It’s Sunday evening, and as you read this I’ll be in Forfar with Bellshill Salvation Army Band leading Christmas services in Lowson Memorial Church, as we have done for many years. We’ll be coming to the end of our final concert of the day and by this time I will be physically exhausted from the efforts of today, but I’ll also be mentally exhausted having to keep smiling through all the festivities, regardless of how I actually feel today.
The Christmas lights that twinkle all around us all week, and especially today in Forfar, are doing their best to convince me that I’m more organised than I actually am. Spoiler: I’m not.
This weekend has been a blur of band engagements – Friday night was Music For a Christmas Evening, (during which I shared a devotional thought), there was carolling in Glasgow, which I did. not attend, and then today we’ve been in Forfar all day (again I shared a devotional thought during morning worship). Add in the usual band posts (videos and write-up of each event), and you may hopefully understand why my I am now feeling physically and mentally exhausted. This is why I’m so glad I’ve always booked tomorrow (Monday) off work – it gives me a day to rest my body and my mind, before I need to get started on the my own prep for Christmas, and shopping!
But here’s the thing about December Sundays – especially the Sunday we spend in Forfar – it has its own sparkle. Even when I’m exhausted, even when my to‑do list is longer than Santa’s naughty list, there’s something magical about the evening service at Lowson when we share with them in an evening of Christmas music and carols, all with the backdrop of the Christmas tree and of course, the cross.
Tonight feels like a pause button – A chance to laugh at the chaos all around, admire the lights, and remind myself that Christmas isn’t about perfection—it’s about joy, connection, and maybe eating too much.
So here’s to Sunday, December 10th: tired feet, exhausted mind and body, carol service, twinkling lights, and the reminder that even in the busiest season, there’s beauty in slowing down for a moment to remember the reason for the season.
The Distinct Dot 