Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are coping with what will probably be a quite well filled-up week.

The Christmas Collect (which continues to be used on the Sunday after Christmas Day) is as follows:

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The words of the Collect point out to us that the Lord Jesus did not become the “only-begotten Son” by being born as a human. He is eternally the only-begotten Son of God. But at a particular time of human history the eternal Son of God deigned to “take our nature (which is to say, our humanity) upon him” and then be "born of a pure Virgin”, a baby Boy. It is through this extraordinary act of identification that even the rest of humanity may, if we consent, be adopted by the gracious will of God as His children and be made new by the Holy Spirit. 

What a wonder! 

On Friday, Christmas Day we shall celebrate the Eucharist at my residence 19 Kingschase Drive at 5 pm.; and we shall hold “Christmas Sunday” on Sunday the 27th at the Clubhouse in Dart Family Park at the usual hour. For directions on the services on Sunday please see the website www.truthwithlanguage.com 

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus,

Bishop Nicholas