Vicar’s Update – Saturday 20th December 2025
On the menu…
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to start thinking about your Christmas day food. The meal is already a complicated one, not just in terms of family, relationships, in laws, absent friends and much more, but also in terms of variety. A ‘usual British’ Christmas day meal has all sorts of things involved – from parsnips to pigs in blankets, from turkey to cranberries, from Brussels sprouts to stuffing. And that’s before the huge variety of vegan, vegetarian, low fat, alcoholic or no alcoholic, goose fat dripping or non goose fat dripping, gluten intolerance’s, medical restrictions and more are involved. You are certainly in some families going to need a ‘chart’.
Undoubtedly one of many favourite episodes of ever Decreasing Circles, one of the many, many comedy programmes my dad exposed me to, involved the somewhat anally retentive Martin, played by the great Richard Briers, having to organise Christmas when his house got invaded by many people, obviously caused by the flamboyant and laidback Paul next door.
We have at Church this week a wide variety of things ‘on the menu’. Tomorrow in the morning we have a Deeper service thin king about someone who is often lost in the Christmas story, Jesus’ (other) dad, Joseph. Then in the evening after a time when Church will be open for folk to enjoy the trees with some good food and wine, we have our Carol Service at 630pm. I will be using the trees we have as inspiration for that service so come and find out what connection they have to the great story of Christmas!
Christmas Eve at 4pm we then have our annual Crib Service for Children and families (and indeed anyone else who doesn’t mind a little bit of noise and fun). I have prepared something involving lego but I’m not going to spoil the surprise.
For a more peaceful offering we gather at 11pm to enjoy the First Communion of Christmas, also known as Midnight Mass. And then on Christmas Day we have our now legendary Christmas Day Celebration and Quiz.
You will have I am sure things on the menu that appeal to you more and things that appeal less – but maybe my challenge to you this Christmas is to try something, both a foodstuff and a servicethat you don’t usually have. You may be surprised! I am not as some of you will know, a great vegetable eater and so for many years I quietly shunned parsnips on Christmas day – but then one year I tried one – wonderfully roasted and glazed with a rich sweet sauce and you know what – I quite liked it. Don’t miss out!
Peace and Blessings
Andy
Brislington Community News 