Life & Work Magazine
Life & Work Magazine


36 mins

The Big Question

The Rev Alistair Cumming, locum minister St Andrews in the Grange, Guernsey and Presbytery Clerk to Presbytery of England
David McPhie, reader, United Church of Bute, Rothesay

“’What shift are you working this year’, ‘Are you off for Christmas’, ‘I worked Christmas last year’.

“Words which will echo around the mess rooms and canteens of many of our police, fire and ambulance stations, hospitals, care homes and many many more places, as staff discuss who will be working over Christmas this year.

“The rosters are published and the staff know that they will provide the usual high quality service for their communities at Christmas. They will go home and tell their families to make other arrangements as they will be working over Christmas. They know that for this festive period they will put community before families. They do so selflessly, and we acknowledge their service and off er our thanks.

“Those who work over Christmas and the many who volunteer to work and provide a service do so in order that we can all enjoy our festive time. For them Christmas is not a holiday. We often take for granted the services that are provided for us at Christmas, we often say thanks to those who we see working on Christmas Day, but do we think for a moment about their families who also have to see loved ones going out when others are sitting around the Christmas tree. We should not only pay tribute to those who work over Christmas but also we pay tribute and off er our thanks to their families.

“May the Peace of Christ be with all who off er service and those who support them, this Christmas time.”

“Christmas is a time to rejoice and be with family or friends, and enjoy great celebrations of peace to the world as we welcome the birth of The Christ.

“But we should never forget nor take for granted those people who sacrifice all these things.

“We should all spare a thought for the people who will be hard at work, the unsung heroes of the NHS, the emergency services, those people who strive to keep us safe, all personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force. While we’re opening our presents, messing about with our new gadgets, tucking into our turkey dinners, sipping a glass of whatever and relaxing with our families, they’re working hard to keep us safe.

“And don’t forget the parish ministers working within their parishes throughout our country, seeing to the needs of others before their own, welcoming all who come to their door. People from all walks of life with many diff erent needs.

“On the other side of life there is the reality of Christmas – a daunting thought for those people less fortunate than ourselves with no presents, no food to eat, for whom ‘Christmas’ is just another day that they have to survive the harsh reality of their own lives and find shelter from freezing cold weather.

“Also we should try to remember those who find rejection within society those who are walked by in the street as they huddle just to survive.

“Let us finally take a moment for the people who care, for surely they are the living Christmas message to all.”

Diane Ashton, member, Dalgety Church, Fife
The Rev Iain McFadzean, chief executive, Work Place Chaplaincy, Scotland
Bill Stevenson, Brigade Secretary, CEO, BoysBrigade

“What do we owe to people who work on Christmas Day? We often focus on medical and emergency services, and rightly so. I would also like to cite those people whose jobs are less visible, but without whom Christmas Day would be very diff erent.

“So many people have roles that allow us to relax and enjoy our break. For, example, I used to work in the electricity supply industry, and Christmas Day places a diff erent demand from usual on our system. So, a BIG thank you to:

Shift workers in our power stations, who make sure we have the means to cook our shared meal, to watch our favourite television programmes (even if we fall asleep in front of it!), to illuminate our homes with decorative lights, to heat our homes.

Callout technicians and engineers who attend our homes when the central heating goes down, who will turn an emergency into something more manageable.

Volunteers who provide practical help, meals, company and hope for people who find Christmas Day difficult or lonely.

Helplines (like Samaritans) who remain available for those who have reached the end of their tether, to provide a listening ear at a critical time.

People who don’t celebrate Christmas, and who open their shops on the one day of the year when you’ve run out of sugar, gravy, toilet rolls, and everywhere else is closed.

“I’d like to thank them all, even if I never need their services!”

“How will you be spending Christmas Day this year?

“For some the answer is: ‘I will be at work’.

“The invisible eff orts of thousands of people will ensure that the rest of us enjoy the day.

“Radio presenters and technical staff , water and sewage workers, farmers, medics and emergency services, foster carers and military personnel are just a small sample of those who will be working.

“One thing unites almost all those who will work Christmas; they are there to serve us, to make sure our day goes smoothly, safely and happily.

“For most of us Christmas will be a special day of rest. I hope it will be a day when we will remember the reason for the celebration, ‘Immanuel, God with us’ and each of us, will give thanks and praise for that privilege, however, whether we do that in a church or at home with family or friends we remember that God is not just with those who have time to worship or celebrate, but also and perhaps especially, with those who are serving us.

“In the midst of a busy world Christ was born to serve and bring peace and hope to all.

“As we give thanks for that incredible gift this Christmas spare a thought, a prayer and maybe, if we get the chance, a personal word of gratitude for those who serve by working this Christmas.

“We all have our own picture of a perfect Christmas – perhaps it is sitting by the fire watching yet another old movie, visiting family and friends or a trip to the panto.

“In my case it is great to have a few days at home, do some cooking and be able to get out for long walks in the countryside.

“Encouraged by TV adverts to have the best possible Christmas we plan ahead and take so much for granted. About 10 years ago we had a power cut on Christmas Eve and although it was fun for a while to sit by candlelight and read a book, we soon started to miss the central heating and the option of a hot shower.

“Last year the heavy snow meant a lot of plans had to be changed at the last minute.

“In our 21st century society we are so dependent on each other and particularly the thousands of people across Scotland who will be working hard to ensure the rest of us can enjoy that Christmas break.

“So I would just like to pass on my thanks not only to the emergency services who do such a fantastic job but also to the many unseen faces who deliver our cards and parcels, keep the electricity on, produce TV programmes/newspapers, serve in shops and keep our towns and cities clean. This Christmas raise a toast to them all – and remember many of them will be Boys’ Brigade members and leaders too!”

This article appears in the December 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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  COPIED
This article appears in the December 2018 Issue of Life and Work