It was a big today today in the life of the St. Sébastien church – the annual Christmas festival. A number of churches we know take advantage of the fact that Christmas is one of the only times of the year that people give Jesus a second thought, and plan an event for inviting friends and neighbours.
What made it unusual for us that it will be our last. In the past we have always been involved at every level, but this time we were pretty much able to sit back and watch it all happen – well, I put together a choir at the last minute for one song, which probably sounds like a big deal, but it all came together without much input from me. The children were all involved of course, and really seemed to enjoy themselves.
It feels so weird knowing that we’re moving on – a bit like the elves leaving Middle Earth 
We feel like flies on the wall, just watching it all happen. There were several visitors there today, a number of new families who have been coming regularly for a while – don’t think we have ever had so many children for a special day like this before. The young people completely took care of getting the meal organised and serving it all (for “meal” read four-course, three-hour long extravaganza – in France when we eat together, we don’t do things by halves!) It was great seeing different ones put their gifts to good use.
My emotions are torn between being relieved and excited to be moving on to something new, and feeling rather sad that we’re going to miss out on an exciting new phase in the life of the church: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Maria with friends Louise and Camille, and her Mum Sarah.
Sunday afternoons are always looked forward to in our family, as Sunday mornings are usually pretty intense. Heather has been doing a survey of the Middle Ages with the children, and since there is no shortage of castles around here we went to visit one this afternoon for a bit of a family outing. On a bleak winter’s day with not too many tourists around it would be a pretty spooky place. Built in the 12th century, it’s most famous occupant was Gilles de Rais, alias “Bluebeard”, friend of Joan of Arc, who had a successful career as Marshal of France, defending the land from those nasty English. Sadly his life ended in wierdness, with forays into the occult, alchemy and crime.
It was pretty hard to spot the ghosts this afternoon though. This month they have turned the place into a large Christmas market, with overpriced trinkets, candy floss, roast chestnuts and mulled wine – the usual Christmas market stuff. There were SO many people. Christmas is so bizarre isn’t it? I think it’s struck me more this year than ever before. What a huge amount of time, money and effort goes into preparing to celebrate, when nobody really knows what we’re celebrating. Not that there’s anything wrong with having a party from time to time, but it’s getting so over the top. In spite of all the hype it is one of the loneliest times of the year for a lot of people, the most stressful times, and the month where people are most likely to get into financial difficulty – all for the sake of something that is supposed to make us happy.
The need to celebrate is basic to humanity, and it is such a crushing realisation for many people that there really isn’t that much to celebrate. There is a reason though, that is so much deeper and wider and more interesting than just Christmas – it’s the mystery of Emmanuel, God with us – and not just on December 25th but 365 days a year. God WITH us – not some distant philosophy or outmoded morality, but the real thing!
Let’s celebrate this every day, December 25th included!
As we sat down to dinner Laura said that it was the kind of day that she wishes would never end. I guess it’s a little taste of heaven really. The idyll is still punctuated by the odd family squabble, the Christmas dessert that doesn’t look anything like the picture in the recipe book and that the kids don’t like anyway, the bits missing from the new lego set… life goes on. But it’s great having those little flashes of perfection to keep us moving “further up and further in”.
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