Christmas is upon us and we’ve had the usual flurry of activities; the Ark Christmas party, Messy Church, the Christingle service and Carols by Candlelight.
The children stole the show at the Christingle service as they performed a play called the Advent Puzzle for us which reminded us that Christmas was about more than presents. We made our Christingles and remembered that Jesus came as the Light of the World, bringing light into dark places, hope to the hopeless and freedom to the captives. Then we celebrated Jesus birth in the evening at the Carols by Candlelight where we looked at how God chose to announce the birth of his son to ordinary men, the shepherds on a hillside, who were considered to be at the lower end of the social scale. God didn’t announce the birth of his son to those who considered themselves important, or the religious leaders but to those who were often overlooked. It’s easy at Christmas time to forget the wonder of Jesus birth, the fact that the one who was there at the beginning of time, the creator of the universe, gave up everything to become a helpless baby, dependant on those he created. He became Immanuel – God with us, what amazing love! Take a few moments this Christmas time to think about what this means to you and may you know the joy and peace and presence of Jesus in your homes this Christmas time.
