The family Christmas Pageant went off delightfully at 5 .00 pm on Christmas Eve at the Anglican church.
On Christmas Day it was lovely to welcome the many visitors to the service filling the places of many of the local parish family who are away.
Last Sunday our visiting priest was Roger Rich and his wife Regina, and despite the absence of our usual song leader Helen, we were encouraged with Roger’s strong voice to virtually raise the roof with repeated choruses of “Glorify Thy Name throughout the World.” Our prayer for the New Year should surely be, in John Lennon’s words, “Give Peace a Chance.”
The church’s season of Christmas continues with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. This marks the twelfth day of Christmas when the Christian church marks the revealing of the Christ Child to the Magi. Epiphany is what we would call an “AHA!” moment, and regardless of pictures showing the Wise Men or astrologers worshipping the Babe in the manger, their search by following the star actually ended when the child was about two years old, as the Holy Family had to escape into Egypt to avoid Herod’s murderous edict.
Our calendars mark various dates indicating special days or seasons religious or secular, but common practice usually tells us that from January 6th it’s the time to pack away out Christmas decorations for another eleven months and have a good ‘spring clean’. This also applies to the ‘rubbish’ we may be carrying in our heads and hearts. Forgive old hurts and receive God’s forgiveness in return.
Next Sunday our priest will be Archdeacon John Geldart at the 9.30 am service. There will be no service at Nyah West, and no mid-week services this month. New Year’s blessings to everyone.