Dear Fathers, Friends and Colleagues,
This is to wish you the happiest of Christmases.
May the Lord guide every one of us to the ends of peace and happiness, and we can remember the Birth of our Lord as being tinged and serenaded with glory, and yet happening in what many would see as conditions of poverty and inconvenience. He was with us then and He is with us now.
God lift your spirits this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
The Collect for the Nativity of our Lord is
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 Collect is uncompromising in its declaration of the Incarnation - He who was “begotten" from eternity took our human nature “upon him” and was born “of a pure Virgin”. This was so that we the sons and daughters of Adam might be born again (regenerated), and just as He then took our humanity upon Him, so we might now “through the same our Lord Jesus Christ” be made the children of God “by adoption and grace”, and indeed be renewed “daily” in this new existence by the Holy Spirit.
Christmas is indeed something to celebrate.
Christmas Day the 25th December falling on a Saturday this year, and with the ability thanks to Katie of using the National Trust Clubhouse on Sunday the 26th, we shall celebrate the Christmas Eucharist there on Christmas Sunday (Dec 26). On Saturday the 25th December we shall meet by Zoom at 8.30 am (EST) and offer Morning Prayer. Carols will be sung at both, though at Saturday’s Zoom service Peter Westin will supply the sound and we will be asked to mute our microphones while we sing along to the provided carols.
Evening Prayer by zoom will as usual be offered on Sunday the 26th by zoom.
In faith in the holy Name of our Lord Jesus, who will continue to provide guidance to us all.
+ Nicholas