FROM THE URC MINISTER
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
peace on earth, goodwill among people!”
Was that the first Christmas carol? The song of the angels, heard by the shepherds, was recorded by Luke. The angels praised God when the birth of Jesus was announced, and their song declared the wonderful significance of his birth.
But Luke had already recorded the words of Mary during her pregnancy when she visited her relative, Elizabeth. So maybe this is the first verse of the first carol:
“My heart praises the Lord;
my soul is glad because of God my Saviour,
for he has remembered me, his lowly servant.”
Wouldn’t it have been helpful if Luke had also recorded the tunes of these carols? Carol singing establishes the atmosphere of our Christmas celebrations, evoking the memories, recalling the traditions, and joining us in praise and harmony. Wouldn’t it be awesome to use the tune of the angels and the actual notes sung by Mary?
I’m going to answer No to these questions. Although Jesus was born at one place and time, his life is for all people and all times. A third song from Luke, on the lips of the old man Simeon, says:
“Lord, now I can die in peace!
As you promised me,
I have seen the Saviour
you have given to all people.”
There are so many different styles of singing in the world, and ways of organising musical scales that can sound quite alien to each other. The point of Jesus’ birth on earth and then his resurrection after death is that he can be present in every community and at home in every culture. All can be at peace with God, and so at peace with each other.
It is important that these songs can be set to tunes of every type, as the words are translated into every language. For the quotations above I have turned to several translations and even a footnote alternative early manuscript. The essence of God’s love for the world and the response of people’s praise are both most powerfully expressed in the language which speaks to their own situation and the music of their own cultures.
So I hope you enjoy singing God’s praise wherever you are this month, and take full advantage of the variety of carol singing opportunities in and around Ickenham. (See details at the top of pages 2 and 3.) And Happy Christmas!
Bernie
FROM ST GILES’ CLERGY
I’m writing this on 11th November: it’s been blustery and wet but people have gathered around the churchyard flagpole for an annual act of remembrance. Our timings coincided almost precisely with the firing of maroon rockets, which created solemn bookends either side of the 2 minute silence. Together we remembered those who had given their lives for their country, thanking God for their sacrifice and praying again for peace in our world. I believe that sharing experiences such as this helps strengthen our sense of community.
We’re looking forward to singing carols accompanied by the Salvation Army Band at the Festive Night on Friday 10th December, welcoming the community to the Christmas Tree Festival in St Giles’ Church that evening and to our Christmas Fayre on Saturday 11th December in St Giles’ Church Hall. Further details about both events are included elsewhere in this edition.
We are also delighted to announce that Ickenham now has a Christian Youth Worker. James Wood began his new role in November and plans to build up a Christian community of 11-18 year olds in Ickenham and in Harefield. We’re very excited about this development because we believe that our churches and communities will benefit greatly from more young people engaging with the Christian faith.
As usual, several community groups will be holding carol services at St Giles’ this month and there are many other opportunities to celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas (see the listing on the front page). ‘Jesus – the light of the world’ is the theme of our traditional carol service on Sunday 19th December at 6.30pm, followed by mince pies and refreshments in the church hall. If you would like to attend but need a lift to church, please contact the church. A warm welcome awaits all of you.
Ironically, a less than warm welcome awaited the expectant Mary and Joseph as they arrived at the crowded village of Bethlehem 2010 years ago (or thereabouts!). But in the cold inhospitable stable, a warm-hearted God was delighting in the birth of his newborn son, as did Mary and Joseph also. God saw his reflection in the baby’s face, and he eagerly invites us to draw near to Jesus this Christmas and see his radiant image too.
May God bless you this Christmas.
Adrian
DROP-IN FOR THE BEREAVED. Third Monday of each month. St Giles’ Church Hall, 2pm to 3.30pm. A friendly, informal opportunity for a chat, over a cup of tea, with other bereaved people and bereavement visitors. The next meeting is on Monday 20th December (then Monday 17th January). Just come along, or ring the Rectory (622970) if you would like to talk to someone first.
