From the manse…..
They think it’s all over! Dear All, I was listening to the radio on Boxing Day when the presenter declared that Christmas was officially over for another year. I was tempted to phone in and remind them and their listeners that Christmas was in fact a season and would continue until 6 January (Twelfth Night) – and may have done so had I not been for the fact that I was driving the car at the time. Not long afterwards the shops followed suit and all trace of Christmas was removed from window displays and shelves to make room for New Year sales offers. I even saw Easter Eggs on sale! As far as the secular world was concerned Christmas was over before the calendars changed to 2018. But as Joanne and I packed away our own Christmas decorations, cards and nativity sets I wondered if we too were declaring that Christmas was over for another year? When in reality it was only just beginning! Christmas is more than just a season. Christ’s birth was a new chapter in the continuing work of God’s saving grace for the whole world. And each subsequent Christmas we celebrate the continuation of God’s presence in our lives and the life of our world. The belief that God took human form and came and lived among us – is something that should affect our whole lives and not just the twelve days of Christmas. We may have packed our decorations away, but the story of God working in and through our lives is still continuing with fresh chapters already being written. 5