J is for Jesus

Even if you haven't guessed what I would write about so far in this Advent Alphabet, you probably guessed this one.   Maybe to you it sounds a bit trite to say Jesus is the Reason for the Season, but so he is.

Many of my readers share my own faith but many more want to hear the Christmas story.  When I was in the regular vicars I introduced a service of Christingle on Christmas Eve because parents wanted their children to hear the central story on Christmas Eve and they wanted to hear it in church, from the vicar and not just from the telly.  I know it was a high point of Christmas for many parishioners to the extent that I had to do the same service twice every Christmas Eve so that everyone could get in.  If I'd stayed longer I think we might have had three sittings!

I know that commercial tat screams louder than Christian truth but the excitement around Christmas means that most people do hear the spiritual message, and many who do not come to church regularly, come at this time.  Few people can tell me the story of the Ascension Pentecost or the Resurrection as confidently as they can tell the Christmas story.  If they don't know the Nativity story it's highly unlikely they know the others!