God Rest You Merry Gentlemen:

“Remember Christ our saviour was born on Christmas Day to save us from Satan’s power when we were gone astray”

Written by Calum Piper

The tradition of singing carols or even winter songs started wherever local communities used to gather. Whilst nearly every community in England has a parish church, the pub was probably the first building in older communities. People used to gather in taverns and pubs to be community and on the long dark nights they would sing songs to cheer them up. That's where a lot of our Christmas carols have come from.

What I love about this line from the carol is amongst the frivolity, joy and celebration of singing carols and of being community together there is a reminder that its not about the presents. It is not about the frivolity and the things that sometimes maybe our world makes Christmas about. It's not about all the shopping, the gift giving and the novelty jumpers. Christmas isn’t about the overindulgence in food and wine and whatever else.

Christmas is about Jesus who comes to save us, who comes to offer us life afresh, who comes to offer us a relationship of love.

Christmas isn't far away now. We're halfway through our Advent journey and if you are already starting to feel like the decorations have been up too long and you're ready for it all to be over, remember, that's not what it's all about.

Remember the celebration of Christmas is about God reaching down to earth to say to each and every person: ‘You matter, I care about you and I want to do life with you.’

Know that there is nothing that can get in the way of God and the people he loves. Know that there is nothing that can get in the way of God reaching out to his world because he achieved that reaching out and that offering of love through Jesus coming as a baby.

So, amid all the festivity and amid all the decorations and parties and whatever else you get up to, remember that it's all about Christ our saviour. He was born on Christmas Day.