Christmas Day

 Sorry this is late

Merry Christmas to all our readers and listeners.

Song: Come and join the celebration

Come and Join the Celebration (Valerie Collison) (StF 196) (youtube.com)

Prayer

Lord, We worship You during this Christmas season. You are our wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We choose to put You at the centre of our family life as we celebrate Your birth. Keep us from distractions and help us to invite You into all our family activities. Teach us to pray and help us to glorify and worship You in our family during this busy time of year. Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know You better . Thank you for being Immanuel, “God with us.” Open our eyes to realize this each day as we interact with others. 

Help us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as You forgave us. Show us creative ways to love and care for those outside our home. Fill us to overflowing with Your love for the lost. Teach us to do acts of kindness to those who are in need at this time of year. May our family be a refreshment and light to others. We ask You to touch with salvation those in our family who do not know You . Open their hearts to Your great love for them. Help us to share Your Truth and be Your light. You are the Saviour of the world. Amen.

Reading: Isaiah, chapter 52: verses 7 to 10

Song: In the bleak midwinter

In the Bleak Midwinter (Tune: Cranham - 4vv) [with lyrics for congregations] (youtube.com)

Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 1: verses 1 to 14

Song: See amid the winter’s snow

See amid the winters snow (youtube.com)

Reading: Luke: 2: 1-12

This is the account of the event which divides history into two. We count time from the year Jesus was born, either after of before. In the days when I went to school, we were told that the year was whatever year it was A.D. which stands for Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. In some places in modern times it has become more usual to refer to the year as C.E., or “common era”. The name is less important than the reference point, the birth of Jesus. Dates before this time used to be referred to as B.C., or before Christ. The more modern description is B.C.E., or “before common era”.

When we remember this important fact, we also need to remember that Jesus did not suddenly come into existence at this point, he is timeless, he was with God at the very beginning, he was present when the earth was made, according to John’s gospel.

This baby was not just any old human baby, chosen by God for a great mission, he was God made flesh.

As Charles Wesley put it

“Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man.”

Let earth and heaven combine (youtube.com)

And this great, history dividing event took place is a place where animals were fed.

Song: See Him lying on a bed of straw

CALYPSO CAROL SEE HIM LYING ON OF STRAW (youtube.com)

Have a blessed Christmas season, wherever, and however you are celebrating.