Tuesday 13 December 2011

This Christmas, what will your vote be on God’s bailout plan?

This is my family’s first Christmas in Swindon and the past week has seen a hive of activity in our road.  We have been watching as our neighbours put up their Christmas lights outside and beautifully adorned Christmas trees have begun to emerge in windows, sparkling for all to see.  The Christmas cards have also started to arrive and many have beautiful serene pictures of snowy landscapes, or peaceful scenes of shepherds or the lowly stable.  All wish us a peaceful and joy filled Christmas.

But as I think upon many of the stories we hear in our news, these wishes of peace and joy can feel dislocated from world events.  Reflecting on the summer riots, Archbishop Rowan Williams describes some of society as living in a general fretful state.  We see this echoed amongst our political and business leaders.  As I write they are hotly debating the future of the Euro and the implications of using our vote of veto on the bailout plan.  Joy and peace seem a distant hope amongst this fretfulness.

But there is hope because it was into our world that Jesus was born.  His own day had its own set of troubles – different, but just as real.  But God showed up. The precious gift of Jesus is God’s astonishing bailout plan to a world in need – he gave of himself through Jesus that we might know joy and peace beyond measure.  Above all, his presence amongst us is the greatest gift of pure love which can sustain us as we each make a path through the challenges of this world.

As the world celebrates another Christmas, we invite you to come and journey with us at one of our Christmas services and to ponder on the gift of Jesus.  Look for him as we retell the remarkable story, sing the familiar carols and marvel once more at his coming into our world.  As we have seen in the economic crisis, bail outs are expensive, and God’s was the costliest as he sent his own son.  However, it is freely given to each one of us if we accept.  So this Christmas, as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, will your vote be yes to God’s bailout plan of love?

All of us at Christ Church with St Marys wish you, your families and those you love, a blessed and joy filled Christmas.  May you know the peace of God’s presence and love. 

The Revd Trudie Wigley
Curate

If you would like to attend one of our Christmas Services this year - the details are here.

Christmas in a nutshell:

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