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.