From me, Sarah and of course, Phoebe – who chose this Christmas message.

I’m just ordering Sarah’s last Christmas gift (something she told me yesterday she wanted and they didn’t have in the shops), so a quick message before going quiet for Christmas.

The cake is just about to be iced, the mince pies are done, the turkey is defrosting (!) and the presents wrapped (mostly).  The last few presents and the cake will get done at 3pm, which is when Christmas really starts for me.  Just after 3pm, we’ll join millions of others all around the world with the Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge.  And I’ll know Christmas has arrived.  Each year I forget how much I love this start to Christmas; this year I was reminded early by this post. As you’ll see from my comment there, I get all tingly when ‘Once in Royal David City’ starts; followed by the wonderful language of the service itself – “in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem”, “all those who rejoice with us, but on another shore”… (as Sam Seaborn in The West Wing would say, a little thing called cadence) to the final reading that “In the Beginning was the Word…” and the triumphal Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

May your Christmases be merry and bright, peaceful and restful. God bless and see you soon.