December 24 - Christmas heralded

A Christmas Eve which has had two carol services in it and us returning to the Leper Chapel for midnight communion tonight. 

This morning the two congregations in Ripon joined together to count down their top ten carols chosen over the last few weeks. It was as exciting as the Christmas pop chart being announced last Friday: the Sam Ryder versus Last Christmas by Wham! battle. The clear winner was this:

Cradled in a manger, meanly,
Laid the Son of Man His head;
Sleeping His first earthly slumber
Where the oxen had been fed.
Happy were those shepherds listening
To the holy angel's word;
Happy they within that stable
Worshipping their infant Lord.

Happy all who hear the message
Of His coming from above;
Happier still who hail His coming,
And with praises greet His love.
Blessèd Saviour, Christ most holy,
In a manger Thou didst rest;
Canst Thou stoop again, yet lower,
And abide within my breast?

Evil things are there before Thee;
In the heart, where they have fed,
Wilt Thou pitifully enter,
Son of Man, and lay Thy head?
Enter, then, O Christ most holy;
Make a Christmas in my heart;
Make a heaven of my manger:
It is heaven where Thou art.

And to those who never listened
To the message of Thy birth,
Who have winter, but no Christmas
Bringing them Thy peace on earth,
Send to these the joyful tidings;
By all people, in each home,
Be there heard the Christmas anthem;
Praise to God, the Christ has come!

I was very pleased this carol won. For me it sums up what Christmas is all about - transformation. Wesleyan Methodist Minister George Stringer Rowe wrote these words which are as fresh as they were in the 1870’s. Christmas is at its heart a protest, an explosion of grace, a radical narrative which says something new is about to happen. Christmas things help us feel good about ourselves, the trouble is that it doesn’t last. 

Today has been full of good things:

The top ten carol service was well received. There were yelps of joy at the winner!

A lovely Christmas lunch with my colleague Sarah : battered sprouts with a chilli dipping sauce - YUM! 

Another carol service at Dallowgill in the howling wind.  

Midnight communion at the Leper Chapel. 

What if we decided to live Christmas every day going into a New Year? What if battered sprouts were available all year? Wouldn’t both be great? 

Let us live Christmas. We can make a difference.