Christ Church Moreton Hall

We have just come through the period of Halloween and the flashes and bangs of bonfire night. Now we have a brief pause before the maddening rush of Christmas. Let's hope that this year people will not spend quite so much on credit cards. It is not good to wake up to a very bad case of the January “blues” brought on by “big red” bills.

However, as we have this brief pause, let us do some remembering. Bonfire night is really about a group of religious extremists who wanted to blow up the houses of Parliament and kill the monarch James 1st. Imagine the media frenzy if such a plot were prevented by the security services today. This seems very familiar.

We know that Christmas is all about Jesus being born in a stable. But what we often forget is, that because of King Herod’s death threats, the holy family had to flee to Egypt for two years and live as refugees until Herod died. All around us are people who have come Britain precisely because their own government wants them dead. So, suddenly we see that what we are going through now is not very different from what happened all those years ago.

What about all hallows eve? Well, that too has a special message for us. The hallowed eve is to remind us of two ancient holy days: All Souls and All Saints. All Souls is about remembering the departed and that their souls are resting in peace until judgement day. At All Saints we recall that one day, because of Jesus, we will all rise again to face The Lord and receive our just reward and some of us will become saints.

In fact the four weeks before Christmas is a season called Advent when we remember both the coming of Jesus as a baby, as well as his coming a second time to bring all things to completion. I find it a great comfort that there is a place in heaven for me. I find it a greater comfort that one day all the unjust governments and terrorists will have to face God himself and not even death will prevent that from happening.

So between all the bangs, doorbells, credit cards, shopping lists, and all the worries of modern life, take a break, refocus on what really matters - your relationship with God. Why not come and join us at one of the many events we will be putting on to help people find the true meaning of Christmas. Every year, all over the world, these services help millions to find comfort and strength in this often chaotic life. I am sure it will do the same for you too.