MONTHLY UPDATE FROM SIMON

December 2025

Dear Friends,

I became a grandfather this year. Not the most surprising event at my age, you may say, but a great joy and privilege, nonetheless. Having never known my own grandparents, it's wonderful to have become one myself and to have joined that happy band to which so many of you belong and from which you, too, derive such pleasure.

At the heart of the Christian faith is a baby. What a remarkable thing that is. It's what sets Christianity apart from all other faiths. Not so much a set of beliefs - although they have their place. But a baby, lying in the arms of his mother.

And of course, we know some significant details about his birth. We know that in the preceding days his pregnant mother had travelled a long way, perhaps on foot. We know that he was born at night in an outhouse and laid in a cattle trough. We know that the king tried to kill him and that he and his parents became refugees. It was a birth not dissimilar to that of many babies in parts of our war-torn world. All of us were babies once. That, too, is remarkable - and a cause for both wonder and humility. We, too, were fragile and dependent. We too were cared for by our parents and shielded from harm. Many of us were also born at night (I believe that 4am is the most common birth time). People are often moved when they look at their own birth certificates and imagine the joy that must have marked their arrival.

But the birth that Christians celebrate was unique. Not because the baby was any different from us (he was a perfectly ordinary little boy who was given one of the most common Jewish names: Jesus/Joshua). Not because he had a halo (of course he didn't). Not because he didn't cry like other babies (of course he did).

The uniqueness of Jesus lay not in his human nature, but in the fact that God was present in him in a way that has never been the case with any other human being, either before or since. Somehow, in a way that we cannot possibly understand, he embodied the very nature of God. As St John put it: in him 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.'

And it is for that reason that all the details of his birth - as well as his subsequent life - are details to be pored over and read with awe, for they are clues as to what God himself is like. Not a God who stands apart from the world basking in glory. But a God of humility who makes himself powerless and comes among us quietly and without announcement. A God who wants to share all that it means to be human.

I hope that you will once more feel moved by the birth of Jesus as Christmas draws near. I know that many people find it hard to believe that he was indeed God's son, and that still more find it hard to believe in God himself. I recognise that there are many obstacles to faith.

But I hope that you will be filled with wonder at the possibility that God did indeed take flesh in Bethlehem and recognise in Jesus a source of love and peace for the whole of humanity. Everyone rejoices when a baby is born. Every baby is a symbol of hope. So please come and join us for one of our Christmas services, whatever your beliefs, and especially if you find this a sad or lonely season.

With my prayers and best wishes for you all,
Simon

Advent Bible Study

Do come and join us for some Bible study each week during Advent. We shall look at some of the great passages of scripture that are familiar at this time of year and allow God to speak to us through them. We will be meeting in the Law Room on Monday evenings (1, 8, 15 and 22 December) at 6pm and will conclude each week with Compline.

Faith Seeking Understanding

We will meet as usual this month (Wednesday 15 December at 6pm). It will perhaps be a chance to ask ourselves what we think Christmas is really all about!

Children's Services at Christmas

Children are, of course, welcome at all our services, but are particularly welcome at Christmas! On Sunday 7 December there will be an All-Age Eucharist at roam at Harting, and we are inviting you to bring - if possible - new toys that can be given to families in need this Christmas.

Our Crib Service will, as usual, be held at 4pm on Christmas Eve, and we look forward to welcoming children of all ages as we celebrate Jesus's birth at Bethlehem. On Christmas Day it would be lovely to see lots of families in church for our 9.30am (please note the time) Christmas Communion Service at Harting.

Elsted Carol Service: Friday 20 December at 6pm

Following the success oflast year's service, we warmly invite you all to our Village Carol Service at Elsted Church, followed by refreshments in the Village Hall. Our choir will be there to help lead the singing, and there will be plenty of carols and some popular Christmas readings.

Nyewood Community Carol Service: Tuesday 16 December at 6.30pm
Come and join us at the lovely Henry Warren Hall for a Community Carol Service followed by refreshments. Nyewood deserves its own Christmas celebration and it would be lovely to see you there to sing all the best-loved carols