From the Parish Registers
Wedding
15th November Ian Lednor & Victoria Sherwin
Funeral
17th November Rosemary Mason
Letter from the Rector
Fr Chris writes:
There is a lovely sentence in one of the Gospel readings for Christmas Day, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1.5). Throughout the season of Advent, we look for the light to come into the world, and then celebrate the arrival of the true light - the light that cannot be overcome - in the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The King James Version translated the second part of that sentence as “and the darkness comprehended it not.” And with the world in its current state, which seems to be largely gloom and despondency, perhaps ‘comprehended’ is more helpful than ‘overcome’, although both are true.
To comprehend something is to understand it; to get a good mental grasp of what it is about. I don’t think it unfair to say that many see Christianity as of little relevance to the Credit Crunch or recession, to the terrorist problem, child poverty, AIDS/HIV, the political turmoil in African countries – the list seems endless! But, when the babe of Bethlehem grew up, he had quite a lot to say about greed, self-interest, caring for the sick, the homeless and orphan, about service to the wider community. That baby was born into the real world and what he grew up to say was addressed to the real world, not some parallel universe.
As Christians, we are recipients of that light and are called to let that light show through our actions and words – the surrounding world of darkness may not fully understand us or comprehend what we are about, but equally it cannot overcome us!
Light at the end of the tunnel? Too often nowadays that seems to be an oncoming train! The Wise Men were led to the place where the infant Jesus lay by the shining of a bright star. But the real star of the story set in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago was Jesus in whom God became man. And that star can guide us in the darkness of the surrounding world – that is worth celebrating and taking with us into the New Year.
Elizabeth, Diana and our families join me in wishing you all
A VERY HAPPY, BLESSED & PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS
&
May the light of Christ shine in your life.
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