News Archive
December 2006
Christmas presence: Kath Moffitt
The Moffitt family have just completed a year of their "new" Christmas tradition, started last year. Every meal we pick out one of last year's Christmas cards and we pray for the sender(s). It is amazing how often the card comes up of someone we have just been talking about, or someone who is in trouble. Sometimes it prompts me to telephone the sender, and a few times that phone call has been just what was needed for the person at the time!
It is a tradition we will be continuing: even if I wanted to stop it, Esther (aged 3) now reminds me before we eat to pray for someone!
Christmas presence: Mark Elder
Favourite Christmas tradition: Each year I attach all the cards to the wall in the shape of something that is synonomous wth Christmas. Past card shapes have included angels, bells and stars. Of course, the rest of the family have to wait whilst this is taking shape, and due to my lack of artistic skill, guessing can take until Christmas Day. Why do we do it? I wish I could offer a deeply spiritual answer, but the real reason is that it's a bit of fun.
Favourite carol: Ding Dong Merrily On High, because it's fun to sing. But the best 'proper' carol is Hark the Herald, because the lines 'born that man no more may die', and, 'born to give them second birth', written by the king of all hymn writers Charles Wesley, puts the whole Christmas deal into its right perspective.
Christmas presence: Jenny Steiner
My favourite Christmas tradition is baking the final mince pies and
making the final preparations for our Christmas meal on the afternoon
of Christmas Eve while listening to the Festival of Lessons and carols
on Radio 4.
Thinking back to previous Christmases, when I was a child, we always
listened to the programe with my mother (then it was called the Home
Service). When my children were smaller - they are now full grown with
their own traditions - they would be decorating the tree (that's right,
never before Christmas Eve!).
Last Christmas Eve I was in Australia with Hans and it was very hot -
35 degrees - so mince pies were not on my mind. Seeing carol singers on
the streets of Sydney was very interesting!
This year, I hope to have my pinny on again along with Radio 4, when I
can listen to the prophetic words of Christ's coming, of Mary being
pregnant (I do prefer 'great with child'), the shepherds, angels etc,
and sing 'O come, Let us adore Him'.