Christmas cancelled!? Well clearly some things are. At short notice family arrangements have had to be drastically altered or indeed cancelled. Many more people will be alone, many more people will feel isolated. Judging by the news reports, many more people will be ill and in hospital. Sadly more people will die, changing the lives of their loved ones for ever. It seems a pretty bleak picture. I want to introduce a family to you. Their names are fictitious, but they are real

Advent 4. Gospel - Luke 1.26-38 Well, it has happened again. I’m just so lucky! Once again I have been specially pre-selected and pre-authorised to have a brand new credit card! No further checks required, all I have to do is sign up online and I can have my new card before Christmas! It might even mean that I can get a few extra treats for our Christmas celebrations. And after all, I can do what I like as Tesco tells us there is no naughty list this year! Well of course, its

Readings: Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-end John 1.6-8, 19-28 Another reminiscence from Portsmouth days! During my time as a curate in Southsea I was also part-time on the staff of Portsmouth Cathedral. During this period there were several exhibitions of artwork in the building. One such was an exhibition of carvings by the Polish artist Josef Pyrz. (1946 – 2016) [Some of his work is now in Durham Cathedral] I was much taken with his work, and particularly with this, called ‘Annunciation

Old Testament reading. Isaiah 40: 1-11 This is a scene from the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the story of what later became known as the Battle of Hastings. William, the Duke of Normandy, was fighting King Harold of England. This scene takes place just after the Norman troops thought that William was slayed. The man on the horse with the club in the air was William’s younger half-brother, Odo, who was a Bishop. He has his club in the air and was trying to encourage the Norman t