Prayer for Advent Day Seven - Being Community

I went to my first Christmas carol service and party tonight. I stood by this roundabout for ages waiting for Santa and the Mayor of Bexhill to arrive. And froze! It was the Little Common and Cooden Business Association launch of Christmas in the village. A huge do. We stood in the freezing road at the roundabout listening to Chris De Burgh blasting out “A Spaceman Came Travelling”, then the Mayor of Bexhill waffled on for a bit and then Santa appeared, and then we followed Santa down the street into the British Legion for a Carol Service led by the Rector and by me. It was a hard gig. A lot of people there for the free food and the children’s disco. Let’s get this pesky service done with quickly. 

The service was followed by party games and loud music and a baked potato and a glass of wine. A thoroughly good community occasion, much enjoyed by everyone. (Perhaps even the service!) I sat there and thought what is it that is making everyone so excited? It was if Christmas Day itself had arrived in Little Common last night. Well, we did sing “Yay Lord we greet thee born this happy morning” so perhaps it was December 25^th over there!

I think this season for people is about comfort and joy. We sang it tonight: tidings of comfort and joy. But where are people getting comfort and joy this year? Is Christmas escapism, or is there a permanent message in it and what is our place in it? 

Comfort. What is comfort? Well, we speak of a comfortable bed, a comfortable hotel on holiday, we need comforting when we are upset, we need comfort when life is hard. People want comfortable lives. They want the best they can get. A grandfather was talking to his granddaughter. “When I was a child all we got for Christmas was an apple and an orange.” The little girl clapped her hands in joy. “Brilliant!” she said, “I’d love a new computer and a mobile.” 

Tonight I watched a village community having fun. We were in the heart of it as a church. I wonder what tonight did for people? 

O God, it is good for people to come together and have fun in these weeks. It was a shock to some people tonight to see the minister stay for food and watch children dance to Cheryl whatshername now and that song from Frozen and down a glass of wine. But this is where you call us to be, in the middle of celebration, in the middle of community life. My prayer tonight O God, is for the Church, especially where she is still too obsessed with keeping a building going and having no energy to be amongst your people where they are. If Jesus really is Immanuel God with us, then we have got it very wrong in many places. May this Advent journey renew us for engagement and to discover actually being in the world can be fun! Amen.