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church : revd jo's letter : december 2006 added 12/11/06 Last Wednesday, November 8th, I went to the Rutland Radio studio to record two items; a reflection on remembrance for the following Sunday, Remembrance Day, and my offering for the sixth day of Christmas (when the singer received six geese a-laying.) Focus in Stamford had Christmas Decorations on display at the end of September, and even worse, the Friends of Peterborough Cathedral have their Christmas cards on sale in time for the St Peter’s day service on …. June 29th! Advent seems to be pushed right out as Christmas follows midsummer. Every year I hate the Christmas consumer hype a bit more, but this year I have found one good way to deal with it. In our family, instead of those presents no-one really wants, we are all making a donation for each adult family member to Christian Aid or ‘Send a Cow.’ Those donations go to help the poorest in the world to help themselves. Goats, pigs, chickens and cows provide food; their young can be sold on to other needy people, and their manure enriches hungry soil so that crops improve and moisture is retained. Children can be educated with the small increase in income, and their education means that they have the chance to escape the cycle of poverty endured by their parents. Alternatively, the money can be sent to provide clean drinking water to eradicate the waterborne diseases which kill so many children, to pay for a teacher or health worker, or to plant trees to limit soil erosion. What better way to celebrate the birth of one whose coming was to change the world, whose gospel was, above all, to the poor and marginalised? What better way to work for justice and peace? It has become our custom in these churches to save our loose change and donate it to ‘Send a Cow’ during Advent and Lent. We raised enough for two flocks of goats last year, and we shall repeat the practice in Advent this year. Christmas, of course, is a time of celebration, and our Christmas services reflect this. They are listed elsewhere, and I have printed all those which depart from the usual pattern in bold. Do come to any of them, and do bring any family or friends with you. We have two Carol Services, one at Careby on 17th , when our primary school musicians will be joining us, and one in the chapel at Holywell Hall on 22nd. The Christingle Service on 10th will be familiar to many of you, and is always much enjoyed by the children. Do bring them, and please don’t worry if they make a noise or run about. Most of you will know all about the Christmas Eve Candle Service, which is one of the Bythams’ traditions, and, again, greatly enjoyed by the children, and indeed by those much older. Our Communion service at Little Bytham on 17th will be celebrated by the Bishop of Grantham, the Right Revd Dr Tim Ellis. If your image of bishops is of desiccated elderly gentlemen with no idea what the real world is all about, come and meet Bishop Tim, who will change your ideas for ever. On Christmas Day, the Family Service will be at Little Bytham, who have no other Christmas service. It will be followed by a said Communion. You are welcome to come for the Family service and to leave straight after it, or just to come at 11 for the Communion, if that suits you. Please let the children bring a (quiet) Christmas toy with them, so that they can show us what they had for Christmas. So while I deplore the commercialism of Christmas, I look forward to this feast of worship as we join to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. A very happy Christmas to you. Oh come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him. O come let us adore him Christ the Lord With every good wish Jo |
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