Wednesday, 4 December 2024

Advent mixed messages…



It’s easy to get confused in these weeks. Is it Advent or is it Christmas? At school today after my collective worship the children were told very firmly “it’s not Christmas yet so you needn’t be silly. There are two weeks and two days of school to go.” I probably didn’t help the outbreak of silliness as I did a collective worship on waiting and got the children to form a queue and I asked them what they might be queuing for. We were doing alright until one of said “the toilet” and of course the word “toilet” for some reason provokes snorting!! 

The same children were tonight doing Christmas even though it isn’t Christmas. They were singing carols at Boroughbridge light switch on and late night shopping. 

It’s as easy for us preachers to get confused. Do we preach Christmas coming and baby stories? But hasn’t he already come so shouldn’t we be anticipating the kingdom and judgement and his return? Isn’t it Christmas every day really? Discuss! 

It was whatever good today on the fourth day of Advent to see a town anticipate Christmas. We all need some comfort and joy. And we were doing fine until it started raining very hard and the Methodist biscuits and leaflets started to get very wet… so we baled early. 

And what was also good was how many people knew me as I mingled tonight. I told the children at school to come and find me tonight. One little boy introduced me to his Mum:

“This is Rev Ian. He’s the new Rev Karen. (Rev Karen is the former vicar who has moved on. I’m covering the school while there’s an interregnum even though I’m a different flavour.)  “But he has a different name!” Isn’t that great? 




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