iGod

Christmas Olympics

A dear friend of ours Helene from All Souls, Twickenham, always manages to raise a smile with her creative Christmas cards. Thought it worth posting to share the Christmas love wider.

Hope you are all well into the Christmas by now. I know we are are at SVV.

ASD

Keep Calm and Enjoy Christmas

(My article reproduced from Community News.)

I remember sitting in a church a few years and hearing a vicar talk about how Christmas is a time of peace and goodwill, and how we needed to find space to just be.

As a young parent I thought, “Yeh, right!”

In all honesty, I strained to hear how the talk finished as one daughter almost caused an international incident by stealing another child’s Buzz Lightyear, while the other threw a habdab because I asked to her give back an elderly lady’s walking stick. Peace in heaven maybe, but peace on earth was stretching it.

In the midst of a busy conference recently I came across a flavour of tea called Moment of Calm. Although not quite tempted to have a cup, it did remind me of those unavoidable ubiquitous Keep Calm and Carry On posters and mugs, which seem to be everywhere like a cheap suit. Originally a wartime poster produced by the British government in 1939, it now has its own parodies such as: Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake and Now Panic and Freak Out. Calmness is something we are seeking everywhere.

I wonder, though, if it possible to have a true moment of calm this Christmas?

When I think of having a calm Christmas myself the familiar Austrian carol Silent Night, Holy Night by Franz Xaver Gruber comes to mind.

What makes the hymn special for me is that it is said to have been sung simultaneously in French, English and German by troops in the trenches during the famous Christmas truce of 1914. It was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew.

It was estimated that on that Christmas Eve around 100,000 troops ceased fighting and instead, quite bizarrely, shouted Happy Christmas to each other before eventually going over the top to exchange, not gunfire, but presents. There was even a friendly game of football.

I suspect Silent Night has never had a less holy setting, but it was sung where hope in a saviour of the world was needed most. I am sure it was also sung with gusto. It was a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the bloodiest and needless wars in modern history.

It tells me that if there can be calm in the midst of the Great War then, perhaps, aiming for some of our own peace and calm this Christmas is not beyond our reach.

We will, of course, be remembering our troops this year who will be far away from home, but for ourselves let me ask: where will we look for our calm? Will it be in a tea bag or somewhere a little more soulful like Church?

There are a number of local churches who have planned Christmas services where I know a time of peace on earth will be on offer (see Church Services on page 4).

But if you do have noisy excitable kids, like ours, you’re very welcome to bring them to our hour-long Christmas Eve Family Carols service at 7pm in the Delphi Centre. Why not come early for free mince pies and mulled wine? It’s usually a lot fun and just the thing after you’ve done all your shopping and preparations. We’d love to see you. We’ll even promise to sing Silent Night, Holy Night too.

Meanwhile, may I wish you a happy Christmas on behalf of all of us at Stour Valley Vineyard Church.

ASD

A thought for Christmas: when the light of faith flickers

Well, Christmas is fast approaching as our Christmas Eve Family Carols preparations start to take shape thankfully. It is going to be a joyous occasion and with so many families coming it will hardly be a quiet contemplative service, but, hey, there has been time for that within the Advent season.

Alongside the church preparing for God to come into the world we have of course had journos reporting the usual fare in the season of illwill toward Christians. For instance, we hear that Prof AC Grayling has been working on his humanist version of the BIble called the Good Book. He tells the Times that he hopes to have it out at Easter. (Good PR planning guys - original!) He says he is not looking to anger Christians. Hm. Either he is being incredibly naive or is treating the religious community as dingbats. What do you think?

More helpfully, I have read former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion's thoughtful piece in the Saturday Times about his own journey of faith. He admits that his own thoughts had taken him down the Hitchen view that Christendom was some kind of "celestial North Korea", as mentioned in the debate with former Prime Minister Tony Blair the other week.

But as so often is the case, when prejudice is removed and we stop pedalling someone else's doctrine, whether of the faith or atheistic kind, something can happen. An honest exploration of what it is to be human may be discovered.

For Motion, he sees his own encounter with faith not so much as a Damascene light, but more of a flicker. Sometimes he says he sees God clearly, sometimes not at all. In short, he is being honest with his struggle of faith versus doubt. Much like we all do.

I like this language a lot, but because, really, how can anyone experience God with a full uninterrupted light of certitude?

However, when we are disciplined enough to press into the presence of God through prayer and devotion the flickers become subtly less. For me at least. Theologically we may understand this as the Kingdom of God breaking into the present, touching the edge of darkness of men's hearts, as Paul the apostle might have said to the young Timothy.

Now, I know Christmas can be a sentimental time. It can be a lonely time. It is also a time when we remember friends near and far, family and lost loved ones, but somehow the flicker of light in the Advent candles is an encouraging image for us all to huddle around. There is really nothing wrong with that.

For me, Christmas is a constant reminder that Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, continues to expose any darkness of doubt and disbelief I may hold to draw me into a deeper experience of himself.

ASD

 

 

Couple of great church flash mobs to watch

 As we begin the season known as Advent, I thought I would post the video mentioned by Bishop Nick Baines this week. It has the Hallelujah Chorus breaking out in a food court in a busy shopping mall.

I found it not only fun, but also very moving. It reminds me that God broke into our ordinary everyday lives to do an extraordinary thing among us - changing history, the present and the future forever.

 I thought also I would post the flash mob from our friends in the Cincinnati Vineyard (Dave Workman's church) who took to the streets to do this more contemporary Christmas tune. Both to me are a powerful expressions of what it means to being an outward focused church.

Meanwhile, would love to know if any other flashmobs are planned by any enterprising groups this Christmas.

Enjoy.

ASD

White Christmas or Christmas blues?

My family and I visited a Christmas craft fair recently, we do it every year. We go there to buy our tree. Out comes Bing singing "White Christmas" and we are in the zone!

While at the craft fair I came across a poster which read, "If Christmas did not exist it would have to be invented."

For some, Christ is the reason, but for many others He is the excuse. I cannot blame people for wanting to piggyback on one of the two greatest Christian festivals of the year. It has been a difficult year for many families. Jobs have been lost, homes repossessed, unsecured debt hugely increased. Christmas is a timely gift when we can have some respite from the harshest recession in living memory. God bless all those who are struggling.

But I pray the excuse will turn to a reason, because we all need hope beyond ourselves. Hope beyond our own personal predicaments. These are places where the state system can't touch or voluntary organisations get near.

However remarkable we are as human beings, and we are, I believe it is because we were made to be remarkable by a remarkable God. Lest we believe our own press that we are so good that we don't need divine help. That would appear to me to be arrogant and, let's be honest, a bit short-sighted.

 I like Dave Hayward's cartoon, because finding space for the son of God is not always convenient, especially when so much of the lives are filled up with worries of work, our children and the future. And that's just us in the church!

More wider, of course, the world struggles to find room to accommodate the coming of salvation. Our spiritual condition just does not get priority. Talk about putting the cart before the donkey.

Yet, somehow Jesus' birth still manages to be celebrated each year. For some, it will be in a grand cathedral in a prominent well-heeled part of a city. For others, it will be in a non-descript business unit on an industrial estate in South-east London. All expressions are loved by God.

For ourselves, it will be in Sudbury Town Hall on Christmas Eve at 7.00 pm.

A Christmas carol written by Christina Rosetti:

Angels and archangel

May have gathered there

Cherubim and seraphim

Throng'd the air

But only his mother

In her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.

Have a peaceful and joyful Christmas. God bless.

ASD

Christmas starts with Christ (article reproduced)

Each month I try and write an article for our town magazine, Community News. It gets distributed for free far and wide to all the households. The magazine editors, themselves, do an absolutely brilliant job and really serve our community well.

Here are my latest collection of rambling thoughts reproduced here:

I love Christmas. I love it all. It brings out different sides in all of us, though some can be dubious. 

For instance, there is the Christmas Party Animal who has the knack of sniffing out a soiree the other side of the county and always stays till the bitter end when the host is begging for their bed.

I remember as a theological student asking a cheery Catholic priest how he would like to be remembered when he left this mortal life.  He paused, smiled and then replied, “He liked a party”.  Not a bad way to be remembered. Better than a dour, miserable Christian.

Quite the opposite to the Christmas Party Animal is the Christmas Stress Head who gets more ill with the run up to the big day. They desperately try to juggle their children’s nativity play rehearsals and productions, and wonder when the shopping will get done and the food cooked.  Their Christmas can be far from fun. To boot, come January their body collapses with a major cold or flu.

As a Christian I value the anticipation of the Christmas Day. Like my Catholic friend I am not one for religious solemnity, though the thought of Jesus entering our world as a baby should make us reflect and find us in momentary places of stillness.

I saw a poster recently that said ‘Christmas starts with Christ’. For many of us who have a faith in Jesus that is most certainly true. It is not just an opportunity for some additional church services, it is first and foremost a birthday celebration. And with celebrations come parties. That means party decorations, food and drink, singing and dancing. Surely the arrival of the saviour of the world and hope for all humankind deserves some noise.

In the Bible the people of Israel used to celebrate all the major occasions with big feasts and parties. Although they were not without their ritual and solemnity they were certainly not dour occasions, and often lasted for days.

Yet what makes this birthday celebration different is how we give the presents. 

In our church we see giving gifts to each other as a symbolic gesture of remembering the gifts that were given to Jesus by the three wise men, as well as in thanks to God for the gift of Jesus.  Our presents to one another can be seen as reflection of the ultimate gift given by God to man, which is at the heart of our Christmas.

It is a pity then that when this wonderful truth gets overlooked the giving of gifts becomes just a meaningless ritual that everyone does, but simply hasn’t got a clue why.

Well, here’s a suggestion to put meaning back into your own Christmas. Why not join Stour Valley Vineyard Church at its Christmas Eve Service in the Town Hall on Thursday 24 December?  It starts at 7 pm.  Mulled wine and mince pies are served from 6.30 pm onwards.  And if you can’t make our service there are plenty of other churches where I know you will also receive a warm welcome.

Merry Christmas!  May you know the peace and love of God at this time. God bless.

ASD

The start of Advent

As many of you informed and smart people will know the period of Advent started on Sunday with, er, Advent Sunday. However, the Advent calendars won't start until 1 December. Why is that?

Anyhow, I came across this poem/prose from Breathe and thought it was worth sharing here.  For those of us who were at church on Sunday you will understand its pertinence.

Advent starts now

Not when the gifts were stuffed into shops in warm October.

Advent starts with a voice crying “Get Ready”

Not with the coos and calls of consumption.

Advent starts with hearts stripped bare, scaffolding down, empty and still…

Advent starts with a people humbled, desperate, dependent on Grace for the future unfolding.

It starts with a promise: God comes

The feast is not the goal; the feast is a promise:  

He will be with us 

So get ready

Advent starts today

Thanks, Damion.

ASD

Advent 'Think Spot'

Our friends at All Souls, in St Margaret's Twickenham have a nice idea for Advent. Richard Frank says in his church's blog that they are going to be doing a think-spot for families each week of Advent. it will have a Bible focus, things to chat about during the week (breakfast time?) and suggested activities.

Whether any sticky back plastic will be involved we will have to wait and see. Good stuff!

ASD