A few years ago (and before I started this blog) I remember majoring on how the most precious gift we receive at Christmas is Jesus himself, and how we need to enjoy "unwrapping" that gift.

This year I find myself reflecting similarly that it is awesome that God's response to a fallen world riven with rejection, misunderstanding, and alienation, is to give himself - through his son Jesus. He gives himself unconditionally, not requiring a partiuclar response but giving us a choice. Will we receive this gift? Will we accept him?

So in a world where people want to be known, loved and accepted, God does not encourage us to seek acceptance, but to be one who accepts.

From time to time I receive newsletters from Revd Dr Clifford Hill, of C&M Ministries Trust, Moggerhanger Park, Bedfordshire. Formerly he was a pastor in East London, and has a challenging prophetic ministry drawing on his learning as a sociologist (it is in sociology that he has a PhD). He's written some interesting books, and he sees that much of what he foresaw is now coming to pass.

His latest newsletter draws attention to the way sociologists recognise five major social institutions, and that there is an invariable rule that when significant change takes place in any one of the five, all others are affected. They are:

• The Economy
• The Family
• Education
• Law and government
• Religion

He speaks of how all these except the economy have undergone major change since the 1960's so today's financial problems were predictable. Since this is the result of a domino-effect to do with changing values, a solution based on just addressing financial issues will not be suffiicient. The full article is worth reading here. His home page here.

I had a great meeting a week ago with some friends from the Wiltshire Christian Spiritual Direction Course. One was Janet Robbins, who some while ago had won a session with a Horse Whisperer. His hot tip to her was: Watch. Let go. Just be. This is an awesome recipe for life for anyone who generally wants to be in control, which of course is not the way to succeed as a horse whisperer. I am valuing the advice already.

I came across another good motto from a friend from Accts I met recently (Cal Dunlap) at an Accts MMI trustees meeting (I am a trustee). This was advice on the right attitude to visit other organisations sensitvely. To listen. To learn. To love. I like that too.