Sound doesn't travel very well after a fresh fall of snow. Soft flakes on the ground and up in the trees absorb sound waves. It's why wintertime in Northern Europe can be so still and tranquil.

In just such a winter, back in 1818, two Austrian friends wrote a gentle Christmas Carol called Silent Night. It begins like this: "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace..."

These words capture wonder and reverence for that extraordinary moment in time when God clothed himself with human flesh, born of a woman called Mary. But the reality of Jesus's birth is that, in subtropical Palestine, it rarely snows in Bethlehem.

And, given that there was, 'no place for them at the inn' and that Mary and Joseph were forced to find lodging in a house - it's reasonable to speculate that Jesus's birth took place at ground level surrounded by animals.

This is because the Bible tells us that Jesus was laid in a 'manger'. This was a feeding trough on the ground floor for certain precious animals kept inside at night for protection and as a kind of central heating system.

Imagine the noise and heat of the animals? Mary's labour was, no doubt, sweaty and traumatic. Certainly nothing in the Bible leads us to believe she was spared a painful birth or made no sound. Really it was anything but a silent night!

Yet, no matter how much we ponder and speculate over the details, there's much we simply can't know. For example was it a 'noisy night' or 'noisy day'? Luke's gospel tells us of an angel appearing to shepherds at night declaring: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."

This could mean Jesus was born at any time of that day or evening up until the appearance of the angel. What is clear though, in this passage and countless others in the Bible, is that Jesus's arrival means salvation for the world - an opportunity for people to reconcile with God. It's why Jesus is called 'Saviour'. He came to save us from our sin.

So, as you sing Carols this Christmas, don't forget how difficult and noisy that real historical event was. And sing with all your heart because Jesus's coming means the possibility of 'heavenly peace' for everyone. Praise God!

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sending your son into this world, born of a virgin, a Saviour for all the world.

Bible Verse: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

Jeff Mason will take the morning service on Sunday, November 26. Children's church is available for over threes.

There is a creche for under threes with an accompanying adult.

The service starts at 10.45am and will be followed by tea and coffee.

The evening service will be taken by Elaine Cooper. It will start at 6.15pm and will look at Acts 20.

All are welcome at both services.

Join us for our Christmas Fair in the church hall on Caledonian Road on Saturday, November 25th from 11am until 2pm.

It will include crafts, gifts, bric-a-brac and jewellery. Refreshments available. Admission is free. Everyone is welcome.

We are looking to appoint a Christian with a heart for the community and the desire to share the Good News of Jesus with others to work as a Community Hub Co-ordinator at Oxford Road Baptist Church.

The successful applicant will work to co-ordinate the activities of the church including the work of the soon-to-open Community Grocery. They will be responsible for the daily running of the Community Hub for five days a week (20 hours) alongside the opening hours of the Community Grocery.

Working under the guidance of the church pastor, the successful applicant will be responsible for developing and managing all the programmes of the Hub and establishing it as a vibrant "lighthouse" of Christian love and hope within our community. They will also work closely with the Community Grocery Manager, including co-ordinating volunteer support and facilitating outreach opportunities that enhance involvement between store members and the church.

For full details of the job and how to apply see here.

For an application form visit here. Please download and complete it and return it with a covering letter to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by December 3, 2023.

Pastor Phil Dixon will take both services on Sunday, November 19.

The morning service will start at 10.45am and will look at Ephesians 4. There will be children's church and creche available. Tea and coffee will be available after the service.

The evening service will look at Acts 19. It starts at 6.15pm.

All are welcome at both services.

There will be an evening of fun and games at Oxford Road Baptist Church on Saturday, November 11, starting at 6.30pm.

Join us for an evening of board games -  there will be plenty to choose from or even bring your own.

Or for those who don't want to play why not just come for a cuppa and a chat. Tea, coffee and biscuits - and good company - are provided.

Admission free.

All welcome - it would be lovely to see you there.

Pastor Phil Dixon will take both services on Remembrance Sunday, November 12,

The morning service will include a two-minute silence to commemorate those members of the Armed Forces and their families who defended our freedoms, with many paying the ultimate sacrifice.

The service starts at 10.45am and will include children's church. It will be followed by tea and coffee.

The evening service will look at Acts 18 and will start at 6.15pm.

All are welcome to both services.

Pastor Phil Dixon will take both services on Sunday, November 5. The morning service will start at 10.45am and will include children's groups. It will be followed by tea and coffee.

There will also be a short church meeting following the service. 

The evening service starts at 6.15pm and includes communion.

All are welcome at both services.

Why do we sin? Because it's a chore - of course not! Actually, we do the wrong thing because it's fun, satisfying or seems too difficult to resist.

Why would we bother if it weren't any of those things? Lowering the car window and letting rip at the gormless person blocking our way... how good did that feel? Revealing that choice morsel of information... everyone in the office deserves to know what happened! Mostly, our sin reveals a lot about the kind of person we really are.

Some years back a newspaper article named seven high profile males (mostly politicians) found to be adulterers. Collectively they had fathered 24 children. The article pondered the damage caused to those 24 lives and the sad ending to public careers.

Why did those men behave so destructively? It's tempting to excuse their actions by finding fault with sexless or unsatisfying marriages. But let's not forget the 'fun' part. They gave in to what the Bible calls 'the fleeting pleasures of sin' (Hebrews 11:25). And even if their marriages were rocky and difficult, was adultery the solution? Had they worked hard, with counsellors, to make their marriages work? Unlikely. But now there was a social stigma to be borne. And not just by them. Wives and children are always caught up as well. Life after sin can be an eternity of regret.

There's another more important answer to the question, 'Why do we sin?' And it's this. We haven't taught ourselves to hate what is evil. Are we feeling downcast about sin because we've been caught out? There needs to be a better reason. We need to hate evil because it's evil. And we need to care about pleasing God. If that's our mindset then, when temptation presents, we'll feel alarmed, even nauseous at the prospect of betraying God.

There's a letter in the Bible written by the missionary, Paul of Tarsus to Christians in the city of Rome. It contains a great challenge. It says: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

A little later on in his letter Paul writes: "Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good."

None of us have the strength to do this perfectly. We need God's help. Let's pray to him about this.

Prayer: Dear God, give me the strength to say, 'No' to temptation so that I can honour you and protect both myself and those around me.

Acknowledgement: This article was sourced from Outreach Media, Sydney, Australia. Images and text © Outreach Media

Brian Johnson will take the morning service on Sunday, October 29. It will start at 10.45am and will include children's church.

It will be followed by tea and coffee.

The evening service will start at 6.15pm and will be taken by David Strain.

All are welcome at both services.

Jonny Harrison will be guest speaker at the morning service on Sunday October 22. The service starts at 10.45am and will include children's groups and creche. It will be followed by tea and coffee.

The evening service starts at 6.15pm and Phil Dixon will be speaker.

Pastor Phil Dixon will take both services on Sunday, October 15. The morning service, which starts at 10.45am, will look at Ephesians 3: 1-13 and will include communion.

Children's church and a creche will be available and it will be followed by tea and coffee.

On the evening Phil will look at Acts 14. The service starts at 6.15pm.

All are welcome.