Curate's Letter

Christmas and Epiphany

Wishing you all the very best for Christmas and a happy new year! It's almost time for a fresh start. New resolutions and an endeavour to keep those new ideas and thoughts flowing. I wonder if you've given much thought as what you're going to do differently in the new year, or if you're a little weary and wary of such ideas. We have Pope Gregory XIII to thank for declaring that January 1st was the start of the new year, having introduced what is known as the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The tradition of making new plans for the year to come stems back from that time. There may be valid questions here as to whether we're perpetuating a tradition for the sake of tradition, or whether there is a validity to carry on with the tradition of making new plans every new year.

I would like to propose that one of the endeavours of the new year should be to spend more time getting to know God. Who we are, both as individuals seeking God, but also as representatives of the body of Christ here in Caithness. As Christians our spiritual nourishment needs to come from our Trinitarian God, together with Christ Jesus and Holy Spirit. As followers of Christ, our sustenance needs to be spiritual as well as physical. How else do we find out what it means to know, love and be loved by Christ? We're all on this journey together. We all have different ideas and understandings and one of the ways we grow in faith is to share those ideas with each other.

Spiritual sustenance shows itself in different ways, and we have a heritage of shared liturgy, be it the Scottish Prayer Book, a service of the word, or the 1970 and 1982 Eucharistic liturgies. We should also receive nourishment through the physical act of partaking communion together. But these are not the only ways in which we can be nourished. Perhaps it is time for our communities to look at other ways in which we can receive spiritual nourishment? For example, a sustained study of who we are in Christ would allow us to really explore our faith.

Over the Christmas period there will be daily reflections posted on the Northern Episcopalians website, which will be available in perpetuity. These are to aid with that process of allowing God to speak through the Holy Scriptures and how we can reflect on that in our daily lives. They will, I hope, provide and spark discussions in and amongst families and with each other. These reflections will lead into explorations later in 2019 where I would like to spend more time with the people of both charges exploring what God means to us as individuals and corporately, as the body of Christ. These more in-depth discussions will aim to firstly look at various Christian spiritual traditions, before taking us all on a journey which I hope will be both challenging and life changing as we seek to discover more of who God is and how our relationship with Him affects our everyday lives.

With all the intensity of human relationships that are brought together at Christmas time, one way or another and the possibility of ensuing mayhem, we will I hope, have a chance to put our feet up and reflect on why we celebrate Christmas and how important that festival is in our lives, both liturgically and personally. As we go forward into the new year I hope and pray that the provisions that are being put in place by Chris and myself will provide nourishment and support, and thereby help nurture and grow our communities of faith.

Christmas, in that way, can never come too early. Yes let's celebrate that purpose, meaning and action with trees and baubles and keep that sacred but let us be Joy to the World because we are indeed the Christmas people that makes Christmas come early for someone. Maybe even with just the only smile they see that day.

Ellie Charman