Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 21st December 2025

Dear Friends,

The spirit of Christmas ­peace, goodwill, and love ­is something to live out every day. It’s not about rejecting the holiday but expanding its essence beyond the season. A foundation of Quakerism is the belief that the divine isn’t confined to one day, one place, or one ritual. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote in Aurora Leigh:: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.”

This belief shapes how Quakers view the world. There are no priests in our practice because everyone is seen as capable of connecting with the divine. There are no consecrated spaces because sacred potential exists everywhere. Christmas, too, is not confined to one day. The joy and generosity it inspires shouldn’t be locked into December but carried throughout the year.

That’s easier said than done, of course. The energy and focus of the holiday season are hard to replicate on a wet Wednesday in July. But what would it mean to carry the spirit of goodwill and community throughout the year?

What if we practised kindness and gratitude daily, not just when prompted by the calendar? What if gifts became thoughtful gestures rather than extravagant purchases? What if the testimonies simplicity, peace, and integrity guided us to avoid excess while still making space for joy and connection?

David O’Halloran