Advent – Day 11
The value that we place on something will vary from person to person. One person places great value on books; another person hates reading. One person places great value on a tidy house; another person doesn’t much care about things like that. There are many times when value is decided by personality or choice, and Christmas celebrations certainly fit into that category. Some people love trimmings and decorations; others hate them. Some people send cards to everyone they know; others consider that a waste of money and donate to charity instead. Value is a strangely movable thing!
But the value God places on people does not change. Each year we remember that He loved people so much He was not prepared to live without their fellowship. Each year we remember that His love for us is so great that He gave His Son not only to live for us but to die for us so that the gulf between God and humanity could be bridged. Every year, we are reminded that we are not useless, insignificant, unimportant or without value because of Christmas. If God loves us so much that Jesus came to be our Saviour, then we have value regardless of anything we do or achieve. We have intrinsic value from God.
If that doesn’t make you stand a little bit taller, I don’t know what will!
What’s On This Week
There’s a lot happening this week, so I thought it would be good to have a list for your to check in to so that you don’t miss out on anything! Even if you’re not attending these events, you can pray for each one of them, that God will speak to people through these outreaches and that we will have the joy of spiritual birth to celebrate this Christmas.
1. ‘Churches Together’ prayer meeting on Wednesday 8th December between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Furlong Road Methodist Church in Bolton-on-Dearne. Online prayer meeting will be at 12.30 p.m. on the Dearne Churches Together Facebook page.
2. Our first Christmas party of 2021 for the Parent & Toddler group at GPCC on Friday 10th December. We’re looking forward to party food and games and receiving presents. This will run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., so come along for festive fun if you usually attend the group!
3. “The Satellite Before Christmas” show by 4front theatre at GPCC on Saturday 11th December (2 p.m. & 6 p.m.) Please only attend if you’ve pre-booked!
4. Community Christmas Event at the Railway Embankment on Sunday 12th December (2.00-3.30 p.m.) Wrap up warmly for carol singing, bauble decoration and a Nativity trail at this lovely site.
Advent – Day 10
The ‘V’ of ‘Advent’ reminds us of the value God places upon people. One of the most famous Bible verses tells us, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) Christmas is all about celebrating the arrival of Jesus as God in human form. It’s all about Christ and the fact that God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.
Our society may question the value of human beings. Abortion and euthanasia both chip away at the sanctity of human life, a sanctity which comes directly from God. In recent times, governments seem to be intent on creating tiers of society through vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations against Covid-19, essentially dictating value based on a medical procedure. Such things surely are anathema to God, who placed such value on each one of us that He gave His only Son to be our Saviour. We didn’t deserve this; we certainly couldn’t hae earned it. Rom 5:8 reminds us that it’s whilst we were still sinners that Christ died for us. That’s why Christmas is so special and worth celebrating, because it reminds us of the value God Himself places on human life.
Advent – Day 9
On our last day looking at devotion, Advent is a reminder that patience and faithfulness matter in God’s kingdom. God Himself is faithful to us: Heb 10:23 says, ‘he who promised is faithful.’ The faithfulness of God is seen at Christmas-time: God had promised a Deliverer, a Redeemer, from the fall of man (Gen 3:15), and in due time, He sent His Son ‘born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.’ (Gal 4:4-5)
Because God is faithful to us, He calls us to be faithful and devoted to Him. The Christmas story is full of people whose devotion to God is seen outworked in practical ways: Joseph and Mary’s obedience, Simeon and Anna’s faithfulness in attending the synagogue, the shepherds hurrying to see what the angels promised, the Magi travelling long distances to bring gifts to the new-born king.
How can we show our devotion to God? It might be giving food and toys to the Salvation Army foodbank. It might be spending time with a friend or someone who is lonely. It might be coming to church even if you don’t particularly feel like it! Devotion has many different forms, but God sees them all.