Dear Friends

Every December I will disappear under the stairs in the Rectory and, with a certain degree of complaint, drag out for Carole three or four large boxes that haven't been touched since this time last year, and start pulling out Christmas decorations, each one lovingly stored in tissue paper.  The run up to Christmas will have begun.

Christmas, it seems to me, is largely an exercise in nostalgia.  It takes us ages to unpack the boxes because every item we remove has a story that goes with it.  The crochet figures hand knitted by a former parishioner long dead, an olive wood nativity from Jerusalem, lovely old enamel baubles rescued from destruction in a house clearance, a glass figure, somewhat broken, brought back from New York.

 "Where did that come from?" I ask, and Carole, who never

forgets anything, will say, "That was given to us by Alison, she brought it back from holiday."

And so they all take their special place.  The snowmen on the mantelpiece.  The reindeer behind the door. The angels gazing in adoration at the child in a manger.  Many of the things, like the glass figure, have seen better days but are impossible to throw away, indeed, the older things are, the more treasured they become.  Christmas too is populated with the nostalgic memories of those who once shared it with us, and many this year will be aware of the absence of someone who was around the Christmas table with them just a year ago.

I suspect that sense of nostalgia will intensify this year because of the deep uncertainty affecting the world.  Some claim that we are already eating differently, going back to old fashioned 'comfort foods', finding in them a reminder of a more stable and certain past.

In Christianity we too look back to past events that have shaped our faith and understanding of God, we are firmly rooted in history.  At Christmas we look back to a scene in a manger which, stripped of its tinsel, has a sense of unvarnished, raw reality.  But the Good News is that the Child born in a stable is also a present reality, the one who in the complicated and frightened world in which we live, promises us a strengthening and enriching presence.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lived in fearful times as an opponent of Hitler in the Second World War had this to say:

Parish Centre
"What will you do with yourself when we go?"  That was the question posed by one of the workers, Patrick, who was on the site the day the first sod was cut and will see it through to completion, hopefully by the time you are reading this.  I'm not sure if I know the answer too that, the build has occupied the largest part of this year and the greater part of my mind.  The answer, I trust, will be, "Enjoy it!" and be refreshed in ministry because of what the building will enable us to do in coming years.  I hope that the same is true for you.  We hope to have an official opening over the weekend of the 21/22 January when we can 'showcase' the building to the wider community, further details will be available in the coming weeks, but please make this an unmissable date for your diary. 

The Parish Centre has been a long time in the pipeline and many people have had a hand in its planning and execution.  We will have an opportunity in the New Year to express our appreciation for those efforts but for now I would want to offer my personal thanks to our architects, McAdam Design and to our contractor, Geda Construction along with their subcontractors.  Within the Parish we have been well served by the sub-committee which have looked after finance and thought up ways to fund raise - there has been great fun on the journey!  I am especially indebted to Sandra Watson, Iain Greenway, Fred McGarvey and, at an earlier stage, Norman Stewart, who put in not just hours, but more likely days, into steering the scheme through its many phases.

As we near the finish line please keep the Centre in your prayers.  As you know we will be making a contribution to some construction work in Rwanda as part of our giving.  There is also an opportunity to visit there in July with CMS.  If anyone is interested would you speak to me immediately.

Thank you to all the churches and halls that have been hosting our groups for the past year.  Not least to St Columba's which has provided a home for several of our organisations along with the Parish Office and has been wonderfully accommodating.  It will seem very quiet when everyone moves.

Christmas Giving.  It is more important than ever this Christmas to remember those who will be in need. 
The annual Bishops Appeal provides a ready fund to meet emergency situations that will arise over the course of the coming year.  This past year it was able to provide over "£80,000 immediately to help with famine relief in Africa.  We also offer more local help to the Simon Community in the form of non-perishable food which we collect in church.  Please support if you possibly can.

Ellie and Jean.  Some people become well enough known simply to be recognized by their Christian names.  Ellie and Jean Henderson are such people.  A newspaper cutting which was given to me lately reminded me that in 2002 they celebrated forty years of Sunday school teaching at Clandeboye Chapel.  It is not difficult to work out therefore that next year will see them reaching the half century.  On behalf of all their friends at Clandeboye and throughout the Parish I want to offer them our thanks and God's blessing on their continued ministry to our young people.

We wish every success to all for whom the Christmas season will be particularly busy, especially the Drama Club, with their Pantomime and the Choir with their annual Chorale.  We think of Paul and Tanya in Uganda, away from home this Christmas.

May we at the Rectory, amidst the boxes, wish you a very happy Christmas and may God go with us into an exciting New Year.