Christmas is Coming… Get Ready

Yesterday kept saying ‘Christmas is Coming… Get Ready’

In our Eastern Daily Press there was an article about the Christmas event at Fakenham this weekend – including a craft fayre and a Christmas tree festival. Another article described Santa and his sleigh returning, with his helpers, to Dereham to raise money for charity. I read about the Christmas Spectacular at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth… Christmas is coming – Norfolk is getting ready.

Rachel was at church; the ‘Little Fishes’ parent and toddler group is preparing for Christmas. The stable and manger are on the stage. One little girl was in tears when she heard ‘Away in a Manger’ because the baby Jesus was in a manger and not in a cot. Saturday will see a team put up the big church Christmas tree, lights and decorations. Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. Christmas is coming – London Road Baptist Church is getting ready.

I was at The Seagull Theatre. We sung Christmas songs last Friday. ‘Involve’, a group for young people and adults with additional needs, have put on their Christmas show. I chatted to Thom, an actor, who’s rehearsing for two Christmas shows. In ‘Santa and the Magical Snow Globe’ he’s Father Christmas; in the Christmas Cabaret his is ‘Dame Cherie Bakewell’. We rehearsed the music for next Monday’s ‘Seekers and Dreamers’, where the Christmas story will be told in readings and carols… Christmas is coming – The Seagull is getting ready.

My default position to ‘Christmas is coming’ is a Scrooge-like ‘Bah Humbug’. But it’s wrong. It’s wrong because many friends are doing good and preparing for good. It’s wrong because of opportunities to appreciate family. It’s wrong because Advent enables us to reflect again on the meaning and wonder of Christmas… ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light… for to us a child is born… and his name will be called wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’. I muse… Christmas is coming – I’m getting ready.