24th December - Hut 395

So Christmas Eve has arrived and the final Beyond Beach Hut Advent Calendar opening.  After eleven years, 264 different art installations, thousands of people, and innumerable litres of mulled wine and boxes of mince pies this wonderful community art event draws to a close.

As the theme this year has been Follow the Star (#Followthestar for the Church of England campaign of the same name) we decided that hut 395 would showcase all the stars who have taken part since 2008.  

So we created 264 light up stars featuring a photograph from every hut opening since that first night until tonight.  Because the artists, community groups, schools and beach hut owners have been the stars of this event, proving how creative people can be when given the chance to take part in an event like this.

God is a creator and when we do something creative we are doing something divine, sharing in the nature of God.  Its one of the reasons that human beings are creative.

God also has wonderful creative ways of reaching out to us, and sending his Son as a baby two thousand years ago is an ingenious and creative way to connect with us.

The true star of Christmas is Jesus, but we try not to show him as part of the art during Advent as he should first appear on Christmas Day.  

The feature art at the back of hut 395 was a painting by Salvador Dali of the Madonna and Child, showing us Jesus on the verge of entering the world - a fitting image for Christmas Eve.

We've loved doing this event and are grateful for so many people who came along tonight to say that this was church for them; this was something that brought them closer to God.  

It's been a privilege to host such a beacon of light in the darkness and we hope to come up with some new ideas in the future now that we have some more time on our hands - so keep an eye on our website for news of our plans.

May God bring light into your world this Christmas as you seek to follow him in whatever way that is appropriate to you.  

God bless you this Christmas and into 2019.