Christmas in Chandler's Ford

Usually at this time of year musicians and singers from the Churches of Chandler’s Ford join forces to serenade Christmas shoppers in our local ASDA with a selection of carols. This year COVID restrictions and regulations have meant it is not possible but instead we were invited to provide a carol for the store radio in December.

This very familiar carol , with a modern twist is an invitation to gather joyfully to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Gathering and Joy may feel in short supply this year but Christians everywhere believe that when God came in Jesus to share the sufferings of humanity he showed his love for us and that is a cause for celebration.

Whoever you are with this Christmas, God is with us. We invite you to share in the comfort of this. We wish you a joyful Christmas.

[Read more…] about ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ – Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford

The birth of Jesus was the beginning of family life for Mary, Joseph and their new son. Mary’s pregnancy had not been normal by anyone’s standards, starting with the conception from the Holy Spirit, announced by the angel Gabriel. The gospels do not go into detail but we can guess how difficult it must have been for Mary to explain this to her parents as well as her intended, Joseph. There will have been gossip and funny looks in the market place, I am sure, as her pregnancy became more obvious. So, not easy for a young girl. Luckily, Joseph was guided by an angel not to divorce her but to support her. Then there was the journey to Bethlehem, for Joseph to register in the census, and the lack of accommodation there that meant that the new Messiah was born in a lowly stable.

This story is familiar to us all, as each Christmas we hear the Bible passages and sing the words in our carols. And, of course, it is illustrated on the Christmas cards we send and receive, the Advent calendars, and the decorations in our homes and our towns. So familiar are these images that it is too easy for us to become hardened to them and not to look at them afresh to read what they really tell us.

The new little family – the Holy Family – was unique. Mary, Jesus’ mother, was chosen by God to carry and give birth to his son. As any mother does, she nurtured him, watched as he grew up, guided him, then stepped back as he set out on his ministry. Later, she had to watch and live through his violent death. Mary is now venerated as the model of all mothers and holds a special place in many Christians’ hearts.

[Read more…] about Christmas: A Time for Family and Friends