‘Love came down at Christmas’ is the title of a Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti in 1885 – which is one of my favourites for this time of year. It reminds us of why it all happened.
Some Year 1 children recently told me that we celebrate Christmas “to get presents”. “But why”, I asked. “Because we have been good – all year”, they replied.
Well - I'm not sure about that; I know I haven’t been good enough to deserve the blessings of God at Christmas. That is the scandal of grace, though; that God came down to earth as a vulnerable baby – because he loves us so much. In truth, Love did come down at Christmas.
This love is something we need to share with those around – which isn’t easy with all the stress of getting everything just right. I found this poem, ‘The 1 Corinthians 13 of Christmas’ which I think helps us get the right attitude:
If I decorate my house with beautiful bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny baubles, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of mince pies, roasting a perfect turkey, and lay a magnificent table, but have no love for my guests, I am just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not have compassion in my heart for those in need, I am just another social service; it profits me nothing.
If I decorate the tree with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes and attend a myriad of holiday parties but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to help one’s wife with boring housework. Love puts the Christmas present shopping on hold in order to run the elderly neighbour to the doctor. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has more expensive presents, or even coordinated Christmas china and table linen.
Love doesn’t yell at the children to get out of the way; love is glad that they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, even irritating relatives. It believes all things, and encourages teenagers to aim high for their future. It hopes all things, endures all things, even a spouse who is depressed about their job prospects. Love never fails other people.
Computer games will crash, even cashmere jumpers will wear out, and golf clubs will get lost. But the gift of love will endure forever. Happy Christmas!
One more step along the world I go
It's one of my favourite modern hymns: One more step along the world I go, One more step along the world I go. From the old things to the new, keep me travelling along with you. I come across it being requested for all sorts of services and events.
In baptism services it sums up well the journey of faith that a child, parents and godparents, are embarking on. ‘You are older than the world can be, you are younger than the life in me. Ever old and ever new, keep me travelling along with you.’
As wedding season starts I find couples asking for this hymn too. It speaks of making a commitment to each other, and a new journey ahead as one unity instead of two individuals, with God joining them and strengthening them on the way. In marriage we need God’s help and guidance: ‘As I travel through the bad and good, keep me travelling the way I should. Where I see no way to go, you'll be telling me the way, I know.’
Not so many people choose this for their funeral service, although the words are appropriate: ‘Give me courage when the world is rough, keep me loving though the world is tough. Keep me travelling along with you.’ Maybe I’ll choose it for my funeral one day?
As we see our curate, Jacky Wise, heading out to Melanesia with Mimi, our prayers go with them – that they will be richly blessed by the experience and the people they meet, and that they will be a blessing to them too. ‘Round the corners of the world I turn, more and more about the world I learn. All the new things that I see, you'll be looking at along with me.’
And it won't be long after Jacky’s return before they will be off to minister in Heswall Parish. They go with our thanks for all Jacky has given us, and our blessings go with her and the family for all that lies ahead on the journey of faith.
For Jacky and for all of us on our Christian pilgrimage, our prayer to God is the same: it's from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you. Amen.
In baptism services it sums up well the journey of faith that a child, parents and godparents, are embarking on. ‘You are older than the world can be, you are younger than the life in me. Ever old and ever new, keep me travelling along with you.’
As wedding season starts I find couples asking for this hymn too. It speaks of making a commitment to each other, and a new journey ahead as one unity instead of two individuals, with God joining them and strengthening them on the way. In marriage we need God’s help and guidance: ‘As I travel through the bad and good, keep me travelling the way I should. Where I see no way to go, you'll be telling me the way, I know.’
Not so many people choose this for their funeral service, although the words are appropriate: ‘Give me courage when the world is rough, keep me loving though the world is tough. Keep me travelling along with you.’ Maybe I’ll choose it for my funeral one day?
As we see our curate, Jacky Wise, heading out to Melanesia with Mimi, our prayers go with them – that they will be richly blessed by the experience and the people they meet, and that they will be a blessing to them too. ‘Round the corners of the world I turn, more and more about the world I learn. All the new things that I see, you'll be looking at along with me.’
And it won't be long after Jacky’s return before they will be off to minister in Heswall Parish. They go with our thanks for all Jacky has given us, and our blessings go with her and the family for all that lies ahead on the journey of faith.
For Jacky and for all of us on our Christian pilgrimage, our prayer to God is the same: it's from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you. Amen.
True Love
The June magazine seems to be filled with Love. There reports on the Royal Wedding and how church groups celebrated the love of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and their wonderful wedding day with parties of our own. Celebrations are definitely in the air as we come to summer months, and get together to eat and drink and enjoy time together.
Love is also evident as we think of our Time and Talents programme during June this year. It's not just about giving to pay the bills – it's all about the Love of God, and how we should respond to that love from the heart. God’s love should move us to give generously, what’s right to give to God in response to his love, not just what’s left in our purse on a Sunday morning.
This generosity of spirit should be the hallmark of Christians, whether we’re talking about giving money, or our time, or our skills and talents – or indeed in how we treat one another. If more people are getting involved, and things in our church are changing, then we all need to be generous in our response, and understanding. Growth and change can be challenging and difficult, but it is much easier if we have a generous spirit – and can be patient, loving and kind.
Of course these things are all Fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to use to build up the church, and as we work together with the Holy Spirit, we can see the result in our lives – becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient with one another, kind, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. We reflect on these things especially at the Festival of Pentecost – and we ask for God’s Holy Spirit to be more evident in our lives.
May we be open to God’s Spirit this year, and may we see the result in each of us, becoming more generous of spirit, more understanding of each other, and more loving in response.
Love is also evident as we think of our Time and Talents programme during June this year. It's not just about giving to pay the bills – it's all about the Love of God, and how we should respond to that love from the heart. God’s love should move us to give generously, what’s right to give to God in response to his love, not just what’s left in our purse on a Sunday morning.
This generosity of spirit should be the hallmark of Christians, whether we’re talking about giving money, or our time, or our skills and talents – or indeed in how we treat one another. If more people are getting involved, and things in our church are changing, then we all need to be generous in our response, and understanding. Growth and change can be challenging and difficult, but it is much easier if we have a generous spirit – and can be patient, loving and kind.
Of course these things are all Fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to use to build up the church, and as we work together with the Holy Spirit, we can see the result in our lives – becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient with one another, kind, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. We reflect on these things especially at the Festival of Pentecost – and we ask for God’s Holy Spirit to be more evident in our lives.
May we be open to God’s Spirit this year, and may we see the result in each of us, becoming more generous of spirit, more understanding of each other, and more loving in response.
Christ is Risen
And so we’ve made it to Easter – the crown of the Christian Year - a season that continues through to early June. Easter is the time for telling the good news that should be told every day. It is the joy lightening the darker times of penitence and sorrow.
Easter is the proof and the promise that Jesus, called the Messiah - the Christ, was not just an inspired teacher or a good man, but a man in whom was all the fullness of God. The incarnate Son who lived a fully human life, even to death, who overcame death and rose in glory.
His resurrection is our present strength and future hope, the guarantee of our own resurrection, a future in which our present already shares.
The signs of resurrection are all around us. In the yearly renewal of nature, in recovery from illness, in reconciliation after estrangement, in the knowledge of God’s pardon, in all new hopes and fresh starts, it's power is there. They draw their power from the one great moment, the centre of all history when Christ rose again.
The paradoxes of the whole Christian story are drawn together at this time. The twelve disciples, who often failed to understand Jesus, who deserted their Lord in his time of need, are now Apostles, messengers of the good news, transformed from fear to courage, from despair to hope. The change in them is a major piece of evidence for the historical Resurrection.
For the Christian every day is Resurrection day, but at Easter, above all, is a time for pure rejoicing. Do we always come to our worship with such joy and assurance? Sometimes we tend to be too formal or stuffy and lose sight of the joy -- but this is a time of triumph.
Nowadays Christians seem to have lost their confidence and are unsure of their faith, some are fearful of letting others know that they are Christians in case they cause offence. But at Easter time, let us not fear triumphalism – the triumph of the Cross and the empty tomb.
Remember, Christianity is a triumphant faith, the triumph of joy over sorrow, life over death; the conquest of sin. With all Christian people, may we be filled with renewed joy and confidence, as we greet the greatest of good news; Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, alleluia.
Easter is the proof and the promise that Jesus, called the Messiah - the Christ, was not just an inspired teacher or a good man, but a man in whom was all the fullness of God. The incarnate Son who lived a fully human life, even to death, who overcame death and rose in glory.
His resurrection is our present strength and future hope, the guarantee of our own resurrection, a future in which our present already shares.
The signs of resurrection are all around us. In the yearly renewal of nature, in recovery from illness, in reconciliation after estrangement, in the knowledge of God’s pardon, in all new hopes and fresh starts, it's power is there. They draw their power from the one great moment, the centre of all history when Christ rose again.
The paradoxes of the whole Christian story are drawn together at this time. The twelve disciples, who often failed to understand Jesus, who deserted their Lord in his time of need, are now Apostles, messengers of the good news, transformed from fear to courage, from despair to hope. The change in them is a major piece of evidence for the historical Resurrection.
For the Christian every day is Resurrection day, but at Easter, above all, is a time for pure rejoicing. Do we always come to our worship with such joy and assurance? Sometimes we tend to be too formal or stuffy and lose sight of the joy -- but this is a time of triumph.
Nowadays Christians seem to have lost their confidence and are unsure of their faith, some are fearful of letting others know that they are Christians in case they cause offence. But at Easter time, let us not fear triumphalism – the triumph of the Cross and the empty tomb.
Remember, Christianity is a triumphant faith, the triumph of joy over sorrow, life over death; the conquest of sin. With all Christian people, may we be filled with renewed joy and confidence, as we greet the greatest of good news; Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, alleluia.
A controversial character
I went along to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyceum Theatre a few weeks ago. It's something I had never seen before and wanted to take in. I’d been warned beforehand that there were some protestors outside – so I expected to see perhaps some militant atheists on the warpath. In fact the protestors were Christians, objecting that the rock-opera wasn’t the true Gospel according to the King James Bible.
Personally, I thought the musical was very well acted and produced and thought provoking too. I met people who found it helped their spiritual lives, others thought it just entertaining, and a few didn’t like it much. Many actors told me they found the experience life-changing.
Of course, in a way, the protestors were right – this wasn’t the undiluted Word of God – it was an interpretation of the life and death of Jesus by artists. It focuses too much on the interplay between Jesus and Judas, and the other disciples. Jesus is seen as ‘just a man’, caught up in events beyond his control – rather than the Son of God who is here on a mission of salvation. The musical ends with the desolation of the crucifixion and merely hints at a hope for the future – rather than showing the amazing historic events of the resurrection.
Christians have always wrestled with the issue of how to portray Jesus to the world. There have been some who don’t want any portrayal of Jesus, no images, paintings, plays, films or TV – because no matter how good they can be they will all miss something of Jesus’ divine uniqueness. It's safer to stick with the written Word.
Other Christians see Jesus as the image of the invisible God, come to show us what God is like, and they relish different interpretations in art and drama – because through each one we can catch a glimpse of something new in the divine character.
So it's with some trepidation that we put on the Good Friday Passion Play in the town centre, and stage Easter drama presentations for Crewe Primary schools. We take some artistic licence, but work hard to be true to the words and actions of our Lord, and always to encourage people to come to know him better for themselves.
Jesus will always be a controversial character; may we all be provoked, and grow in faith this Eastertide.
Personally, I thought the musical was very well acted and produced and thought provoking too. I met people who found it helped their spiritual lives, others thought it just entertaining, and a few didn’t like it much. Many actors told me they found the experience life-changing.
Of course, in a way, the protestors were right – this wasn’t the undiluted Word of God – it was an interpretation of the life and death of Jesus by artists. It focuses too much on the interplay between Jesus and Judas, and the other disciples. Jesus is seen as ‘just a man’, caught up in events beyond his control – rather than the Son of God who is here on a mission of salvation. The musical ends with the desolation of the crucifixion and merely hints at a hope for the future – rather than showing the amazing historic events of the resurrection.
Christians have always wrestled with the issue of how to portray Jesus to the world. There have been some who don’t want any portrayal of Jesus, no images, paintings, plays, films or TV – because no matter how good they can be they will all miss something of Jesus’ divine uniqueness. It's safer to stick with the written Word.
Other Christians see Jesus as the image of the invisible God, come to show us what God is like, and they relish different interpretations in art and drama – because through each one we can catch a glimpse of something new in the divine character.
So it's with some trepidation that we put on the Good Friday Passion Play in the town centre, and stage Easter drama presentations for Crewe Primary schools. We take some artistic licence, but work hard to be true to the words and actions of our Lord, and always to encourage people to come to know him better for themselves.
Jesus will always be a controversial character; may we all be provoked, and grow in faith this Eastertide.
Count your blessings
It's been a bleak winter, with cold weather, snow and ice, and miserable news about severe Government cuts and austerity measures. We’ve seen the pain and discomfort this has caused in our own town, around the country, and even across the western world.
We hear from our leaders that we’re all in this together, which is a wonderful sentiment; but we also know that it's the poorest and most dependent who suffer most at these times.
It's no wonder that we tend to focus on the down side of life, and the things that we don’t have. And now, on top of everything we have the churches season of Lent – and another chance to be even more miserable!
Certainly in Lent it's a chance for us to reflect on our own spiritual lives, to see how self centred we can be – and to take the opportunity for turning around, putting things right and asking forgiveness.
But I think that Lent is also a chance to focus on the good things we have, and to count our blessings – because despite the cut-backs, we still have so very much to be thankful for.
Count your blessings is the name of a programme by Christian Aid to help us make more of Lent.
As they write: “Lent is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for even our smallest blessings, and to turn our thoughts to those in need in our own country and especially around the world. The Christian Aid programme ‘Count your blessings’ is a creative way to pray for, and give to, the work of Christian Aid. From Ash Wednesday to Easter there are some simple daily actions and reflections to help us have a meaningful Lent.”
We’ll have some of these in Church to pick up and use during Lent, and you can go online to find more information at www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/lent-2011/
This Lent, may God give us a fresh understanding of his love and grace, and the blessings we have been given.
We hear from our leaders that we’re all in this together, which is a wonderful sentiment; but we also know that it's the poorest and most dependent who suffer most at these times.
It's no wonder that we tend to focus on the down side of life, and the things that we don’t have. And now, on top of everything we have the churches season of Lent – and another chance to be even more miserable!
Certainly in Lent it's a chance for us to reflect on our own spiritual lives, to see how self centred we can be – and to take the opportunity for turning around, putting things right and asking forgiveness.
But I think that Lent is also a chance to focus on the good things we have, and to count our blessings – because despite the cut-backs, we still have so very much to be thankful for.
Count your blessings is the name of a programme by Christian Aid to help us make more of Lent.
As they write: “Lent is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for even our smallest blessings, and to turn our thoughts to those in need in our own country and especially around the world. The Christian Aid programme ‘Count your blessings’ is a creative way to pray for, and give to, the work of Christian Aid. From Ash Wednesday to Easter there are some simple daily actions and reflections to help us have a meaningful Lent.”
We’ll have some of these in Church to pick up and use during Lent, and you can go online to find more information at www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/lent-2011/
This Lent, may God give us a fresh understanding of his love and grace, and the blessings we have been given.
For the love of it!
It's the season of love, with St. Valentine’s Day cards and presents being advertised on TV and in the card shops. We are thinking of our loved ones, and trying to make sure that they have a special day. It's important to remember little things like saying ‘I love you’ which we can all do more often.
Love – has many facets – the passionate love of a girl and boyfriend, or of a newly married couple. The strong and steadfast love of an older couple reaching their Golden wedding anniversary. The love a mother has for her children, and the selfless love of a child caring for a parent in later years.
All of these things should be remembered in this month of love. It's amazing what people will do for love – as well as buying expensive presents and cards – people are inspired to write beautiful poetry, songs and music, as well as more basic things like doing someone’s shopping or cleaning up after them. These are all acts of selfless love.
Why do we do it? For love. Sometimes we just do things because for the love of doing things – which is the origin of the word Amateur. The word amateur is an old French word that comes from Latin word ‘amator’, a lover. Nowadays we tend to think that an amateur is someone who isn’t particularly skilled or accomplished at anything - but just having a go. Given the choice we want a professional doing the job for money, rather than someone who does something for the love of it.
But I’m not convinced about the ‘professionalism’ of our current day – where we need certificates, police checks and vetting to do anything. I think we need to re-discover the value of amateurs, in the original sense of the word – those motivated by love. Whether it's working for the good of children, or helping older people, or because we love teaching and sharing our knowledge and experience.
One of our priorities for 2011 is to re-think how we use our time and talents – for God and for each other. Time and again I meet people who would like to do things, but feel they are not good enough – not professional enough. But it's important to have a go, and to take something on even though we’re not particularly good at it – but because we love doing it.
May the love of God motivate us to acts of generosity and service, towards each other and for the glory of God. I hope this won't be grudgingly, but lovingly, as a true amateur.
Love – has many facets – the passionate love of a girl and boyfriend, or of a newly married couple. The strong and steadfast love of an older couple reaching their Golden wedding anniversary. The love a mother has for her children, and the selfless love of a child caring for a parent in later years.
All of these things should be remembered in this month of love. It's amazing what people will do for love – as well as buying expensive presents and cards – people are inspired to write beautiful poetry, songs and music, as well as more basic things like doing someone’s shopping or cleaning up after them. These are all acts of selfless love.
Why do we do it? For love. Sometimes we just do things because for the love of doing things – which is the origin of the word Amateur. The word amateur is an old French word that comes from Latin word ‘amator’, a lover. Nowadays we tend to think that an amateur is someone who isn’t particularly skilled or accomplished at anything - but just having a go. Given the choice we want a professional doing the job for money, rather than someone who does something for the love of it.
But I’m not convinced about the ‘professionalism’ of our current day – where we need certificates, police checks and vetting to do anything. I think we need to re-discover the value of amateurs, in the original sense of the word – those motivated by love. Whether it's working for the good of children, or helping older people, or because we love teaching and sharing our knowledge and experience.
One of our priorities for 2011 is to re-think how we use our time and talents – for God and for each other. Time and again I meet people who would like to do things, but feel they are not good enough – not professional enough. But it's important to have a go, and to take something on even though we’re not particularly good at it – but because we love doing it.
May the love of God motivate us to acts of generosity and service, towards each other and for the glory of God. I hope this won't be grudgingly, but lovingly, as a true amateur.
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