To: all in the Diocese of London'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.'Luke 2:7 In her book ‘Journey to the Manger’, Paula Gooder reflects on that well-worn phrase from the Christmas story, ‘no room in the inn’. (and there is a video here) She explains that in using the biblical Greek word, kataluma, Luke is not describing the first century equivalent of a Premier Inn, but rather a guest room in a house. Sometimes this would be an entire upper floor, such as the one in Jerusalem used for the Last Supper. In smaller homes it would simply be a corner of the one-roomed house in which a family lived. Inns were only needed in remote places, and certainly not in towns and villages, because as Paula explains, ‘Rules of hospitality dictated that people – even entire strangers – should be welcomed into your home and cared for’. But when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, exhausted from their journey, Mary perhaps already in labour, all the kataluma – the guest rooms - were full. So the family who offered them hospitality took them into their own space, where in cold weather the animals would also be housed - hence ‘they laid him in a manger’.What difference does this make to our understanding of the story? Well, it does away with our childhood impressions of grumpy innkeepers and slamming doors, and the dubious and begrudging offer of a stable for the birth. Instead, this is a town which has already absorbed countless people coming in for the census, and a family who do not baulk at the discomfort of overcrowding, the inconvenience and mess of an imminent labour, and the presence of an anxious and vulnerable couple in their human- and animal-filled home.This is a story of generous and selfless hospitality towards distant relatives or total strangers; costly hospitality, demanding people’s time, patience and the willingness to be deeply inconvenienced as they hitch up and make space for this vulnerable young couple and their baby. As Paula points out, nobody refused Jesus room, ‘he just didn’t quite fit in’. And yet they made it possible.This Christmas, there are individual homes, faith communities and charitable initiatives where strangers who don’t quite fit into the neat nuclear structures of our societal arrangements sit down to share food, stories, longings, tender care and raw human connection. Regardless of relationship, belief, place of origin, social class or financial means, all are welcome. And there, with fragile tenacity, Christ is born once again. Present among us, in people whom society has isolated, forgotten or ignored, where inconvenience is over-ridden by loving hospitality.How we respond to one another’s needs and predicaments defines what sort of people we are, what sort of community we are building, what sort of society we want to be and what sort of God we believe in – whether and where we notice Christ’s presence and welcome him in.I leave you with a prayer by the Irish poet and theologian, Padraig O’Tuama:‘In all our hospitalities, help usGive and take. May exchanges beWarmed by hearts open to change. Because this is how a God made A home among a people. Because This is how a people make homesAround a newborn God.’May your Christmas be blessed and peaceful.+ Sarah Londin
Download the Programme of Advent & Christmas Events
At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) every year we hear or read reports on what has been happening the previous year. We also receive the Annual Report & Accounts approved by our trustees, the Parochial Church Council (PCC). The download links go tothe reports from various members of the leadership team and congregation, andthe formal Annual Report & Accounts.
We meet every Sunday, at 10.00am, to celebrate the Eucharist (literally Thanksgiving) or Holy communion. Everyone is welcome whether members of a church or not. It is all about giving thanks to God for his love towards the entire creation, including us. First we begin the service by singing and praying together. Then the children go to their own activities in a separate room next to the church. We listen to readings from the Bible and look at what God has said in the ancient scriptures and how it is directly relevant to the lives we are trying to live now.We are then led in prayer by a member of our congregation. We pray for the world, the work of the church, for the people who live and work in East Finchley, and for anyone we know to be in special need of prayer.This leads naturally into sharing and greeting one another with the peace of God. We share the peace by shaking the hand of those around us, usually with the words ‘Peace be with you’, or a special word of encouragement if one is needed.We present the bread and the wine, symbols of our offerings to God, as we begin the Liturgy of the Sacrament. We celebrate, with words and singing, the fact that Jesus died to reconcile us to God, that he conquered death by rising on the Easter morning, and that he is part of our lives here and now. We give witness to our communion with God by sharing in the consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is the moment in the service when we reach out to God most demonstrably, and believe he reaches out to us in a very special way. Everyone is invited to come up to the altar. Those who are baptised and confirmed, or receive communion in their own church, are welcome to receive the bread and the wine. Everyone else is welcome to come forward to receive a blessing and be prayed for. The children join us as well. It's a special moment in the service for everyone to join in. In every church there is a time for notices. This is it. Before praying for God's blessing, we find out what is coming up and hear what the children have been learning. Then with a final hymn and a blessing, we are encouraged to 'Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord'Afterwards it is time for coffee, to meet our friends and make new ones.
