I wonder whether you have made any New Year Resolutions this year? Over the years I have made lots and broken nearly as many. They often have involved running more and eating less – though it is clear looking back I have often mixed these two up.
One particular year I set myself the resolution to read more fiction. As a teacher at the time I read a lot but not always for pleasure, so I decided to read a book a month. When Boxing day arrived, I thought I had one to go, so selected a short novel and read it quickly, only to realise that I missed a book off my list and had in fact managed thirteen...
Throughout most of my adult life when things have seemed confusing and I needed space to think I would head to the beach. A walk along any seafront at any time is the space where I have been able to process my thinking: from dealing with big decisions, attempting to make sense of difficult news or simply to clear my head the beach has been the place. It is a place where I think and pray and attempt to find some perspective. A place that reminds me of God’s eternal sovereignty.
Over the past few weeks I have had the pleasure and the privilege of watching some wonderful nativity plays in our primary schools. The enthusiasm and talent of the pupils is matched only by the dedication of the teachers and the pride of their parents.
I have left the performances with new songs going through my head and familiar ones revisited with the message of Christmas being reinforced. Now there are some parts of the plays that may not have been found in the Biblical accounts, and there may have been some creative licence, but the good news that God came to be among us as a baby was there to be heard and seen – the birth of Jesus was at the heart of all of the accounts...