stray angels, shepherds, wise men, innkeepers and the occasional Roman soldier as we re-enact the first Christmas on the local roads for the benefit of our local primary schools! The church becomes Bethlehem and the children need to pay a ‘tax’, in order to enter, whereupon they will see the Holy family in the stable. We performed the first Journey to Bethlehem 10 years ago in December 2014 and again in 2017, with a much smaller journey to only 1 school in 2021! It is an event eagerly anticipated by the teachers at the local schools and enjoyed by the children as they get to engage with the characters and ask them questions. It brings to life the events of the first Christmas and makes the story of Jesus’s birth more accessible to all as they see real people making it happen. It serves to underline the point that each of the characters represents a different group of people that still resonates today and to add emphasis to Jesus being born for everyone. In our increasingly divided society that’s a message that we all need to hear. Jesus didn’t judge people, so neither should we. He came to unite people and not to divide them.
“ A child is born to us!
A son is given to us!
And he will be our ruler.
He will be called, “Wonderful[b] Counsellor,”
“Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,”
“Prince of Peace.”
7 His royal power will continue to grow;
his kingdom will always be at peace.
He will rule as King David’s successor,
basing his power on right and justice,
from now until the end of time. Isaiah 9:6-7
Fiona
