Read Psalm 119:169-176.

The subjunctive is a grammatical mood in language that is all but forgotten in English (though it is alive and well in other languages.) Subjunctive forms of verbs are typically used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, obligation, or action that has not yet occurred; the precise situations in which they are used vary from language to language. The only place we regularly find it still in English is in certain expressions using ‘may’ and ‘let’, many examples of which can be found in the concluding stanza of Psalm 119 (‘may my cry come before You… may my supplication come before You… may my lips overflow with praise… my Your laws sustain me… may my songs sing of Your word… may Your hand be ready to help me… let me live that I may praise You.’ Ps 119:169-175).

The psalmist expresses his desires and requests, but he is also aware that these things are beyond his own capability. He is not able to fulfil these requests; He needs God to do that.

Prayer is a dialogue between us and God. On our part, it involves our honesty, a pouring out of our thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears to God. Our part of prayer also involves both petition and supplication.

Petition is often a direct asking (using the imperative): ‘give me understanding according to Your Word’ (Ps 119:169); ‘deliver me according to Your promise’ (Ps 119:170); ‘seek Your servant’ (Ps 119:176). Supplication, more often than not, uses the subjunctive as we pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10-11), as we earnestly plead with God to work His salvation out in our everyday lives.

Our part in prayer is only one part, for it is a dialogue, not a monologue. Petition and supplication are only part of our part in prayer, for there will be times when thankfulness, proclamation and adoration also have their place. But it is not surprising that the longest psalm in the Bible ends with a series of requests along with declarations (‘all Your commands are righteous’, ‘Your law is my delight’, ‘I have not forgotten Your commands’, ‘I have chosen Your precepts’ Ps 119:172-174, 176). Prayer cannot exist without a daily dependence on the God to whom we pray.

Stephen’s sermon on Sunday morning looked at the manger, and how even the place where Jesus was placed at his birth was symbolic of the rejection He would face during His life. Casting Crowns develop this theme in their song ‘While You Were Sleeping’, which looks at Bethlehem, Jerusalem and modern America and how we are so often oblivious to what God is doing. There is a need for us to wake up and live in the light (1  Thess 5:1-11).

‘Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night.
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light,
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight.

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping,
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today.
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping,
While you were sleeping.

Oh little town of Jerusalem,
Looks like another silent night.
The Father gave His only Son,
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come,
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save.

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Saviour of the world is dying on your cross today.
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping,
While you were sleeping.

United States of America,
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky,
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night.

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping?
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay?
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King?
Will we be sleeping?
Will we be sleeping?

United States of America
Looks like another silent night.’ (‘While You Were Sleeping’, Casting Crowns)

Every Monday night of term-time, volunteers from GPCC run a youth club which involves games and craft activities for 5-11 year olds. Over the past few weeks, the craft activities have focussed on Christmas and are now displayed on one of the notice boards at church:

Our thanks to all who help supervise the club which re-starts on Monday 4th January.

Read Psalm 119:161-168.

Shepherds were minding their own business, tending sheep, when angels appeared to them, bringing the message of a Saviour’s birth which would forever change their lives. This ‘good news of great joy’ was for all the world (Luke 2:10), a message to banish fear and bring ‘peace to men on whom His favour rests.’ (Luke 2:14) The shepherds would not probably have described themselves in those terms, but as far as God is concerned, He wants all people to be saved. (2 Pet 3:9)

God’s Word reveals to us that we are all highly favoured, that this good news applies to the ‘whosoever’ will believe. The old hymn says ‘whosoever surely meaneth me’ (J. Edwin McConnell) and the psalmist experienced similar joy: ‘I rejoice in Your promise like one who finds great spoil.’ (Ps 119:162) We are like those who strike it rich (lottery winners?) when we realise God’s promises apply also to us!

This does not mean a trouble-free life: ‘rulers persecute me without cause.’ (Ps 119:161) However, it does bring a peace that passes understanding (Ps 119:165, see also Phil 4:6-7), a sense of wellbeing that isn’t dependent on external circumstances.

The psalmist’s whole life is focussed on God (‘seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws’ Ps 119:164) and obedience is a key part of that (Ps 119:167-168). Just as Mary learned to treasure in her heart all that happened to her (Luke 2:51), we have to learn the secret of waiting expectantly for God’s salvation and doing what He tells us in the meantime. (Ps 119:166, The Message)

At the start of the service, we had a reading from Is 9:1-7 and then heard a song ‘Unto Us’ based on that Scripture. Children were also involved in colouring pictures based on that Scripture:

We also were given ‘goody bags’ containing leaflets giving us messages of hope and peace from God’s Word as well as sweets. God’s Word gives us hope for the future and we were encouraged to use these resources to ‘pass on’ life-giving words to friends, family and neighbours over this Christmas period.

We also had a birthday to celebrate:

One of the newer carols we sang at the carol service tonight is called ‘God Has Come To Earth‘ by Aaron Shust. In that song, we sing of how Jesus came ‘clothed in a garb of flesh and blood,‘ how He clothed Himself with frail humanity even though ‘worlds on worlds are Yours alone.’ One of the activities in the service involved ‘clothing’ willing volunteers to make them snowmen!

Two teams competed to ‘dress’ their team member to make the most effective snowman:

There was chance for a second round, though Stephen ended up being a snowman twice!

Well done to both teams, though none looked quite like Olaf!