As we leave behind the month of November, a month which seems to be, in many ways, a month of remembering, with All Saints, All Souls and Remembrance Sunday. We begin December with our Light up a Life service, continuing to remember those who are closest to us, those who we have lost and see no more.

In our remembering we have to come to terms with a new way of being and not to get stuck in our longing for the past. Our remembering – however slowly we do it, however long it takes – must be part of our re- forming, our re-grouping, our re-emerging. As we go through this, we can be reminded that in faith God is with us and holding us. God is there when it feels darkest, and because he is there, there is light.

It is no accident, I think, that our season of remembering moves into our Advent season of waiting for the light, and as the waiting comes to an end, the wonderful celebrations of the Christmas season come upon us.

The excitement of the Christingle services comes on Christmas Eve, where our church is full of people coming to celebrate with anticipation Christmas day. They may be coming from all different cultures and walks of life, but the welcome we give and that they receive is so important. With the words that they hear and the message that is shared, the seeds are planted, and we have to trust that the Holy Spirit will continue the amazing work that we see happening all around us.

Our annual celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ reminds us that God, in Christ, chose to come and live among us, not only to share in our joy, but to also share our darkness and our pain. The life that he shared was so that he could bring light, bring hope, bring truth, and to bring healing.

So, as we move towards this special time of year, my prayer is that you will trust that His light is there for you, today, tomorrow and always.

And so, may I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and holy Christmas and every blessing for the New Year.

Dear Friends

As I sit to write this it is a rather cloudy and overcast mid-October morning. The sky is rather grey and mournful, and as the mist settles over the roof tops, there’s gentle rain in the air.

And although a few days away from November, it seems to set the tone for a month, November, that has become a time of reflection and looking back, most especially on the lives of those who have gone before us.

We begin the month with All Saints, and a time when we remember, and celebrate, people in the life of the church who have witnessed to God’s work in and through their own lives. And how they’ve set us an example of how to live out the Gospel, in our own time and place.

People have been called throughout time, to live and work for Christ, adapting His call to live out the Gospel to their surroundings, and offering themselves in service to the needs they find around them.

But as we look to the past, we should also take the opportunity to look around ourselves today, in our Churches, homes and places of work; where I’m sure if we look carefully, we will recognise different “saints” that are around and about us, in our everyday lives. Those who, even thought they might not name it, are following Jesus’ example to witnessing to God’s love through word and action.

And in the same way, we will also take time to stop and commemorate those who we’ve loved and lost in our own lives, on All Souls Day.  A

time when we remember, and give thanks for those who have had a

direct impact on us, those who have given us life, those who have nurtured us, both in our physical selves, but also our spiritual lives.

As a Nation, we will also pause on 11^th November at 11am to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for justice and freedom, on Remembrance Day. This day, alongside All Souls and All Saints, allows us to celebrate – not war, for there is nothing to celebrate in the loss of life – but rather the bravery and courage of those who have stood up against wrong, and acting upon the example given to them by Christ, sought, and remain to seek for, a world that is free from hate and fear. And as such, We Will Remember Them.

And so to finish, I’m reminded of a prayer that I have often used on such occasions, which I now leave with you today:

Loving God,

grant to us today your special blessing as we gather to remember loved ones who have died.

Surround us with your love and help us to know your comforting presence in our lives.

And as we give thanks for the many memories of a life shared, may we find assurance and comfort in the hope we can find in Christ Jesus.

Amen

Every Blessings

Nick