Christmas is all about Jesus (not the presents, food, drink, parties or even the songs!) and we will be looking at the many different names of Jesus and why there is no greater name at our carol service on Sunday 17th December at 6 p.m. We’re a family-oriented church, so our carol service is not perhaps as conventional as many, but there will be traditional carols (and mince pies and other refreshments after the service!) as well as games and lots of fun! Do come along and join with us as we have a great time celebrating the reason for the season. Do invite your friends and family and expect to see God working in our community as we celebrate Jesus.

Each of the visitors to Jesus at His birth brought gifts, and this remains the reason behind our tradition of giving gifts at this time of year. The shepherds brought lambs; the wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. It’s good to give gifts and money to serve others, but there are also many different ways of giving to explore at this time of year.

We might choose to give our time to something – like preparing food parcels at the Salvation Army (this will be done locally on Tuesday 19^th and Wednesday 20^th December in the mornings) or visiting an elderly friend or relative, serving as a volunteer in a charity shop or helping in a soup kitchen.

We might choose to give our money to something – a charity like Shelter or Prison Fellowship, for example.

We might choose to give our talents to something – helping to bake for someone or wrap presents for a neighbour whose arthritis means they are unable to do this task anymore or clean for someone who is struggling to keep on top of things.

We might choose to give gifts to someone – the Shoebox Christmas appeal is one such charity, but it doesn’t take much imagination to see how we can bless people, even with small gifts like a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates.

Practical help is not a substitute for the Gospel; it is the Gospel lived out, a Gospel which is good news for every individual.

Christmas is all about ‘good news to the poor’ (Is 61:1). Not only was Jesus born in a stable, not a palace, but the angels appeared to shepherds, the lowest of the low in terms of jobs in those days. (Luke 2:8-20) We may question why God worked in this way, but the truth is that He cares for those in need, and because of this, we must too.

In the Old Testament, God’s people were urged to be open-handed to the poor and needy (Deut 15:11) and to defend their cause. (Prov 31:9) A knowledge of God was defined as defending the cause of the poor and needy (Jer 22:16) and Amos had much to say in condemnation of those who oppressed the poor and crushed the needy (Amos 4:1). A consequence of a belief in the sanctity of life is that people are not valued according to their wealth, but according to the basic humanity they possess; as imitators of a God who cares for all, we are urged, therefore, to serve the poor as though we were serving Christ Himself. (Matt 25:31-46)

There are many charities which seek to do this, including the Salvation Army and the local food bank we support. Our support for this is vital, but all charitable giving has to be motivated by love and not simply by duty or to be known for our goodness (see 1 Cor 13:1-3; Matt 6:1-4). Maybe Christmas is a good time to investigate other ways of serving the poor and seeking to reach those who may never be considered worthy in worldly terms, but who remain loved by God and valuable in His eyes.

The term ‘thinking outside the box’ is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking, and certainly, it’s interesting to discover how other people think. We tend to think initially that everyone thinks the same way that we do, but one of the most challenging and interesting facts about belonging to the church is that here, there is diversity and differences galore, but God can still unite us!

How we think will shape our lives, because we inevitably act according to our thoughts. That’s why the Bible places so much emphasis on transformed thinking (Rom 12:2, Phil 4:8) and urges us to think like God. (1 Cor 2:6-16) It can be extremely hard to think differently, but we are urged to fix our mind and thoughts on Jesus (Col 3:1, Heb 3:1).

In the context of the sanctity of life, this has radical implications for how we live and where we work. It means we ask God to help us see the world through His eyes, ‘finding beauty in the broken’ (‘Plans’, Tim Hughes & Nick Herbert), so that we do not shun those with disabilities or ‘imperfections’, but seek to love them. It means we view the elderly as those to be cherished and honoured, not shunned and shut away. It means we seek to help those struggling with mental health issues, not simply dismissing them as ‘crazy’. It means we value children of all ages and abilities. It means we seek ways to help those who are struggling with disabilities. It means we consider alternative ways of living so that we can spend time with family and friends, valuing people more than possessions or status. It shapes our thoughts on abortion, adoption, euthanasia and social justice and consequently motivates us to action.

Stephen spoke to us recently about living life in a limiting box. We need to take the lid off our ‘boxes’ and allow God to inspire, motivate and challenge how we are living. Christmas is not about cosy comforts and candy canes. It is about a stupendous plan of salvation involving Almighty God becoming a baby on a rescue mission! What rescue mission might He be calling you to?

Mary spent much of her pregnancy with her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. (Luke 1:5-25, 39) God’s miraculous intervention in enabling Elizabeth and Zechariah to conceive is an echo of many other miraculous births in the Bible (e.g. Gen 21, 1 Sam 1) and a reminder to all who are desperate to conceive that God is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20).

It’s ironic that whilst so many women do not want to be pregnant and seek abortions to end their pregnancies, many couples are desperate to have children, but cannot because of infertility problems. There are different options available for those struggling with infertility, but some (e.g. IVF) may not seem suitable to Christians because of ethical concerns. Life again works with couples struggling to conceive (see http://lifefertilitycare.co.uk/infertility/ for more information), seeking to support and help. It’s good to read their success stories (http://lifefertilitycare.co.uk/about-life-fertilitycare/aims-and-objectives/) and to know that there are those in medicine who are seeking to help such couples. Not every infertile couple will be able to have children naturally, but many will go on to consider other ways to nurture children, including fostering and adoption. It’s good when God calls people in this way and is yet another reminder that He sets people in families (Ps 68:6).

The Christmas story reminds us, however, that we serve a God of miracles. As we prepare for Christmas, a miracle of truly stupendous proportions, may we have the faith to believe that what He has done for others, He can do for us too – surprising us with the ‘marvellous deeds’ we read about in the Bible, astonishing us with the ‘immeasurably more’ that only God can do.