Tuesday 24th December

Happy Christmas Eve!

Traditions.    We love them dont we?  I think nearly every family I know has its own special Christmas traditions - mostly passed down through the generations and recreated lovingly each year in homes up and down the land.  Some are held in common by all of us - leaving a carrot and a mince pie for Santa and Rudolph.  Stockings.  Christmas trees. Turkey.   Other traditions are more personal and unique to a particular family.   When I was a kid one of the best parts of Christmas was watching Dad set fire to the

Christmas pudding. ( to the brandy, not technically to the pudding itself )   Some families always go to midnight church services.  Or wait to open presents until after lunch. ( never understood how anyone can wait that long!!)   Or go for a walk on Christmas afternoon.    Lots of people will watch the Queen at 3pm.   now theres a tradition which has been going for a while.

A few years ago I decided we should start a new tradition at Christmas.  Something which would help us to remember that our family is a Christian one and that for us, Christmas is about Jesus.   So I decided that we would make a birthday cake for Jesus and sing Him happy birthday on 25th December.   This year we have a heart shaped cake.  We shall decorate it today,put a candle on it ready for Wednesday.  I hope that at some point in years to come my boys will remember this as being a special part of Christmas and will carry on the tradition in their own families.

Good traditions serve to cement people together.  To emphasise certain important values and create memories.   In this age of increasing individualism and family separation I think it is more important than ever that we make every effort to maintain those element of our family culture which give us identity and add to our sense of belonging .

Recently Ive had cause to think a bit about church traditions and the value ( or lack of value) in them.  After many many years away from a traditional denomination I now find myself becoming involved with the Anglican church again.  And it has been interesting to come back to liturgy and ceremony after years of a more liberal expression of my faith.  Ive really enjoyed some aspects of it but found others very

uncomfortable.  And Ive found myself wondering how the traditional churches can hold onto what is good in their traditions whilst continuing to be relevant in an ever changing world where means of communication are constantly developing.   We cant put new wine in old wineskins but we probably can put old wine in new wineskins.  Better minds than mine are working on ways in which to preserve the good and still make way for the new and potentially better/ more relevant.   So I offer no comment really other than to say these things have been on my mind of late

As we wait those last few hours before we can collapse into bed and know that its all done and dusted bar the eating and drinking and giving and receiving (and washing up) I hope that all you do this Christmas will be rooted and grounded in love.That your food will be lovingly cooked, your gifts gratefully received, the fun and conversation and walks and Christmas films all thoroughly enjoyed.  But above all I pray God's richest blessing into all of it.  May 2014 be a year when we all increase in awareness of Him, draw nearer to Him and learn to love Him more.   I pray that He will be close in your trials and exalted in your joys. Thanks for reading the blog this year.   Merry Christmas and lots of love xx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO17DIeI7Ec