Food for thought as we begin the season of Advent – click the image above to read our churchwarden’s article from the Christmas edition of the Caldecote Journal.

Putting the vulnerable at the heart of Christmas

As we begin the Christmas season in Highfields, Caldecote and Childerley, we look forward to everything we’ve come to associate with it – decorating Christingle oranges, singing carols in a packed and decorated church, savouring mince pies and mulled wine, and that very special feeling of gathering together on Christmas morning itself. But there’s a tinsel-like thread running through the Christmas season – and that’s the perhaps surprising theme of vulnerability.

In his first Christmas sermon after his election, Pope Francis highlighted the ‘vulnerability’ embraced by God in choosing to become a poor human being in the baby Jesus of Nazareth, whose family became refugees while he was still a toddler. It’s the story we will hear once again on Christmas Day – this year at the atmospheric stable-like chapel at Childerley. But that theme of vulnerability will be with us from the very first Sunday of December, when we make and light Christingle candles at St Michael’s church. It’s a national tradition that goes back over 250 years, and like thousands of churches around the country we will take a collection in aid of the Children’s Society, who are committed to working step by step with vulnerable children and young people – those who feel scared, unloved and unable to cope.

Two weeks later, on Sunday 17th (the first service with our new Vicar) the theme will be picked up again in our carol service. We will sing from the traditional Bethlehem Carol Sheets, bought in aid of another charity whose focus is on the vulnerable. Embrace the Middle East’s vision is to bring healing and hope to all who face poverty and injustice in the land that was home to Jesus, by supporting projects in education, healthcare and community development.

We would love to see you at these special services, and if you would like to find out more about the work of the charities beforehand, do visit their websites at www.childrenssociety.org.uk and www.embraceme.org.

With best wishes,
Dona McCullagh (Churchwarden)