Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011

The Christmas break for me ran from 21 December to 3 January. It's been a good relaxing time for the most part, but there has been some work involved and an unpleasant visit to the dentist. The only downside has been a robbery that meant that some of the family did not receive the Christmas presents they would have. Well, that and the dentist.  The dentist is always an experience I hate.  I have been 3 times in the last few weeks and have to have an extraction on 3 Jan.  It could be worse of course, I could be in pain with no access to a dentist!

This year I was not involved in leading or preaching at Christmas, which meant that I could choose the services I attended.  My only duty was to lead intercessions at the mid-night service. So I was at the last Christingle service on Christmas eve, the midnight communion service and the Christmas Day service.  Christingle was still well supported even though Christmas eve fell on a Saturday.  I had expected the numbers to be down but that was not the case.  Indeed the attendances have been good through the whole period.

Karen and Robert were waiting for us in the church car park on Christmas Day and we spent the rest of the day with them.  Present opening was super fast this year as Andy took change and 'speed delivered' the presents from the tree to the recipient.  I'll let you imagine what speed delivered means.  The there was a family dog walk in the increasing gloom in the later afternoon.

On Boxing Day (St Stephens Day) we went to visit my nephew for the evening meal.  His wife had cooked for all of us and his family.  Once my children and my sisters children get together you can be sure of a loud evening with plenty of banter and probably quite a bit of "Sing Star" - competitive karaoke.  We were not disappointed.

The next three days operated on the more classic 'Pete Time', getting up late and going to bed late.  The routine became sleep, eat, walk the dog, repeat.  Except for building the new computers at church.  These must be usable by 3 Jan when the office opens for business.  For the first time ever we have purchased new equipment - two identical machines and a more sophisticated storage and backup system.  The basics are ready but there is much more to do before our vision is complete.

Today I led a spoken only service which I was expecting would not be well attended - I was wrong again.  While not at the levels of a normal Sunday there was a respectable number in the congregation.  There were also some old friends, who we increasingly only see once a year.  refreshments were no available but I invited the congregation to stay and chat.  The 45 minute service was followed by about 45 minutes of chat.  Really good to see that we don't need refreshments for this to happen.

P.S. How do I get my google+ photo's on my blog?  With picasa it's easy, a link is provided, but with google+ I haven't a clue!

Christmas is over

On Christmas eve there were three Christingle services at Christ Church - all very well attended, the first apparently had over 300, which is rather too many for the building, so it must have been heaving.  The office where I work was closed at noon, but being in I.T. I did leave until about 1pm.  I was soon home and waiting for my eldest daughter to arrive - sometime about an hour or so after the end of her crib service.  So I did not get to see the Christingle services.  Karen arrived mid-evening.  The four of us went to the midnight communion, which in our church still spans mid-night.  The boys, sadly, do not join us, even at this time of year.  There I told the Shepherds story to the few who had managed to stay the course / finish their preparation in time.  Then it was back home, open one present (it's Christmas day then) and off to bed - to get enough sleep to enjoy Jesus's birthday party the next morning. Balloons and party games in Church to celebrate the arrival of the King of Kings.

Christmas lunch was prepared and served, eaten and enjoyed.  The only slight issue being that the bottle of wine we had save for the occasion from last year was corked.  A lesson learnt - all this years wine has now been consumed. There followed a brief spell of present opening - we seemed to have SO much this year.  That was because the girl friends presents were also under our tree.
Then it was back to the food after my sister arrived with two of her three children (those still at home).
So Christmas went well - we had a house full of family and plenty to eat.  Some very nice presents too. 

As the family age the 'traditions' for celebrating Christmas (our usual routine for the past 20 something years) necessarily;y changes and new forms will appear in due course.  So long as we keep telling the story of His birth, His life, His death, and His Life the main point will not be lost.  We will not descend into "seasons greetings" as so many seem to be doing.  What is the season you are sending greetings for exactly?

As Greg Lake sang:
Hallelujah! Noel!, be it Heaven or Hell,
The Christmas we get, we deserve.

P.S. by the way Greg - the Israelites really did exist, and most Historians would agree that the particular one whose birth we are celebrating of did exist too.

Sunday, December 10th @ 4pm at St. Peters, Hutton - Christingle

Jo said she'd be interested to see how it was done somewhere else. There are differences everywhere. Here the Christingles are already made. When we arrive with five minutes to go the church is almost full. The hall is opened up, and there's very little seating available even in the overflow. It is not a widely advertised service, but people find out that its on and come anyway. The service is designed with small children in mind. We start with Colours of day - appropriate but one of my pet hates. There is some basic liturgy, and a song that explains the Christingles. The youth group (SPY - St Peters Youth) do their part. They are clearly not well rehearsed, by nevertheless do a very creditable job under the circumstances. This is the first time I have seen SPY - and its one of the things I was looking forward to. Youngsters with long hair are instructed to tie it back. There are instructions given, and children appear from everywhere - no adults take Christingles here. The SPY youth have tapers and are lighting the Christingles. One little girl is overheard saying "its a death trap" as she watches all the lit candles and tries to walk past. The lights are switched off. Any church looks wonderful full of happy children holding lit candles I'm sure. St. Peters certainly does.

As always at St Peters the timetable works like a dream. The service is scheduled to be 45 minutes. 45 Minutes after the start of the service the church is almost empty. That is one of the things we discussed as we left, Jo agrees it leads to the service feeling rushed. Its also fair to point out that we are rushed. On to the next blog entry to find out why.