From darkness into light

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Today is both Advent Sunday and the first day of  December. In church we lit the first Advent candle. At home the first pocket of our Advent calendar contained chocolate coins. We are counting down to Christmas.

For Christians Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. In the dark days of December the candles we light week by week remind us that Jesus came to bring light to the world. In a world oppressed by fear we proclaim hope. In troubling times we pray for the coming of the Prince of Peace. In the face of darkness and despair we find joy as once again we await the arrival of the Christ Child.

Advent 2019

Dilemma and decision

We knew it was coming but somehow we hoped the forecast might be wrong. What a contrast from this time last year when my St David's Day photo was of daffodils and rain in Cardiff.

Across Britain snow has brought disruption, difficulty and dilemma. Should we all carry on regardless? Or is it wise to cancel what we can and wait for the thaw? The logic of commerce seems to favour the former, concern for human well being might indicate the latter.

Does Lenten practice help in deciding? On the one hand, there is virtue in overcoming difficulty at personal cost. On the other hand, unexpected time to pause and reflect is valuable.

Since I began writing it has stopped snowing here but with the temperature still below zero the dilemma remains unresolved. I intend to put decisions off a little longer.

Lost connections

Lent this year has had an interesting aspect. Choosing to give things up at this time of year has a long and honourable history. Being forced to do so by circumstances beyond one's own control isn't really part of the deal but the experience of doing without broadband for ten days has been interesting.

There were positive aspects. No random phone calls and plenty of time to unpack following a house move. But there was so much needing to be done...so many people to contact...so many people wanting to contact me.

Today's world demands that we all be available 24/7. We expect instant access to services, products and, above all, information. Losing connection challenges every aspect of the way we live. Perhaps that's what Lent is really about.

Watching, waiting and wondering

Three more sleeps until Christmas. Advent is almost at an end. Over the next couple of days preparations will be made, journeys will be undertaken and gifts will be wrapped. All will be made ready - let Christmas begin.


As we prepare, we join Mary and Joseph in anticipation of a new beginning. The birth of a child brings many changes. Life will never be the same again.

At Christmas there is a heightened sense of not just new beginnings but also of endings. We look back over the past year and remember. It is the season for joy but these last days of waiting can bring sorrow and anxiety.

We continue to watch, to wait and to wonder.

Hospitality and hope

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)

Bethlehem is at the centre of the Christmas story. Although not much of a place it was here that Jesus was welcomed into the world. In Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were offered hospitality by a hard pressed innkeeper. And on that night hope came into the world in a new and special way.

Over the Christmas period churches open their doors in welcome. Many offer hospitality in the form of meals and mince pies. The nativity story will be told through carols and readings. Jesus will be worshipped as light and hope for the world.

Most local churches will, like the little town of Bethlehem, know themselves to be small and insignificant. The hospitality they offer will, like that of the innkeeper, seem inadequate. Despite all this, hope will once again be born into the world as the birth of the Holy Child is celebrated.

Christmas trees and nativities

Baptists in Bridgwater have been busy with trees and nativity scenes of late. Three trees and a knitted nativity set at church, one of each in the shop window and a final tree in the Methodist Church Christmas Tree Festival.

Our Baptist ancestors might not have approved. The mix of sacred and secular that defines our modern Christmas can be hard to handle for people of faith.

A Toy and Nativity service at the Methodist Church yesterday brought the elements together in a special way. Surrounded by trees, Baptists, Methodists and visitors shared together in a service including a nativity play. Children and adults together told the story of the coming of the Christ Child. Presents were left to be passed on to children in our town for whom this Christmas might otherwise be bleak.

For me, the contradictions and tensions of Christmas melt away like the snow that almost arrived yesterday. The next two weeks will be full of community, caring and sharing as together we celebrate God's gift in Jesus.