Lent 2016 - an alarming statistic on loneliness

I found a rather alarming statistic yesterday.  No, it was not about church decline but about Christmas. (Now you know why I posted a nativity scene in Lent!) 

Apparently in the United Kingdom 2044 people submitted their self assessment tax return on-line to the inland revenue on Christmas Day. I started thinking about what could be the reason for this statistic. Perhaps:

• There are some people so busy on 364 days of the year that Christmas day holiday is the only time they get to do a tax form. That is sad.
• There are some people who have no friends or family to spend the holiday with and they sit at home alone filling in the on-line tax return. Sad.
• Some people find being with their families at Christmas so stressful that they lock themselves away in a quiet room and fill in the tax collectors requirements. Again sad.
• Some people regard Christmas in the same way as Charles Dickens' character Scrooge. They protest at the atmosphere of bonhomie and say "bah humbug" before filling in the form on the inland revenue website!
• Christmas has only been a public holiday in Scotland since 1958 so perhaps some people have not yet gotten used to the idea and still think of it as a working day! (Though they would be very old by now!)
• Is there anyone who enjoys completing their tax return so much that they save it to do on one of the most fun days of the year!  Huh?
• They could be of another religion for whom Christmas means nothing. 

This statistic is a reminder for me to be aware of others. When we are enjoying ourselves we can think everyone is bound to be having a good time too. There will always be some people who will not be sharing in the festivities and for whatever reason will feel excluded. On Christmas day we expect everyone to share the seasonal joy, even if they are not marking the birth of Jesus. But it can be just another day. Sad. 

I believe that many of the wrongs in our society are a result of people no longer feeling part of any real community. Social research has identified loneliness and isolation as one of the big problems of our day. It can hit any age group, with the elderly particularly susceptible.

Churches traditionally were a focal point in a local community, and frequently people belonged without believing. Today churches are smaller and we put so much emphasis on believing that people who have trouble believing feel that they do not belong. Perhaps we just have to loosen up and really mean it when we sing "All are welcome". Becoming a community where anyone can walk in and feel a sense of belonging is one of the major challenges for the church of today. 




Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Closing a church and the hope of resurrection

The closure of a much loved church building is a painful experience as it comes to the end of its life. In the radio interview posted below with Shona from Heartland FM local radio station I explain the experiences of the Methodists in Blairgowrie and their changed continuing presence in the town. 
Click on the start button to hear the interview...

Lent 2016 - Things to do

Some people have got tired of giving things up for lent so instead try to do something positive instead. They add a good habit to their lives that they hope will be good and useful in itself and in the long term not only bring benefit to others but also help you grow in your own Christian faith and maturity. So I have chosen to write a Christian reflection every day. It is easy for the first few days but the test will come when I am on day 38! I don't have a plan. I am trusting in divine inspiration and that is scary as I like to know what is happening.

Here is an interesting activity that a friend is doing this lent:

Aware of how much "stuff" we accumulate in our homes and wardrobes, M** said she was downsizing her "stuff" by one item a day for each of the forty days of lent. Her wardrobes and clothes drawers are bulging and her shelves are full of souvenirs from her travels.  I am sure the local charity shops (goodwill stores) will benefit from her lenten discipline. She has admitted she will "cheat" a little as, rather than give everything away, she will sell some of her interesting surplus items on ebay and then send the money to her church. Couldn't we all do with a little downsizing!

Lent is a good time to do something different. What do you plan to do?



Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net