St Saviour’s Tollington – Our First Church Experience in London

On Sunday we visited the church that is just around the corner from us.  St Saviour’s Tollington Parish.  St Saviour’s Tollington is a lovely little church nestled away in Islington.  If you want more info on the Tollington Parish click here.

The carols service was lovely.  A wonderful combination of traditional and modern.  A modern band with strings and brass added and a 10-voice vocal group lead us all in a 9-Lessons style carols service.  The music and vocals were flawless (and such a pleasure to hear carols sung with all of the proper vocal parts!), the readings were done well, the sound and lighting were used beautifully and did not distract at all from the reverence and divinity of what was happening and the message… what can I say about the message?

The message was given this year by the associate Vicar of St Saviour’s Tollington Parish, Tom Woolford.  I have heard many a Christmas or Carols message given in my time, I have even given 1 or 2 myself.  There is a lot of pressure on the speaker to not ramble, not to use too much Christianese, not to alienate the non-Christians nor the Christians, to be entertaining but also respectful/reverent and above all, try to make it fresh.  But there are only so many ways you can tell the same story surely.  Well this year I heard something new.  Tom didn’t talk about how commercialised Christmas has become and how Jesus is the reason for the season; instead Tom regaled us with tales of when he was in Beavers (apparently that’s a Scouts-type thing?).  Tom did make some interesting points though…

Don’t Settle for Fine

How many times do you ask someone how they are doing and they respond with “I’m Fine”.  They could be the most miserable person in the world who has had everything around them go wrong and they are still fine.  They could be impaled upon a spike and they would still be fine.  The idea here was to not settle for just being fine.  Jesus was born so that we could have life to the fullest, not just a fine life, but an extraordinary life.  Jesus didn’t die so that you could be fine, he died so that you could have life everlasting in the glorious presence and grace of God.  Don’t settle for fine…

Do Investigate More

How many times have you heard or read the Christmas story?  Mary and Joseph coming into Bethlehem, no room at the Inn, little J.C. born in the stables and wrapped in cloths, the shepherds in the fields, the wise men etc etc.  We’ve all heard or read it like 100 times right?  But have you ever investigated it?  Have you ever looked at the whole story through someone else’s eyes?  Mary for example?  Can you imagine when you we like 16 or 17, an angel comes to you and says that you are great, God thinks you are really great and because of this He has chosen you to give birth to His Son.  Problem number 1 – you are engaged to another man.  Solution – He will be ok with it, God said so.  Problem number 2 – How are you going to have a baby when you are still a virgin?  Solution – the Holy Spirit is going to take care of it all.  Problem number 3 – I am engaged to a respectable man, a virgin, and pregnant!  Solution – God will take care of it.   And that’s just the beginning of the story!

Seriously, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Mary?  or Joseph?  Put yourself in his shoes.  Put yourself in the shoes of any of the characters in the story and read it again, really read it.  Immerse yourself in the time, the culture, the people and read it again.  Investigate it further.  I promise you, it will be like hearing the story for the very first time!

Here is where I leave you for now.  So go now, drink some mulled wine and eat a fruit mince pie, sing some carols and wonder at the marvellousness (wow that’s actually a word according to spell check!) of the Christmas story.

Thanks St Saviour’s Tollington, for a great message and a great night.