The Rev Richard Coles on Christmas sermons: faith, tradition, and hope in a troubled world

Rev. Richard Coles reflects on Christmas preaching and what it reveals about faith and humanity in a world that often feels troubled. In a personal column, the former priest notes that even after retirement, the impulse to find a timely, relatable moment for a once-a-year crowd remains strong. He describes the pressure to begin with a topical anecdote—such as a frazzled butcher facing turkey shortages—and the realization that Christmas sermons carry a different responsibility: to speak with clarity, humility and hope to worshippers who come for tradition as much as belief.

Coles recalls the perennial tension between the gospel he wants to deliver and what the gospels actually say. He remembers his first Christmas sermon before theological college, and the reaction of a stern parishioner who dismissed his attempt to tie the star of Bethlehem to biblical prophecy rather than a strictly astronomical reading. He emphasizes the old admonition to feed my sheep rather than irritate them, and notes how a preacher's zeal can backfire. Over time, he has come to value tradition more, seeing himself as a custodian of lasting values in an era of instant gratification and social media noise. He jokes about changing the Christmas menu from turkey to beef, goose or venison, a small but telling symbol of adaptation without abandoning roots.

One recent reflection arrived mid-Atlantic aboard the Queen Mary 2, when a carol service at the base of a Christmas tree in the ship's grand lobby became a pause in news of a shooting at Bondi Beach. The moment, he says, required little more than shared reverence; the service shifted into lighting a Hanukkah candle, and the room found a moment of shared peace amid divisions in the world.

Coles also recalls a moment when a nativity scene in a churchyard stood out: someone had replaced Jesus with a plastic velociraptor after the service, a reminder that people still return to the crib year after year to seek the mystery of God incarnate. He argues that Christmas remains a source of hope, faith and grace in a tough age, and that the story of the baby in the manger continues to draw people, even when the ritual feels worn or uncertain. For him, the Christmas tradition is not simply nostalgia but a living practice that binds communities and offers consolation in sorrow and joy alike.

In closing, Coles encourages readers who will attend Christmas services to approach the season with openness rather than fatigue. He frames Christmas as a time when the aim is not to conquer doubts with grand declarations but to offer a simple, enduring message: peace on earth and goodwill to all. If people come, as he prays they will, they may find the same sense of mystery and meaning that has sustained congregations for two millennia.