jillysheep: Midnight mass and Christmas

I went to Midnight Mass with my neighbour last night. It was a candlelit service - nightlights at each end of every pew and proper candles everywhere else. The church looked beautiful, and it was a reasonable sized congregation.

Here is a picture of the inside of the church - without candles. Considering this is a small village - less than 1000 inhabitants - it is a magnificent church. It was commenced about 1175 and has a fifteenth century crocketed spire. This has been restored several times in its history including in the last few years. I moved here in 2002 and the spire had scaffolding round it then. The church itself was extensively restored in the Victorian era but still has many older features. It still has live bell ringing as well.

The service last night was cheerful and refreshing. We have a female vicar currently who tends several parishes. Our service started at 10.00pm and ended before midnight and she apologised to us for not staying to say goodbye to us but she had to dash off cross country to the next service which was due to start at 11.30pm. It is a great shame that our national religion has declined to such an extent that this sort of thing has to happen. In some ways we are almost back to the bad old eighteenth century days, where livings were in the gift of landowners who gave several at once to their favourite proteges and services were conducted occasionally if you were lucky.

On n the other hand perhaps I am the last one to moan as I have lived here five years and that was the first time I have set foot inside the church. I went for spiritual refreshment which I received. Perhaps I ought to go more often. I have never been confirmed though I have been Christened - maybe that is also something I need to look at doing in the near future.

I am a bit of a dinosaur I suppose as I still prefer the King James Bible - updating the language has spoilt it for me. It's the old fashioned language that does it in my opinion, and it's the old fashioned language which I remember. I find myself mentally translating everything into the original version. But the carols haven't changed - there's still 'Once in Royal David's City', 'Little Town of Bethlehem', 'In the Bleak MidWinter, 'Come all Ye Faithful.' The latter with its glorious last verse 'Ye Lord we greet thee/ Born this happy morning.' If I was a Catholic I'd still be rooting for the Tridentine Mass.

But our service as I say was relaxed and friendly, the sermon was short and to the point - You already have perfection why try so hard to make all the material things perfect at Christmas? Jesus is for life, not just for Christmas - no I made that last bit up myself. We had mulled wine and mince pies, and everyone was cheerful. There was a good illustration of God and Mammon when we came out - the very loud disco music floating out of the pub across the road. This served as a timely reminder that not everyone celebrates Christmas in the same way.

I think Christmas is too commercialised these days in any case. The mad stampede to the shops shows that perhaps we do not have our priorities right. Muslims and Christians worshiping side by side at Midnight Mass in Bethlehem shown on television said to me that there is hope for the world in these troubled times. Or is it just an indication things will carry on as they always have been? After all, the Crusades - 1000 years ago - were about removing the infidel from the Holy Places - in this case the Infidel meaning the followers of Islam. Strange how the usage of words changes.

At least the Pope and Queen Elizabeth seem to have synchronised their Christmas messages - watch out for the vulnerable. Cormac Murphy O'Connor may not have hit the right note when he urged us to be kind to immigrants - perhaps he should have said be kind to everyone. I think Rowan Williams may have missed the point when he featured Climate change - but that is only my opinion.

That's my Christmas message for the day.

I shall be cooking shortly gammon done in honey, roast potatoes, Brussels Sprouts and peas, followed by Christmas pudding made from Panettone - Waitrose or Sainsbury in case you haven't come across them.

May you have an enjoyable day and a very happy and prosperous and peaceful New Year.