Christmas

 

Christmas service 2022.

Song: Come and join the celebration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp2QlKTYTZ8

Some of you may be lighting a candle to show we are celebrating the birth of Christ.

 The light of the world 

Prayer

Lord God be with all me and all who are praying with me. May we know your love and peace with in our hearts. Be with those those who feel emptiness and sorrow.

Be with all who are working today. Be with those in hospital, some who are alone, others in prison. We think of those who have nowhere to call home. We pray that your peace may spread around the world. Father God we thank you that we can give you thanks for your wondrous love. and as the candles around the world are lit may their light shine out to proclaim the wondrous gift of your son. Amen.

Bible Reading: is taken from Saint Matthew’s Gospel Chapter1: from verse 18 to 25.

This is an account of how our first carol came to be written.

"What would you like for a Christmas present?" That’s not such an unusual question for a father to ask his child. But when John Byron posed the question to his daughter, he received this extraordinary reply: "Please write me a poem."

So on Christmas morning in 1749, the little girl found a piece of paper by her plate at breakfast. On it was written a poem entitled, "Christmas day, for Dolly." John Wainwright, the organist of Manchester Parish Church, later put the words to music. The following year on Christmas morning, Byron and his daughter woke to the sound of singing outside their windows. It was Wainwright with his church choir singing Dolly’s hymn, "Christians, Awake:"

Song: Christians, awake! Salute the happy morn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjRzXSWcib0

Christmas Light.

C. Is for Christ born for us to save

H. Is for Holy for holy is His name.

R. Is for Repentance of our sins.

I. Is for Inner peace.

S. Is for Christ’s Sacrifice.

T. Is for Thankfulness.

M. Is for Mary the mother of Christ.

A. Is for Almighty God.

S. Is for Saviour of the world.

L. is for Love He has for us

I. is for Infant child born for us

G. is for God wondrous Gift

H. is for Hope everlasting

T. is for Today and tomorrow His light will shine forever.

By S Youdan

Song: O little town of Bethlehem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ppzuPARXg

Reading. What a Christmas present.

A Methodist minister Rev Bob Reid from Brooklyn was given a Dilapidated church. He decided to do it up and have the first service on Christmas eve. He spent 6 weeks cleaning and redecorating. On the 19th of December 1973 a bad storm hit. And rocked the building Plaster fell off the wall behind the communion table. On His way home he called in at a flea market. There he saw an old embroidered tablecloth with a cross in the middle. Back at the church it had just started to snow he saw an old lady rushing for the bus but it did not stop so he offered for her to come and sit in the church as she had over 45 minutes to wait for the next bus. While she sat a waited she watched the minister fetch a ladder and start to hang the cloth on the wall as a tapestry to cover over the missing plaster. “Where did you get that cloth she asked I've just bought from the flea market why?”

“See if there if it has EBG. in the corner.’ it had. She had made it some 35years ago in Austria, when the Nazi’s took over, she had to flee and her husband was arrested and she never saw him again The minister wanted to give it back to her but she said it looked so right so to leave it where it was. Instead of waiting for the bus the minister took her home in his car. The service on Christmas eve was well attended. At the end He shook hands with the folk as they left. He noticed an old man just sitting in the pew he asked the minister where did you get that cloth then he went on to explain that 35 years ago his wife had made one just like that one but when he was arrested by the Nazi’s and thrown into a concentration Camp he never saw his wife again and he could only assume she was dead. “come with Me’ said the minister and he took him in his car to the place where he dropped off his wife two days before. What a Christmas present.

Song: Love came down at Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAjB0GVpleg

These are the words for you to sing along to:

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Back in the 1980’s Max Bygraves, a British comedian, singer, actor and variety performer, had catchphrase "I wanna tell you a story"

Here are two short stories.

Back in June a lady on the bus was sneezing from hay fever, Another passenger leant forward and handed her a tissue and said God bless you. Some stops on the sneezing lady got off, and a women with a pram got on. The baby became distressed and burped wind the mother started to look in her bag for some wipes when the lady with Tissues offered the mother some. The mother said” That’s so kind I must have left mine at home.” She relied “You’re welcome love, God bless you & your baby”. The Tissue lady got off at the next stop.

This was the first tissue story. The next one happened a few months later.

Two workmen sat at a coffee table when one of them knocked the table the coffee was spilt, an old man on the next table passed them some tissues. As they talked with old man they all had a good laugh. The old man had not laughed for some time. The three of them planed to meet up the next morning for coffee. The Old man thanked God that evening for the tissues that his little granddaughter had posted to him for his birthday. For through them he felt less lonely.

So treat your self to a small packet of tissues if you are able.

You never know it may be just what is needed to bring light relief to a runny nose.

Carry them with you, so you too will be able to Show Gods love in action as you give them to folk in need through the coming year.

Song: Carols by Candlelight.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F29LhgN2U3

God bless you, May the Light of the world shine on you and those you love

As you share this blessed, holy season.  Amen