Rev David Warner column: Memories matter

In his latest column for us, the Vicar of Mossley, Reverend David Warner, writes about the importance of memories and how you can place a memory tag on a Christmas tree at St George's Church.

The Christmas trees continue to go up - I’m sure I’m not unusual in having ancient and much loved decorations that appear each year, which have gathered sentimental value - they can be beautiful or tacky, expensive or homemade, but the memories they carry really matter.

At St George’s Church each year we have two Christmas trees near the altar and crib and we invite anyone who wishes to hang a tag on them in memory of loved ones.

The custom starts with the annual memorial service for our local funeral director, and continues through the Christmas season. 

This year that memorial service is virtual and will be broadcast online, but the tags will be real, just as the names and memories are real too.

In this time of such great loss, it’s important for us to have space to take a moment to stop and think of those we love but see no longer - especially those who have died during this year, who we haven’t been able to mourn properly, or in the usual ways. 

I hope the closeness of the memory trees to the crib is some comfort - Jesus comes as a child, as one of us, and knew all the pain that we encounter in our lives. 

St George’s is open for you to come and place a memory tag, 10am-2pm on Saturdays December 12 and 19 and we look forward to welcoming you. 

If you can’t make it, but would like a tag to be written for your loved one, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to place it for you. 

Memory matters, love matters, and the light keeps on shining in the darkness.