Vicars Letter - 16th Dec 2022

Anyone else feeling the pressure leading up to Christmas? Many things to do, presents to buy, plans to organise, work to complete - all with a deadline. I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt knowing they had to make such a long journey to Bethlehem before their baby was born. That's a pretty important deadline! Or if they felt stressed trying to find somewhere to stay in time. I imagine it didn't feel like it went to plan for them, but God had a bigger plan. Last week Rebekah talked to us about expectations - where are we expecting God to move this Christmas? Do we have hope that God can answer prayer and restore broken parts of our lives and our world? In this last week of Advent as we await the birth of a surprisingly small Saviour, let's wait on God, bring to God the needs of those around us, and expect God to act. Because even when we feel like things aren't going to plan, or life is too stressful, God is continuing with the grand restoration plan for us all. Heaven and earth met on Christmas morning. May you have moments of heaven meeting earth this Christmas also! God bless, Emily Spence Co-Vicar