We had a great CHRISTINGLE SERVICE!

We had a really nice Christingle Service this morning at my Church, which was coupled with two 3rd Birthday celebrations for two children baptised a while ago by me. That meant that in addition to the Christingles we also had birthday cake! SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

There was a really nice feeling in the Service which helped to make it a special blessing for all involved. The hymns were great. I love the opportunity to sing Christmas Carols and the various Advent songs, all of which help to put a smile on faces and help to focus people on the true meaning of Christmas.

Here in the UK the Government seems to have been working overtime to destroy the whole ethos of Christmas as a celebration of Christ's birth. Some areas celebrate Winter Lights, some seem to keep a careful watch in case any school dares to host a 'traditional' Nativity, and so on. They are, of course, quite happy for any other faith group to celebrate their religious festivals, but when it comes to Christians it seems that anything to do with Christianity is labelled by someone as being politically incorrect. How sad that a country that was founded on Christian principles should be like it is now.

I certainly do not begrudge any other faith group their ceremonies. I think that it's all part of living in a multi-cultural society, but I do object to the festivals of my own faith being so marginalised as to bring their very existence into question. Whatever anyone, Government or individual, might like to suggest, the real reason for the Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, the Saviour of mankind. All the trimmings and various aspects of the secular aspects of the Christmas Season, many of which have been handed down from Pagan ceremonies, and those which owe their roots to the Victorians, are simply ways of making merry and have nothing really to do with the REAL reason that Christians celebrate. Even the date --- 25th December --- is a date of convenience!

So this Christmas let us enjoy as much or as little of the 'trimmings' as we individually want to without any guilty feelings, but let us also ensure that, in our readiness to do that, we have also made ourselves spiritually ready to celebrate the birth of a Babe that grew to change the world, and who lives today in our hearts. Today we celebrate His first coming, but as we do so let us also look forward to His Second Coming as well!