A very Joyful Christmas

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM Reverend Mark

Dear Friends,

Christmas always seems to creep up on us more quickly than we expect. As I write this, with Christmas less than four weeks away, I must admit that I haven’t even started thinking about buying presents, posting cards and deciding what to have for Christmas dinner this year! But we need to be careful that, in all the hurly-burly of the season, we don’t let the real message of Christmas pass us by. We need to take time to reflect once again on what happened in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, and what that might mean to us today. And of course, with the current tensions and violence in Israel and Gaza, hymns like ‘O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie’ will carry an added sense of poignancy - but we must have faith that the Prince of Peace will ultimately prevail.

Christmas this year marks the end of my first year with you at St Michael’s, St Martin’s and St Andrew’s, and I would like to thank you all for the welcome and friendship you have extended to Rose and myself. I do hope that I will be able to meet with you at one of the many functions and services that are happening in our churches over the Christmas period, and may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very joyful Christmas, and a peaceful New Year.

With every blessing,

Revd Mark.