Advance Posted - I have a very full day!

Wishing all my loyal readers a very joyful, love-filled Christmas, and a New Year full of hope, happiness and health.

May God bless us all with Good News this day, and always...

In 2004, circumstances forced a rapid re-planning of Christmas Eve Communion in a borrowed 'Lady Chapel' of an Anglican parish church.  From this emerged a very precious tradition of gathering in someone's home for a very simple communion service, followed by light refreshments.

Moving north, there were other traditions, and so last year was the first time I offered this simple service.  A goodly number of folk braved a wet, dark night to come to my home, and I think a good time was had by all.

I have just set up my kitchen for this evening's candle light Christmas Eve Communion.  As Advent reaches its conclusion, as the destination is in sight, there's not much I like better than to sit quietly in subdued lighting, with people I love, and remember what it's all about.

Advent has been great, lots of fun, every week a pack out... but this is my time, for me, small, intimate, focused in a different way.  And, of course, I want it to bless others, as it blesses me.

I wanted to end Advent with an image of 'a host of angels' or 'a multitude of angels.'  This one appeared when I searched for the latter.  I like the swirling mass of angels, many, maybe most, barely distinguishable.  I like the constrast of the figures at the foot of the image.

This morning we had yet another pack out service for our 'Lessons and Carols' with some amazing singing, some old, well-loved readings, and a lot of joy.

This evening, I will welcome whoever turns up at my home for a simple communion service, not at midnight (I'll be tucked up long before then!) but early evening.  With recorded music, candles and carefully chosen words, we will listen, one more time, for the voice of the angels bringign us Good News.

God who has journeyed with us to the shortest day, and beyond

Bless us, we pray, with renewed wonder at the mystery of Christmas

Amen.

This angel keeps watch from high above the city of Glasgow - being one of the huge memorials in Glasgow necropolis.

As Advent nears its end, we come almost full circle, with angels keeping sentinel over cities.

After a fairly frenetic week - and a busy morning cleaning my flat ready for guests to drop in this afternoon - I'm just about sorted for the weekend.  And it's good to pause, even fleetingly to listen out for the quiet voice of angels, speaking Good News of hope, joy, peace and love into this city, and countless others.

Thank you, God of all places, for angels carved in stone, symbolising your safekeeping of all held in their gaze.

Gingerbread angels!  It's a few years now since we did a 'Gingerbread Nativity' on Christmas Eve at church.  Indeed, until I was looking for something else on my external hard drive (which turned out to be on my new laptop afterall) I had forgotten all about these pictures.

It's surprising how rapidly the years pass.  Equally surprising, and for me intriguing, what we do and don't remember.  No doubt some people remember very cleary, and fondly the Gingerbread Nativity (I recall it as somewhat chaotic with rather excited children, and frazzled adults, even if I had a lot of fun).

What matters is not that we recall the details, not even that we remember the event, but that it happened, and we experienced it, and, in some small way, it impacted us.

I'm sure the angels (vanilla, gingerbread and chocolate) tasted good.  And I'm sure the day was fun for the small people who took part in it.

Finding the photo reminds me of the value of 'present moment' as well as the limits of memory.  I hope that this year, too, our children and YP have had fun with the activities we've shared, from peg doll angels, to gingerbread men and more. If all they remember in years to come is that it was a time of fun and love, and stories of good news for all, then we'll have done ok.