For me, it is now officially Christmas. Yes, I know I've been on holiday for two weeks now (eep - which means we're halfway through the college break), and we've had the Christmas dinner and party in college. Yes, I know I've already had turkey a few times, including the other day in a panini in Cafe Zipporah in the Jethro Centre in Lurgan (best I've ever tasted!). Yes, I know it's the cold and frosty weather. Yes, I know I've been in Belfast and seen the Continental Market and the stalls and the last minute shoppers.
But for all that, Christmas started for me tonight. I was in the Clayton Memorial Hall, the smaller of our parish's two buildings, in the choir room. It was the last practice before the Carol Service, and also the first one I've been to. Singing the carols and hearing the thrilling descants means that Christmas is here for 2007!
Normally I would be going out carol singing - I always love being bundled up and hitting the streets to sing carols and spread the good news about Jesus, but I haven't been this year. On Sunday, we visited a parish on the Curacy List, and they were talking about carolling on Tuesday night. Oh how I wish I was going!
So Christmas is here. Once again we recall the good news that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity took on flesh, giving up the splendours of heaven for the grotty stable; being born so that he would grow up and die for us. Isn't that fantastic news?!
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9
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