Carols on Campus

Tuesday, Dec 4th, was our annual Campus Carols & Celebration in the St George's Centre.  



As always, scrumptious refreshments were on offer prior to the service.

This year we shaped our service around the fact that we are in the middle of Disability History Month.
In addition to our usual carols and readings we had a lovely lady, Karen, who signed everything for the deaf. Karen was wonderfully accommodating and easy to work alongside.

We also had the pleasure of inviting the Music Man Project to join us and sing one of their songs - 'Love Shine a Light'. Music Man is about education, enjoyment and performance for the learning disabled. Thank you Sarah & team for all that you added to our service.

My message for the season focused on LIGHT. Not in the scientific sense, “electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum”.  Nor simply the practical sense, “the brightness that let’s you see things.”  But light in a spiritual sense  ...

LIGHT as ILLUMINATION, as TRUTH  -  Illumination allows us a greater understanding of something. In English we use the idiom to ‘shed light on something  …  which is about giving or receiving greater clarity, increased understanding. It’s about a security in knowing what is true.

LIGHT as COMFORT  -  Not comfort in the sense of everything being easy, but a comfort that actually goes beyond human understanding. A comfort you can experience when all around you appears to be in turmoil.

LIGHT as HOPE  - 

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

ISAIAH 40:28-31

There are many other people to thank  ...  Paul, from the St George's Centre, who is always so friendly and helpful.  Chris, who helped with all things techno and beyond my under-standing :-)  Arun, who played organ so beautifully as people were arriving, who sang and helped in different ways, despite it being his 21st birthday!!!  Aiste, who decorated the tree and managed to serve up 14 bottles of mulled fruit punch!!!  Last, but not least, thanks to Lorraine from Medway Foodbank, who played piano, kept me calm, and was able to tell people more about the work of Foodbank - an unbelievably, worthy, local cause.  A ministry that has helped some of our Medway students who have found themselves in financial crisis.