Do you look forward to Christmas? Are you the first to put up your tree or your wreath on the door? Do your ears prick up when you go into a shop and hear those familiar Christmas pop songs from the past already being played? Some people love Christmas – perhaps it’s the secular side of buying presents and decorating our homes, or the being with family and of course the church services and our carol services.
Yet Christmas is not an easy time for many. Some people will be facing a holiday with an empty seat at the dinner table, maybe for the first time but not necessarily, time does not always heal. And those happy Christmas advertisements are difficult for those who perhaps are experiencing a family rift or perhaps just find themselves alone this year. Some of us are feeling the pinch financially and some people just find the expectation that they should be happy at Christmas difficult.
If you feel any of these things you are not alone. The Christmas story is definitely not about “enforced jollity”. It is not about “Elf on a Shelf” or a mountain of food or presents. If you are a person who just finds the whole Christmas thing difficult why not join us on December 10th at 4pm for our Service of Light and Hope. A time to think and reflect – to feel sad if we want to or simply to enjoy a more quiet time. We will be turning the volume down on Christmas!
Everyone is welcome. And even those who do like Christmas with all the bells and whistles – it is just such a busy time why not come along and spend a little time from all that business and preparation? Rev’d Cannon Andrea Jones 3rd December 2023