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Well we have arrived all too quickly at the end of another term and another year. We shall all rush off home all too soon and proceed to eat huge quantities of turkey and Christmas pudding while getting our presents and hopefully giving at least a bit of thought as to why we have the festival in the first place. There is nothing wrong with all this and those who would seek to tell us that there is are missing another point, that Christmas should be about our friends and families and enjoying ourselves with them can only be good. However this is not to say that we should just eat, drink and be merry over the yuletide period, let us at least find time for some quiet contemplation. Contemplation over the meaning of Christmas, allowing us to marvel once more at the love of God displayed in his sending to us of Jesus Christ, but also contemplation of a different kind. Contemplation on the year passed and the year to come. Think of the good times and the bad times, of the times you laughed and the times you cried, of the pain and the happiness; perhaps through doing this we won’t forget and might even learn an important lesson or two for the year to come. Christianity is a year round faith and is not something just to be wheeled out at Christmas and Easter as an excuse for a good time, but Christmas and the break that it offers does give us a chance to sit down and think a bit about our faith, our lives and where we want to be with God in a years time, so please use your break to have a good time but also use it to just sit in that quiet contemplation, if for nothing else just use the time to marvel.
Happy Christmas!
The initial vision was to see Central Hall full of students and staff alike, with an enjoyable service mixed with carols and presentation, but with a clear gospel message evident to all those who have never heard it.
Will this happen? Maybe it is believed that each society has had to compromise their own firmly held principles to reach this target, but this has not been the case. Working together with the other Christian societies has not always led to immediate agreement, but no compromise has occurred neither. The Gospel message will be clear in the service, so do bring your friends along. It is not going to be confrontational, nor cringe-worthy, but brief, enjoyable, yet challenging.
It has been a hard process to achieve this, lots of work (particular thanks ought to go to Clare Drakeley), and a lot of people are involved. Please now play your part in ensuring the vision, by bringing people. The service will include some traditional themes, some readings and drama, a short talk, all with the theme of Light of the World. Jesus, at Christmas is pictured as a tiny sweet baby, but instead of concentrating on the nativity, we are looking at WHY Jesus came into the world. Most readings will be from John’s Gospel, which has no nativity in it anyway, but clearly shows why “the word became flesh”.
See you all there, it will be short and there will be traditional refreshments available afterwards. Wahey!
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Last modified: 25th November 2005
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