Hanging prominently on my kitchen wall is a very large calendar. Each block or date has four lines—most of which are filled with reminders of approaching Church activities.
The calendar is a recurring Christmas gift I’ve been finding in my stocking for the past several years.
Here at St. John the Evangelist, Topsail, our rector, Canon Jotie Noel, also makes sure that we celebrate each red-letter day on the Church’s calendar.
The day that I am writing this article, Sunday, February 1st, as our congregation gathered together in our place of worship, we were happy to be welcomed to and participate in the annual Christingle service—symbolizing God’s gift to us as the Light of the World, and as an aftermath to the winding down of Advent. Christingle serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
At the foot of the altar this morning, with three of our younger members of the congregation participating, Canon Jotie once again used the analogy of an orange as a motif to demonstrate the best gift of all.
Each child displayed an orange, which represented the concept of a circle—round like the world. A candle at the top represented God’s Light. A ribbon around the orange represented the love of God that goes around the world. Toothpicks are a symbol of love pointing in all directions.
The demonstration was greatly enhanced by the involvement of the three children as they joyfully assisted Canon Jotie while he explained the biblical meaning of the multiple components displayed on the table.
After an uplifting service, the Anglican Church Women of our parish invited everyone downstairs to participate in fellowship and food.
A rewarding day was had by all.
The Lord is my light
And my salvation
Whom shall I fear
– Psalm 27
