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Viewpoint from Rt Rev Dr Alan Winton 23/12/2022
 Rt Rev Dr Alan Winton
Bishop of Thetford
This is a time of year when we love to hear an uplifting story. One option, pursued in my house a few days ago, is to watch a Christmas movie. It’s a great form of escapism, but many of them do tend towards the sentimental. They can give a few moments cheer, but they don’t really connect with our own lives very easily
Particularly during this time of crisis for many people and families, with the cost of living rising all the time and energy costs scarily high, we need something beyond sentiment, something a little more grounded
Last year, I spoke of an online Advent Calendar I was following on the theme of prayer. This year the same sort of resource is available but its focus is on pastoral care and support being offered through churches all across Norwich Diocese. A different volunteer briefly tells their story each day and offers a focus for prayer
If you want to receive it, there’s still time to register if you follow this link: https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/resource/advent-calendar-2022/
 It’s ordinary people finding ways of caring for their neighbours as an expression of their faith, responding to the call to share the love of God with those in need. Already we’ve heard of schemes to provide pre-loved school uniforms through a Uniform Bank; an initiative where people visit and befriend the lonely; a visitor to prison helping offenders make use of their time to train and acquire new skills; and a friendship group for refugees helping them to settle into their new home
These practical acts of love and care connect with the story behind all our Christmas celebrations, of God’s love made present in our world in the person of Jesus whose birth we celebrate. With our cribs and Christmas traditions, we could easily allow the story of Jesus’ birth to descend into the sentimental, but instead it’s been able to inspire people down through the generations to lives of love and service
My prayer is that all who struggle and feel close to despair may find themselves uplifted by the kindness of others and draw strength from the promise of God’s great love revealed in the child of Bethlehem
This will be my final offering to Viewpoint as I retire in a few months’ time and move away from this beautiful county. I have loved sharing these years with people across the diocese and particularly in Great Yarmouth. May God bless you and fill you with joy this Christmas
+ Alan Thetford
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