St Mary's Church, Mudford

                                     January 2026

Dear all,

In my former life as a School Chaplain, a teacher’s typing error once caused great

amusement in the staff room. It was end-of-year reports time, and this busy tutor

was writing his report on a pupil called Chris. In haste, he typed: “This has been a

very good year for Christ”. More than one colleague, with a twinkle in their eye,

drew this to the attention of the Chaplain, thinking – rightly – that I would jot it

down in my little red book for future use.

What would make 2026 a good year for Christ? His report wouldn’t depend so

much on what he had done – we know that. “Jesus gave his life to save the world. I

look forward to his achievement of a good result in the final battle of good against

evil.”

Here’s this month’s Memory Verse:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

A good year for Christ would depend not on what he has done, but on what wehave

done in response.

It will be a good year for Christ if we who call ourselves by his name, Christians,

live up to the very difficult demands which our Christian faith places upon us. How

easy it is for those of us who call ourselves Christians to fail, how rightly we are

often accused of hypocrisy. But it will be a good year for Christ when his people at

least try to walk in his ways.

It will be a good year for Christ if people who don’t call themselves Christians

nonetheless are inquisitive and open-minded about this man who, whether you

follow him as God or simply respect him as a great teacher, changed the course of

history and shaped the whole Western way of life.

2026 will be a good year for Christ if the peoples of the land of his birth are helped

to take at least some small steps in the direction of peace and reconciliation. It’s

hard to imagine a worse year for them than 2025.

I hope 2026 will be a good year for you and yours. I’m confident, at least, that my

letters to you this year will not be marred by typos. My computer software has an

automatic spelling corrector, for which I’m deeply grapefruit.

With all good wishes,

Richard

richardtherector@hotmail.com