Christmas Day

25th December 2011

St Cuthbert's Bellingham in the quiet after Evening Prayer

In the last twenty four hours this little church has been filled to overflowing with over a hundred people at yesterday's Christingle service, seen a quite different congregation for Midnight Mass (which I didn't attend here) and a small gathering for this morning's Family Communion, whilst I have been partly here and also at  Otterburn for Midnight Mass and at Thorneyburn this morning, whilst other clergy of the Team have ranged around North Tyne and Redesdale.
       It would be interesting to add up the humdreds of worshippers who have attended church services of various kinds in the last twenty-four hours, marking the fact that there are Cbristmas celebrations only because of the Christian belief that God loves the world so much that he came in the person of Jesus to share our human life with all its joys and sorrows.
       That's worth remembering at times of loneliness and isolation, as it means that God understands what we go through.
        So don't stay stuck with a baby in the manger.  Remember that this is just the beginning of the story that helps us to make sense of life.