A Christmas message from your Vicar - Rev’d Dee .

New Year Blessings , Love and Peace.

After the celebrations of Christmas and all the celebrations the month of January can often seem very dark and dull. All those bright Christmas lights seemed to have disappeared, the Christmas decorations are packed back into their boxes for yet another year. January can, for many, feel a little bit of an anticlimax to say the least. The days are still short, and darkness often prevails. For Christians, however, there is a light perpetual; ‘Jesus said, I am the light of the world and those who follow me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life eternal’. John 8;12 . These are certainly welcomed words in the month of January when everything seems to very dark and dull. We may be tempted to rush out and book our next holiday just to have, for a few moments, that feel good factor and imagine ourselves basking in the warm sunshine. That is fantastic and definitely something to look forward to but also very transitional temporary and maybe a long way off. When we accept Jesus as our friend and saviour we are promised a new and different light , a light that can never be extinguished, a light that is never packed away in a box for another year, a light that brightens the pathway of our lives, even on the darkest of days, and leads us into a new and exciting way of life; a life that knows God’s love, acceptance and strength; a life that seeks to receive the blessings and love of God and a life that is eager to share, with others, the Grace that He gives to us. God’s grace cannot be earned, it cannot be brought, it cannot be achieved alone- it is a free gift from God but we have to receive it. It can be defined theologically as ‘undeserved favour’ God gives to us the greatest and most deepest love even when we don’t deserve it. God also shows us great mercy too which he calls us to show to others. God’s mercy is true forgiveness and He is always there to welcome us into His loving arms and His loving home the church. As we journey forward into 2024 let us, as that lovely songs suggests, ‘ Walk in the Light of Christ’. I can’t promise that it will make a more peaceful world because that is just what it is ‘the world’ but when we walk in God’s light and His Heavenly Kingdom it will, I promise you , give you a deep peace in your hearts. A very blessed and peaceful new year from Rev’d Dee and Rev’d