Countdown to Christmas

Christmas is just 27 days away when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. But these days, the Christmas season seems to run from October to Christmas Day as each shop vies for position with the seasonal publicity. The sight of baubels as you come back from a late summer break is depressing, not because it reminds us of our Saviour, but because retailers see it as an early opportunity to make money.

I struggle in my own household to postpone the Christmas decorations until mid-December, and each year there is pressure to get the tree up and the tinsel out as soon as the Advent calendars are put up.

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, and rather than focusing on this, we all seem to be busy with preparing for the big family meal of the year, worrying over what socks to buy Uncle George, or whether buying Boots vouchers for your favourite niece smacks of a lack of thought; did I order the right size turkey? And of course, don't answer the door to the Carol Singers as I don't have any change. All these things distracts us from the object of our celebration - the coming of our Saviour!

The fact that "... God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV), should make us all stop and think that the greatest gift this Christmas is what God gives us - eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Well, I am off to update last year's Christmas card list and make sure my overseas cards get off in time. I'll do the present shopping on Christmas Eve!!!

Pastor Pete

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends

It is difficult to describe the feeling of sadness and grief following the devastating warehouse fire at Atherston on Stour and the loss of four brave firefighters. It has touched the communities of Stratford and Alcester and surrounding area as the lives of these brave men touched so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends as they grieve for their loss.

An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of their death, but that does not distract us from the fact that men and women of our emergency services are putting their lives on the line to serve us in the community. These men went into the burning warehouse to search for anyone trapped inside. There is no doubt that facing a raging inferno would test the mettle of anyone, and yet they continued in to save the lives of others.

Not many of us are faced with that decision, and certainly don't face it as often as some, so how would we respond to a similar situation? In the gospel of John, chapter 15 verse 13, Jesus reminds us of such a sacrifice as He foretells of His sacrifice for each one of us.

I pray that the joy and hope that we receive from following Christ and His teachings may eventually go someway to fill the void in the lives of the families and friends of these brave men.