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This Sunday the Christmas season draws to a close. We keep the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple – Candlemas. We have counted off the eight days from Christmas and then thirty three more (see last week for how the maths works!). That takes us up to February 2nd – but we are celebrating the feast on the Sunday before. And in the Temple, Mary meets Simeon – and Simeon sees Jesus and recognises the promised saviour. |
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It’s a scene that has been painted again and again. And sung about over and over again too – the “nunc dimittis” which has been set so many times for Choral Evensong is Simeon’s song of joy at seeing the saviour for whom he has waited all his life. |
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BUT … amidst all this musical and artistic beauty it’s easy to lose track of the reality that this actually happened – really people were there and saw it. Of course we can’t know exactly what this was like. But sometimes it can be helpful to imagine it. There’s a wonderful book by David Kossoff called The Witnesses where he does just this. He imagines people – not people in the Bible, but bystanders – who might have seen the events, and then gives them a voice. Have a read of this chapter. Does that sound like how it was on the first Candlemas? Or how do you imagine it? Then after Candlemas our thoughts begin to turn from the Crib to the Cross. In less than three weeks it’ll be Ash Wednesday. But before Ash Wednesday comes Shrove Tuesday, 13th February: Pancake Day Campfire: |
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3.45pm for fire, prayers, song, bible stories and pancakes (cooked on the fire). Bring your friends… Lastly – would you like to be a Street Pastor? As part of a well organised system, with full training – be a friendly and helpful presence late at night on Putney High Street for people in trouble? |
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I look forward to seeing you on Sunday — |
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Come Holy Spirit, our hearts inspire! |
