A thought for December from Reverend Tom

Dear friends,

Well here we are in December once again and once again I seem surprised by it. 

This year has been such a busy one for most of us and this time of year it is always good to take a moment or two just to pause and reflect on all that has happened. 

The villages have of course welcomed new people into the fold as well as saying goodbye to some dearly loved friends. 

For myself, I remember the weddings at Michelmersh, the baptisms, the confirmation service and blessing of the car park at Awbridge, the Timsbury bonfire was another memorable event when everyone came together and ‘oohed’ and ‘arrhed’ in all the right places. Not to forget the way that Farley church looked at Harvest and thanks once again to all those people that helped with the preparation for that.

In the next few weeks I know many of you, like me,will enjoy attending Nativity plays, crib services and tableaux put on in our schools, villages and beyond. We value the traditional hymns and description of Jesus birth, which follows the same Biblical story, even though most teachers and vicars have a collection of jokes about things children have said or done which don't quite stick to the script.

Yet for many of us, children and adults, it’s easy to forget that the Nativity story is really quite irrelevant to our lives today, unless we have a grasp of who that small baby in the manger was and what he came to do. After all, the only reason we mark a historic figure's birthday is because of the life they led afterwards.

Jesus taught by what he said, by what he was and by what he did. He taught us to trust God, as a loving father, to pray in faith and to be sensitive to the needs of others, and to follow him in lives of generosity, faith, simplicity and love. He taught that we are each infinitely precious to God so we should look out for one another with understanding, respect and forgiveness.

Amazingly, even after all those years, there are over 1000 million people who follow him, who call him Lord. They believe that after his cruel death on the cross, God raised him from the dead to demonstrate to all people, for all time, that goodness will triumph over evil; justice over injustice, love over hate.

Now I reckon that really is worth celebrating so do have a very Happy Christmas.

God Bless, 

Tom