Church tweets Xmas sermons

Senior church figures including the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York tweeted their Christmas sermons for the first time today. Churchgoers in the 16,000 parishes of the CoE were also encouraged to tweet the meaning of Christmas.

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Archbishop's final Canterbury sermon live-tweeted

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Lambeth Palace
@lambethpalace

ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury) - Christmas sermon from Canterbury Cathedral about ‘stopping and seeing’ #ChristmasStartsWithChrist #CSWC

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Lambeth Palace
@lambethpalace

ABC: We should try as hard and imaginatively as we can to share the faith, but must not lose heart if it doesn’t immediately take root #CSWC

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Lambeth Palace
@lambethpalace

ABC: If we find the freedom to stop and turn aside, then the world itself begins to turn into renewal #CSWC

Sentamu live-tweets York Minster service

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John Sentamu
@JohnSentamu

Welcome to the Christmas service here at York Minster. Firstly may I say HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all! #ChristmasStartsWithChrist #York

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John Sentamu
@JohnSentamu

For those that can’t make it to York Minster in person, we will be live-Tweeting the service so no-one misses out. #CSWC #York

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John Sentamu
@JohnSentamu

If you want to follow the service please use the hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist (or #CSWC) and #York

'Feed the hungry', says the Archbishop of York

In his Christmas Day sermon, the Archbishop of York's message, urged people to "feed the hungry".

John Sentamu told the congregation at York Minster: "God works through human agents to achieve his purposes.

"So let us feed those who hunger with the bread come down from heaven.

"Let us give shelter to the homeless with him who could find no room in the inn.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu

Dr John Sentamu - the second most senior cleric in the Church of England - also invoked PD James's novel The Children Of Men to send a message of hope and the power of humanity.

He said: "The novel ends with hope: brutality is turned into compassion, betrayal into loyalty, enmity into friendship, despair into hope, self-absorption into inter-dependence, death into life.

"How? Not by Western science discovering the solution, nor by the plans and schemes of those in power.

"But it's the vulnerable who rise up and neutralise the jealousy, treachery, violence, murder, evil and the intoxication of power."

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Church shares meaning of Christmas with 'digital audience'

This is a brilliant opportunity for parishes to take the good news of the first Christmas out of churches and into people's lives and homes.

It is the first time that the joy and excitement of Christmas will have been broadcast widely on Twitter. There are large numbers of social media enthusiasts to be found in pews and pulpits across the country.

This is an invitation for them to join together to celebrate the joy of the Christ Child coming into the world, taking the real meaning of Christmas to a new digital audience.

– Rev Arun Arora, director of communications at the Archbishops' Council

Churchgoers urged to tweet the meaning of Christmas

Senior church figures are expected to tweet their Christmas sermons for the first time today.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams (@lambethpalace), the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu (@johnsentamu) and Archbishop Designate Justin Welby (@bishopofdurham) will also be joined by congregations and clergy from across the Church of England (@c--of--e).

There are 10 million active Twitter users in the UK
There are 10 million active Twitter users in the UK Credit: Press Association

Churchgoers in the 16,000 parishes of the Church of England are being encouraged to tweet the meaning of Christmas using the hashtag #ChristmasStartsWithChrist