My dear Friends.

I flicked through the property supplement of a national newspaper and came across the heading: 'So you want to live in PARSONS GREEN'. Well I don't but years ago I used to live on the very edge of it when I was a Curate in Fulham. Our nearest Tube station was in fact Parsons Green and from our front door we could see the Green. It was (and apparently still is) an oasis in the heart of Southwest London, although the constant traffic and overhead jets going into Heathrow rather spoil the atmosphere.

Well my mind went back to the 3 years I spent there, to the birth of our son and to the patience of my Vicar with a very raw Curate to train! I learnt a great deal from him but also from some mature Christians in the Church who had seen the Lord at work in all the ups and downs of life.

It's a reminder to me that we have a great responsibility in welcoming and helping Peter Wilson and his family to both thoroughly enjoy their time with us and to consolidate the foundation for their future ministry. Latest news is that the Church Army are hoping to buy a house and if all goes well I should be receiving a 'Church Army Evangelist shaped Christmas present' if not on Christmas Day then very soon after!!

My mind also went back to my first Christmas at Fulham. As we entered Church for the midnight communion Service it was cold and the vast Victorian building wasn't a great deal warmer. As we came out we were greeted by snow! It was lovely, a real Christmas card scene and it made that Christmas a very special one. But one man's enjoyment can be another man's problem - travelling wasn't easy and the cold made life difficult for some.

As we look back to the first Christmas, 2000 years ago it can also be viewed an a similar romantic way, a Christmas card scene with Mary and Joseph looking so happy as they gaze at the Christ-child who has a halo round his head, surrounded by shepherds, wise men and animals, in what appears to be a centrally heated stable.

The reality was probably very different - Mary probably felt somewhat fragile, worn and very sore. Joseph was no doubt quite anxious for mother and child and maybe Jesus cried (at least part of the time). The stable was probably smelly, dirty and draughty and the animals (if present) might have shown too much interest in the new arrival. The shepherds could well have woken up the family and the wise men came much later and soon after King Herod tried to kill Jesus. Not quite the picture we get on our Christmas cards (mind you, very few have the Christmas scene on them nowadays).

God bless you

And a very happy Christmas to you all

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