The Christmas story often gets condensed, rather like fast-forwarding through a familiar film. It all seems to blur together: the angelic messages, the journey to Bethlehem, the choir of angels, Jesus in the manger, a host of visitors including shepherds and wise men. We like to fit it all into one carol service and that’s understandable, but sometimes we get a little confused in all this speed.

The Christmas story, as with any pregnancy and birth, took time. The wise men did not arrive at the stable, but some time later, so the story actually takes well over a year to unfold.

One of the least-told stories of Christmas (perhaps because it doesn’t fit into our saccharine-sweet, rosy-coloured view of the season) is in Matthew 2:13-18. After the wise men searched for a king in the ‘logical’ place (asking Herod about the birth of this new king), Herod was alerted to the threat from a new rival. In typically ruthless fashion, he decided to eliminate this threat, giving orders “to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” (Matt 2:18) This dark event, known as the ‘slaughter or massacre of the Innocents’, reflects the darkness of sin.

Michael Card has captured this part of the Christmas story in his haunting song ‘Spirit of the Age’. The video that accompanies this draws a shocking parallel with today, for we still slaughter innocents, even in so-called civilised countries, asserting that unborn children are not really human. We need to understand the ‘spirit of the age’ and stand against ‘this voice that speaks from hell’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT8OPGrTg-c

We are very pleased to announce that the church building on Beever Street was sold at auction in early December and contracts should be exchanged in early January. It has been a long journey to the new building and the sale of the old building will enable us to settle the remaining debts on the purchase of the Market Street property and continue to invest in the new building.

Holding the baptismal service in Beever Street a few weeks ago was a fitting way to say goodbye to the building and a reminder that we have grown as a church, because it felt very small in there!

Mark preached about stars last night. God made all the stars (Gen 1:16), including the Seven Sisters constellation:

God placed all the stars in the sky and when we consider the heavens, we are amazed that God is also mindful of us (Ps 8:3-4). The same God who ordained the places of each star, thinks about us.
Crab Nebula

God counts the stars and calls them by name (Ps 147:4-5); He knows us by name also. God used the star of Bethlehem to guide people to Jesus, causing it to appear at a certain time and move to guide the wise men to the Lord. They came because they had seen His star (Matt 2:1-2) and were aware that it signified the birth of a king (Matt 2:7-11).

The true star of Christmas is Jesus, however. He is the ‘Bright and Morning Star’ (Rev 22:16). He is the greatest gift given by God at Christmas time, so that we should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One worth celebrating!

Wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus and Mark organised a treasure hunt for the carol service. We all had to find glitter balls and bells hidden in the community room.


Returning with our finds:

Claiming our prizes:

At the carol service last night, children and adults were involved in telling the Nativity story through actions and songs.






Our thanks to all who helped in this production and to all the children and young people for their enthusiasm and eager participation.

We also had birthdays to celebrate, though only one person was willing to be photographed!

Dave preached from Luke 2:6-16 yesterday morning, looking at the shepherds. This forms one of the many scenes of the Nativity which form the the ‘reason for the season’, a scene depicted in countless school plays and church services throughout the world at this time of year. It helps us to see what Christmas is all about. Santa may cater to our material needs, but Christ shows us that we have spiritual needs and He is the way to warmth, joy and peace.

The poor shepherds, separated from their families by the demands of their jobs, were included by God in the miracle of Christ’s birth – not forgotten by Him. The wise men in their wealth and wisdom realised there was something more – they were not forgotten by God. The power of Christmas is such that it includes everyone. It is the power of the ordinary and the humble. As Mary says in the ‘Magnificat’:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant… He has lifted up the humble.He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:45-48, 52-53)

God gave Himself to ordinary folk; God’s gifts often come in simple ways to us and we respond by simply caring for one another and loving one another as He has loved us.