Christmas Day 2024
Today we celebrated the Feast of Christmas with a full and beautifully decorated church. It was a joy to welcome so many visitors.
Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported our Advent and Christmas services.
Tomorrow, Boxing Day, there will be no Thursday Said Eucharist.
Happy Christmas to you all!
Readings for next Sunday – 1st Sunday of Christmas – 1 Samuel 2:18-20,26 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52
Today’s readings – Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20
So much of Christmas is all about eating!
Our household is no exception – we are all foodies and a great deal of time is spent discussing the menus for various dishes, shopping and cooking. Accompanied to this is quite a lot of watching master chef the professionals.
Now forget any references to Greig Wallace as its not relevant here but I have particularly enjoyed this last series. The reason for that is the quality of the contestants. They were a great bunch, upbeat, inspiring and enthusiastic. What really impressed me was how supportive and helpful they were to each other despite the fact they were in competition. Through their cooking they brought encouragement to one another while bringing their culinary offerings to life.
It occurred to me that this is a theme of Christmas.
Christmas is a time of goodwill to all. It’s a relational time when we often seek out family and friends who we don’t necessarily see at other times through visits, cards and email. As we may exchange our news of the year we support, encourage and acknowledge each other.
This is all in the context of the nativity story which we bring alive with our Advent studies and calendars, our carol services and concerts. We sing the familiar hymns and hear once again the much loved Christmas scripture, all pointing to the incarnation, the Christ child, God becoming human and living amongst us, bringing life to our weary world and to us in all our circumstances.
This Christmas perhaps more than ever we need, like the MasterChef chefs, to embrace and support each other and bring joy and life to the dark, uncertain and tentative corners of our lives.
Its been an interesting year politically: globally and nationally there have been many elections and continued conflict and unrest throughout the world.
Many of us have our own personal triumphs and achievements but also battle and disappointments.
“Do not be afraid” is a phrase we hear many times in the Christmas story.
We hear it in Matthew’s gospel as the angel appears to Joseph after Mary is found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
“Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”. Matt 1 20
In Luke’s gospel an angel also appears to Zachariah as he was serving as a priest, filling him with fear, but the angel assures Zachariah bringing him great news.
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John”. Luke 1 13
And then in the well-known words of The Annunciation, the angel appears to Mary with even more astonishing news, filling her also with terror.
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” Luke 1 30
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1 37
When the angel appears to the shepherds minding their flocks in the fields they too were overcome with fear, sore afraid we are told in the King James version.
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people”. Luke 2 10
Fear is part of our human condition. It is natural to feel fear and in an imperfect world there is plenty to be fearful of.
But God understands our fear, the angels, Gods messengers, also understood it
“Do not be afraid” they said, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Into a fearful world God arrived as a small infant. He would grow up to be the most significant person the world has ever known. In his earthly life he brought hope and happiness to many. He looked for the good in all. He taught us to love and to forgive – to turn the other cheek. He gave selflessly of himself and finally died for us. But through his resurrection from death he gave us hope – a hope for a life with God always. A life beyond ourselves – beyond our understanding.
“Fear not, Mary” said the angel “for I bring you tidings of great joy”
So, today we celebrate with joy the birth of Christ, the Emmanuel. God with us
And what a joy it is!
Amen