Pastor @ mbc’s Weblog

Monday 15th December

Advent is flying by, and Christmas is almost upon us. I have already eaten several Christmas dinners, and sung more than a few Christmas carols. However much I might try to keep Christmas to its rightful place, it does (inevitably) spill over into the weeks beforehand, and we cant avoid it, however much we may wish we could. As a child, I used to listen to Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” (on an old 78 rpm record! – if you dont know what that was, ask your grandad!) – and it made me feel that there was no lovelier time or place than Christmas with your family. Of course, things are never quite the same when you grow up, but we can sometimes glimpse the wonder and excitement of it all again, when we look into the eyes of a child.  Nicky and I are looking forward to becoming grandparents in the new year (our daughter Sarah is expecting a baby in February) – so I anticipate some wonderful Christmases to come…

Last Sunday was Bible Sunday, and we had a good day at Church – although there are many absentees at present, because of ill health. Next Sunday (21st December) is a big day, with our Christingle Service in the morning at 11am; and then the wonderful “Carols by Candlelight” at 6.30pm. Do please come and join us if you can; and try to bring your family, friends, neighbours etc with you – they are sure to enjoy the atmosphere.

On Saturday (20th) we are Carol Singing in College Square at 10.30am – come and join us if you possibly can. Then on Christmas Day, we will have a short Family Service at 10.15am – a wonderful way to start your Christmas celebrations. Please bring an unopened gift to Church, so that you can enjoy opening it in the service.

Eddie Askew, in one of his books, quotes a wonderful poem, which says:

“Blessed art thou, O Christmas Christ, that thy cradle was so low that shepherds – poorest and simplest of all earthly folk, could yet kneel beside it, and look level-eyed into the face of God.”

That is an amazing image – God found in human form, to touch, to see, to live with, near at hand – and even shepherds can look level-eyed into his face. Most often, of course, we look level-eyed into the faces of those around us – our families and friends, our neighbours and work-mates. Its good to remember that God is in them too; and we find him looking at us through the eyes of others – including the poor, the weak and the hungry.

May I wish you a very happy Christmas, and a wonderful new year. This will be my last post until after the Christmas period, as I will be short of time over the next week or two. May God richly bless you and those you love. Stephen.

“Did you hear about the man who died whilst stirring a Christmas pudding? Apparently he was pulled under by a strong currant!”

Sorry I havent posted for while – I have been incredibly busy over the past couple of weeks, and this week I have been away at a “Mentoring” course, in Leicestershire.
We had a fantastic day on 30th November, with Emma’s baptism in the morning, and “Songs of Praise” at New Life Family Church in the evening. It was a truly memorable day, and God was at work in all sorts of ways. This last Sunday (7th December) was also great – it was lovely to share with Lisa and Kieran, Claire and Liam as they welcomed Caden into the family. There was also a great response to the “Christmas Gift” appeal – and we were still enjoying the after-effects of the all-age musical production, which took up the whole of Saturday. What a great weekend!
This week we look forward to marking Bible Sunday on 14th December, with a Communion Service at 11am, and evening worship at 6.30pm – when we will bring our long series on the Sermon on the Mount to a close.
Advent is a hectic time of year – a season of preparing and getting ready. I hope that you will make time to prepare more than just a family Christmas – make Advent a time to prepare your own heart to meet with God.
Have a great week – check back here again next week, as I hope to post a Christmas message soon. Stephen
“How does Good King Wenceslas  like his pizza? Deep pan, crisp and even.”