From the Ministry Team

The Revd Peter Hansell

It is the dead of winter, the freezing cold, the long drawn out nights, as Robert Burns said, ‘The wintry west extends his blast, and hail and rain does blaw’. Yet, in the midst of these winter depths angelic voices proclaim, ’Glory to the new born king. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled’. Jesus Christ is born, Happy Christmas, and a Blessed New Year to the world!

Christmas is our festival of new life, a sign of hope, where Jesus Christ comes into the world as a new born babe breathing the Holy Spirit over the whole world and filling us with life anew. Historically, though, Christmas took a long time to emerge as a regular festival, partly because many of the first Christians, like Origen, thought that, ‘Only sinners, like Pilate and Herod, celebrate their birthdays’. However, slowly and after much debate, the Church began to see the importance of Christmas as a time when the new born baby comes into the world to give us all hope, to refresh us and to change our lives. This is particularly appropriate at a time of global economic trouble, when those on the margins are feeling squeezed. God offers hope to everyone in Jesus Christ, giving the promise of a flourishing life in all its fullness.

This promise of new life at Christmas is good news for us at St Mary’s and St Anne’s. Our benefice is at a crucial stage in its history, where we all have begun to accept that changes are inevitable. We have agreed to be part of a church based on the key themes of Worship, Communication, Discipleship and Hospitality and now the Vision Group are exploring possible options for the future of the benefice. The work of this group is important, and they need to be held together in the prayers of everyone in the benefice as we pray for God’s guidance as they formulate possible options for our shared future.

One of the exciting developments in the benefice over the past few months has been the increasing concentration upon the ministry of prayer. We believe as Christians that all our plans should be offered in prayer to Almighty God. The Ministry Team and the PCC now begin every meeting with prayer and worship, offering before God the needs of the benefice. In the midst of our ever increasingly busy lives where it seems everything is about doing and there is rarely any space for reflecting or praying, it can be hard to make time for God. However, although it does require commitment, when we offer God our time, God will bless us. Many have commented to me about how valuable they have found the lgnatian Prayer Course in October and November as an opportunity to listen to God in the midst of their busy lives. There is now an opportunity to light a candle in the Lady Chapel in St Mary’s with the new votive stands, and to say a prayer, perhaps remembering someone who is now with Jesus, praying for someone who is sick or troubled, or maybe asking God for direction in your own life.

Christmas encourages us that God is trying to work in all our lives, and will bring about surprising and refreshing opportunities. The future may not be exactly clear at present, but because God took the risk to come to this earth as a new born baby, an exciting future is promised to all of us. To celebrate Christmas there will be a Benefice Christmas Tree Festival with several community groups contributing Christmas trees in St Mary’s from 18—21 December. The Festival will open with Cracking Carols and Christmas Cheer, 7:30pm on Thursday 18 th December. Do come along for a fun filled festival. Christmas is a time of hope, new life, and God breathed change; may God bless you all in this sacred time.

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