Thought for the Month
Join me each month as I ponder life with all the highs and lows we encounter along the way.
I hope you enjoy my blog whose aim is to raise a smile as well as give food for thought.
As always, I would love to hear from you, so please contact me 01278 781147 c.judson@btinternet.com
God bless you.
Rev Chris
Rev Chris’ Blog,
February 2026 ‘WE travel towards Easter ‘
I wonder when you put away your Christmas decorations this year? For some it will have been the day after Boxing Day, or maybe even before that. For others it will have been on or by the Twelfth Night, marking an end to the Twelve Days of Christmas and a start to the season of Epiphany. Everything feels very bare when they go away, doesn’t it? I quite like the change, and even the emptiness – it gives a chance to ‘get back to normal’, or even to establish ‘a new and better normal’ if New Year’s Resolutions are involved.
The one thing we haven’t put away yet in our churches is the Nativity scene. This has raised a few eyebrows. Traditionally this remains until the end of Epiphany, at the start of February, only then do we truly let go of Christmas and begin to move toward Easter, turning from the wood of the crib, toward the wood of the cross. This gives plenty of time to consider the wonder of what Christmas is really all about and to allow for the ‘penny dropping’ moments that make up the ‘Now I get it!’ of Epiphany.
This year we have been blessed beyond measure by the generous gifts of Nativity scenes. These have included the beautiful knitted crib scenes given by ‘The Crafty Cows’ and by ‘Gill from Berrow’ to East and West Huntspill respectively. These could be handled and played with by our youngsters, without fear of damage or injury. They complemented our more traditional crib scenes, and the crib scenes that we constructed with people on Christmas Eve around ‘The grumpy owl and the joy of Christmas’ (thanks to the fabulous costumes and props, again provided by kind hearted and skilled Huntspill people). Thank you – one and all!
Soon it will be Pancake Day (17th Feb) and Ash Wednesday (18th Feb), leading us into Lent, setting us off on our journey toward Easter. There are lots of resources to help: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book – ‘Dancing to the heartbeat of God’, The Church of England’s Lent theme – ‘Draw near’ including booklets for adults, families & children(40acts) and daily reflections on the Everyday Faith ap. Bishop Michael is encouraging us to focus on Prayer this year, and particularly on The Lord’s Prayer. To do this together there will be a Lent Group each Thursday evening through Lent, meeting at 7pm at All Saints Church, East Huntspill – do come, and let’s learn and share together.
God bless you and guide you, as together WE (our new Benefice of West and East Huntspill) travel toward Easter!
Rev Chris
December 2025 ‘The Joy of Christmas’
There are so many delightful things that Christmas brings: Christmas presents and cards, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Christmas dinner – turkey and all the trimmings, Christmas trees, Christmas jumpers, Christmas parties and pantomimes, Christmas carols, nativities and Christingles, and a myriad of other things besides.
We all have our favourites, things that mean a lot to us. At times we may feel a little overwhelmed at the busy-ness of the season, but it seems to me that if we can focus on the true joy of Christmas then all of our festivities will sparkle afresh!
Surely, the greatest joy of Christmas is the good news the angel declared to the shepherds – the news of Jesus’ birth as Emmanuel (God With Us). The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people …’ Luke 2.10-11
The incredible happening – that God should come and live among us as a tiny, vulnerable baby – is at once the most ridiculously risky plan, and yet also the most inspirational of acts. What we celebrate and explore in our carols and nativities is this mind-blowing act of love – little wonder that over 2000 years later we are still struggling to figure out what it means and how we should respond.
As we look back at the story of the first Christmas, we know the characters well. In our re-telling we often add new characters to help our understanding – such as the drummer boy or the grumpy owl. The one thing that all of the characters, new and old, have in common is that the joy of this amazing event changed them for ever.
The New Year will also bring changes for many of us – including the changes in our Benefice and our Church Leadership. Through it all, may we focus the ‘eyes of our hearts’ on the true joy of Christmas – the joy that calls us to fullness of life and the wonder of God’s self-giving love, and may we know the peace of the Christ child in all that we do and are.
God bless you with love, peace and joy, this Christmas-time and always,
Rev Chris