Advent, Christmas and New Year Greetings
Judith Allinson, Green Christian’s webeditor writes:
I would like to wish all visitors to this website “Best wishes for Christmas and for the New Year“
But what to put up as a picture? As Autumn turned to winter, my display on the church hall wall at Settle, of the importance of trees and beauty of their leaves, grew faded. A new display? Our our new minister suggested the theme of light, ready for Advent.
Hence the candle.
Symbol of hope.
Perhaps we can share that symbol wherever we are, whether we are affluent (though sometimes lonely) people in the UK, or refugees, or starving in the Yemen, or living on the streets of London or the UK south coast towns or elsewhere.
Due to lack of snow this last year (climate change?) I have no new good snow scenes to show you (as last year). Cold weather is more likely to come to Settle at Easter
PART 1. – Theological and green thoughts –
The wall display was mounted on a piece of “gara” – tie-dye material (made over 40 years ago) . (The cotton had been grown in India (probably), shipped to UK, spun and woven, then shipped to Sierra Leone and then tie-dyed, and brought back to UK.
On the display I wrote various quotes on the first five A4 cards. There was space for a sixth (I have now photo-shopped in a sixth blank card) A fellow member of Green Christian – who does not use computers or the internet, who cycles everywhere – including impressively his annual holiday in France, and who has solar panels on his roof, looked at my Card 4 (a favourite Sunday School song of mine:)
“Jesus bids us shine with a pure clear light, like a little candle burning in the night, In this world of darkness, so we must shine, You in your small corner and I in mine).
He said:
“The problem is .. we need to come out of our corners and shine much more brightly”.
… Hmm … for what do I (or you) need to come out of the corner and shine more brightly?
… Pause for thought — What would you write on a sixth card to do with advent..( and green things)?…
PART 2: Settle Community Christmas Day Meal
This candle picture will be there, adorned by extra tinsel, on Christmas Day when 66 (and rising) people at Settle Community Christmas Day Meal eat lunch. (e.g. See pics of 2016)
The meal is for anyone in Settle area, but we make a special effort to provide transport for people who would otherwise be housebound. We have coffee, carols, lunch, pass the parcel, party pieces, and tea.
I do the organising – Not the cooking. Each year so far God has provided a chief cook – Thank you to Anne this year!!. All the volunteers have the meal and take part too. On Christmas Eve morning nine volunteers and I set up the tables and prepared the vegetables etc.
It is a privilege to be involved. So many people have contributed. Local people are pleased it is happening in Settle. Our church is pleased to have contributed the room. Several local shops and one or two individuals have donated a few goods and services. (Thank you Drake and Macefield Butchers, Booths, the Coop, The Naked Man Cafe, The Golden Lion .. ). Most participants pay £10 towards costs. (There are other events in nearby Wigglesworth and Hellifield too)
I have enjoyed getting to know to a greater, or in most case lesser extent, so many of the older people who are coming, and really wish I had more time to make more contact.
I really feel this event is a celebration more like the Marriage at Cana.
Many of the people are really glad to have an answer to the question “What are you doing at Christmas?”
I have also met other people who cannot come, who are tied by elderly relatives who they love dearly, but who they have to care for at Christmas. It is those people who are being the real heroes. And those elderly themselves who have to live with infirmities.
But hey ho – Lets all be grateful for what we good things we do have.
At the Christmas Meal we’ll have crackers (Yes I know it is an ecological waste of resources, – excessive packaging to provide flimsy Christmas hats) But I shall ask each table to keep their best cracker joke.
At the end of this post I print the the survey I did on the internet last night to find my eight favourite jokes
PART 3. Happy New Year
A New Year is a new start. Click here for suggestions for good things to do The New Year.
My gift to you:- Ten jokes and facts:-
- Where do you find reindeer?
It depends on where you left them.- What do call a blind reindeer?
No eyed dear.- Rudolph and Santa’s other reindeer must all be female.
Only female reindeer keep their antlers in winter.- The arctic reindeer population has decreased by 50 percent recently
due to factors caused by climate change- How many presents can Santa fit in an empty sack?
Only one.. after that the sack is not empty.- What did one snowman say to another?
Can you smell carrots?- Whats the best, number 1 Christmas Present?
A drum – you can’t beat it!- What goes “Oh! Oh! Oh! “?
Santa, walking backwards.- What goes Ho, Ho, swoosh! Ho, Ho Swoosh! Ho, Ho Swoosh!
Santa stuck in a revolving door.- What is good King Wenceslas’s favourite pizza?
One that’s deep-pan, crisp and even
Bonus: “Be the Angel you would hope to meet”
Finally:
“Best wishes for Christmas and for the New Year”
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