Christmas all year

Anyone opened any presents yet?

Want to tell me?

I have something here. It is toilet paper.

You may be wondering why I have toilet paper with me at church on Christmas morning….

The toilet paper is from ‘who gives a crap’, meaning who cares?

The company was started by 3 people in 2012, when three young Australians learnt that 2.3 billion, or 40% of the world’s population, did not have access to a toilet, and almost 800 children were dying each day because of poor water and sanitation; they decided to do something about it.

They started making toilet paper and they donate 50% of the profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.

I have a roll for each family, my gift to you this Christmas.

[The Incarnation from Cloth for the Cradle WGWG]

Christmas all year long [Luke 2:1-20]

Christmas morning, and we have heard the story from the Gospel of Luke about the birth of Jesus and the Angels singing to Shepherds. 

I looked back in my files and I have preached on this passage every Christmas Day since I arrived three years ago, and more years before that.

Each year we hear the story, sing the carols and celebrate.

I wonder what part of this story do you love the most?

•      Is it the story - of an angel appearing to a young woman, asking her to bear the Christ Child?

•      Is it the story - of a couple, about to become first time parents travelling to his ancestral town?

•      Is it the story - of angels spreading good news but starting with Fear Not!

•      Is it the story - of shepherds hearing angels and good news in the midst of their everyday?

what do you need this Christmas?

• Do you need to hear that Jesus was born out of God’s love for you?
• Do you need to hear that the Good News first went to people who were outsiders in the society?
• Do you need to hear the angel message of Fear Not, because God is present?
• Do you need to hear that Immanuel - God with us, is born for you?

I wonder what Christmas means for the

• 25 million people in the world who are refugees[i]
• 116,000 people in Australia who are homeless[ii]
• just over 3 million people (13.2%) living below the poverty line in Australia[iii]
• to the 815 million people worldwide who are undernourished.[iv]

Does anyone care?

In 1984 there was a song: Do they know it's Christmas?[v]

I wonder how do we know it is Christmas?

Is it because it is time for turkey and ham, or prawns and pavlova?

Is it because of Christmas trees and carols?

How do we know it is Christmas?

If Christmas is about not being afraid, accepting the that you are loved by God and God is present with us, always; maybe we can show that love to others.

To people who are as imperfect as we are.

To people whose hopes and dreams are fragile

To people who live in poverty, or are fleeing danger

In Jesus, God says: I Give a crap, I care,

What does our life say:

Does it say we care for all people, or just for ourselves?

Does it say we are aware of how some have more than is needed while others have not enough to live with dignity

Do our words and actions, shopping choices and the way we use our time, tell of Love and Hope, or greed and self-centredness?

Christmas is God saying, I love you, with all I am; and I want to be with you always.

May you live all year, with the love of Christmas. 

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[i] https://johntsquires.wordpress.com/2018/12/24/resonating-with-christmas-a-story-of-restless-travel-and-seeking-refuge/?fbclid=IwAR2rVxRAAJbDdCVwhqNK8k9ZyUnrphAextiIKuO7NKSWHf80xTOyfknCg0U

[ii] https://www.ahuri.edu.au/policy/ahuri-briefs/how-homelessness-changed-between-2011-2016?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItfrFody33wIVhTUrCh2Kag2NEAAYASAAEgIaGvD_BwE

[iii] https://www.acoss.org.au/poverty/

[iv] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg2

[v] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_They_Know_It%27s_Christmas%3F

What a Gift

These passages from Matthew and Luke, enlarge the story of the birth of Jesus. Matthew writes very little about the birth, but then writes about the visit from the Magi, the killing of the children, and Mary and Joseph and Jesus going to Egypt.

Luke includes the visit of Joseph and Mary and Jesus to the Temple, to make their offering for the birth of a child. Here they meet Simeon and Anna. Simeon who recognises Jesus as the Christ, Anna who praises God when she sees the child.

How did you feel when you heard about the birth of a child of a close friend, or a grandchild?

How did you feel when you first heard about the birth of Jesus?

For many of us, we have heard the story so often, we don’t remember the first time we heard it, and we have lost the sense of excitement or shock or emotion of first hearing about the birth of Jesus.

Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple when they went to make their offering for the birth of their son. And they meet Simeon, we imagine him to be old, but nothing in the story suggests that.
Simeon recognises the baby as the Christ,
speaks of light and peace
the honour this child will bring to his people
and … then … the words he speaks to Mary “you, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger.”

Anna, sees the baby and sings praises to God – “She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.”

The people who travelled from the east were excited, eagerly travelling for many days, weeks or even months to see who it was who born with such a star. Those in Jerusalem were not overjoyed, they were upset and frightened.  I find both responses amazing.

I can’t imagine following a star, just because it’s a special star. These people, probably astrologers, but maybe priests,
didn’t know where the child was to be born.
Didn’t realise that his birth was not into a royal family.
They had no idea who they were looking for.
They thought it was a baby born to be king,
but for them that was born into a royal bloodline, in a palace.
Not born in a stable.
To these people, someone born with such a star to mark their birth was special,
special enough for them to pack up and to travel,
to pay their respects to such a special child.

I also find the response of Herod and Jerusalem amazing. This was a baby, how much of a threat could a baby be – Herod would be unlikely to still be in charge by the time the baby grew up. But such was the family way of handing on power that even a baby was considered a threat. Not someone to keep an eye on, and see what eventuates, but a threat to be wiped out just in case, and kill a lot of others to make sure the threat was done away with. And as we know from the end of the story, Jesus was a threat to Herod, but not in the way Herod had thought.

There were people who followed a star to see this child who had been marked by the heavens as special. Travelling far, bringing gifts with them. There were people willing to kill many children to do away with the perceived threat posed by this one child. Today around the world, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, by having Christmas, a holiday in many countries, special food and traditions, including giving gifts. But beyond the food and celebration, how do we respond to God’s gift to us, this gift of ultimate love, of God becoming human.

Star Gifts

This morning, I have a gift for you. There is some information about this on the front page of the Grapevine.

In these 2 baskets there are stars, each has a word written on it. When the baskets are passed around please take a star, turn it over and have a look at the word. Just as the magi followed a star to be close to Jesus, I pray that this word will speak to you this year, and will encourage you in your relationship with God through Jesus. If you would like to talk with me about your word, we can do that.

Hand out Star Gifts – if you received one on Wednesday please don’t take another one.

We receive gifts from God in many forms. As we think about the gift of Jesus, from birth to crucifixion and resurrection, how do you respond to that gift.

How we respond to God’s gift is up to each one of us to decide.
But if we look in the manger, be prepared to be changed.

If we hang around the stable be prepared to see the light.

If we open ourselves up to God, prepared to know we are loved,
maybe we will find ourselves loving people,
and accepting that God loves even people we disagree with. 

Christmas 2017

Luke tells of the birth of Jesus to a young woman,

a baby laid in a bed of straw, because they couldn’t find anywhere else to stay

a baby visited by shepherds, who lived with their flocks.

This is a story about the God who comes beside us,

The God who appears first to the outsiders and the unimportant.

The God who comes to live with humanity.

The Old Testament is a series of stories that tell us about how God reached out to people, and people said yes,

Then…

They forgot,

or turned away to other gods and idols,

And then God sends messengers to remind the people,

These messengers speak of judgement,

and of hope.

God continued to reach out to people, even when they rebelled, or walked away.

And I wonder why.

Why come at all.

And why as a baby

The video we will see know is made by a church in New Zealand, so you may have to listen carefully.

Video: Unexpected Christmas

When we wonder if we are enough

When we wonder who we are

When we wonder about life

When we are scared or angry or just plain tired

We hear the message of love

We hear the message of the God who came to earth as Jesus, born as a baby, in dubious circumstances

We hear the message that “God thought we were worth coming to earth for.”[i]

Isn’t that totally awesome?!! God thought we were worth coming to earth for.

God chose to communicate with us, talking to us, cajoling and encouraging us, and finally becoming human just like us.

God could have demanded we be obedient, but that isn’t love;

God could have forced his way into our lives, but that isn’t grace;

God could have left us in our despair, but that isn’t compassion.

God chose to become human to show us what love looks like,

to remind us that we are loved,

even when we aren’t expecting that.

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[i] https://revgalblogpals.org/2017/12/22/11th-hour-preacher-party-the-incarnation/

So this is Christmas

The song that is in my head the past week or so is:

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun[i]

I look back over the past year and wonder if anything has changed. There are still people in the world who live in fear, who live amongst war and violence. There are still people in our community who struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Next weekend we will celebrate New Year’s Eve, and maybe make some resolutions. If you are anything like me, they don’t last long.

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

Fear, that is something we know about. Fear is easy. We fear change, we fear strangers. Each time an angel appears they say: Don't be afraid! Yet, fear is one of the easiest responses for us.

The song goes on to mention that it is Christmas for old and young, rich and poor, weak and strong, black and white.

I wonder what Christmas is like for those who rely on Mary Mac’s or the Salvos for Christmas.
I wonder what Christmas is like for people seeking asylum.
I wonder what Christmas is like in Aleppo, and Palestine.

Our Bible reading tonight started with ‘At that time’. At that time the Emperor called a census. At that time the people of Israel were under foreign occupation, the Romans ruled over the people of the middle east. Society was divided by income and status.

Into this less than perfect setting a child was born.

In some ways the world has changed a lot since that first Christmas morning – we now have electricity
and transport that gets us places faster than a donkey or on foot. We can send letters and emails, and get almost instant responses.

But in other ways, life hasn’t changed much.
We still live in fear, fear of death, fear of failure, fear of the unknown and the new.
We are still living with divisions, based on wealth and power, status, culture and faith.
and we still need to know that we are precious and that we are loved.

At that time, God came into our life and our world in a new way
Jesus was born a baby, to show us love
Jesus was born in a manger to show all creation mattered
Jesus was born that we might live to the full, being ourselves without shame.

At this time, God comes into our life and world
to show love
to be light and hope
to bring peace.

A Christmas wish:

This Christmas
I wish for you
light
to crumple up the darkness

This Christmas
I wish for you
love
to pull us closer to one another

This Christmas
I wish for you
peace
the same the angels sang

This Christmas
I wish for you
starlight
to follow on your way home

This Christmas
I wish for you
promise
to keep hope alive for you

This Christmas
I wish for you
God
newly born and in the flesh

This Christmas
I wish for you
Jesus Christ
born this night
light of the world

~ written by Roddy Hamilton, and posted on Listening to the Stones.http://newkilpatrickblog.typepad.com/nk-blogging/mucky-paws/

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[i] http://www.metrolyrics.com/so-this-is-christmas-lyrics-john-lennon.html

Don't be afraid!

In the first two chapters of Luke's gospel, we hear from angels three times. The first is when an Angel appears to Zechariah while he is working in the temple. The second is when an angel appears to Mary. And the third appearance is in the section we heard today, where an Angel brings a message to the shepherds.

The initial response to the angel in each case is fear and confusion, and the response of the angel is “ do not be afraid” . Do not be afraid. I imagine if I was going about my regular activities, as Zechariah, Mary and the shepherds were, I might be just a bit stunned and somewhat terrified if suddenly an Angel appeared in the room with me.

 

Don’t be afraid, God has heard your prayers; Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you; Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you.

 

Don’t be afraid - but I wonder if there was more to be afraid of than the appearance of an Angel.

Over the last few months we have been hearing from some of the prophets of the old testament. We have been thinking about the way the people of Israel were longing for a new way of living, a Messiah, the one who would come and change everything.

On and off for centuries the people of Israel had been under foreign rule, Babylonians, Persians, and now the Romans. Like many empires today the focus was on maintaining control.

 

 

At the time of the birth of Jesus, the people of Israel were under Roman occupation. While it was time of what is known as the Pax Romana, the peace of Rome, it was an enforced peace, ‘if you step across this line you get killed’ kind of peace. It wasn't peace in the way that we speak about in terms of Shalom, peace that means living in harmony with all of God's creation, peace that is about life not about the absence of war.

The people of Israel, had reason to be afraid, not just of angels, but of a whole host of people who were part of the bureaucracy had colluded with the Roman authorities; soldiers who could force you to carry their pack, tax collectors who added onto the Roman tax, religious leaders who didn't want to upset the Romans.

 

We have some of the same fears today. There are places in the world where you get killed for speaking against the government; there are places where it is dangerous to be a child in school, especially if you are a female child; there are places where you cannot choose whom you will marry; there are places where people are bought and sold as if they were a commodity.

And sometimes the fear is more local. Fear of unemployment, of becoming homeless, fear of being different, fear of being bullied.

 

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of light, light that comes into a world of brokenness and pain, a world where we seem to stumble in the dark. The news in the past few weeks has been mainly sad news, as it is for most of the year – war, violence, murder, kidnapping.

 

“Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. ¹¹ This very day in King David’s hometown a Saviour was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. ¹² You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

 

I wonder if it would be easier if an Angel did appear, saying to us, don't be afraid! We've read these words in looks gospel, and yes they were intended for an audience 2000 years ago, but I want you to hear them today, as if they are being spoken directly to you.

“Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. ¹¹ This very day in King David’s hometown a Saviour was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. ¹² You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

 

Every year we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, saviour, Lord. Every year we celebrate with songs, food, friends, and gifts. And every year we wonder if it makes any difference.

 

That always seems to be something to fear, but I wonder what the Angel would say to us,? What is the good news for us today?

The good news for us today I think, is that a saviour has been born for each one of us.

The good news is that Jesus, Immanuel, which means God is with us has been born for each one of us.

The good news is we do not need to live with fear, because God lives with each one of us.

The good news is that God loves each one of us so much that he chose to come and share this human form with us, so we might know how much we are loved.

 

Don't be afraid! I have good news for you,. God loves you, and you will know this because God came in human form to show us how to live, to bring liberation and freedom from that which enslaves us, to bring peace, true peace,.

 

Don't be afraid!

 

 

 

 

 

 

why worship today?

It's Christmas morning and many of you will be going to family lunches or travelling, some of you will still have presents to open, and for some of you there is a meal to cook this morning.

What is it about worship this day that you make it a priority amongst the busyness.

Maybe it is because there is something special about this child whose birth we celebrate today.

Each time a child is born we invest something into the future, we imagine what their life maybe like, we keep looking for signs of the academic or sport or musical ability, and as they grow we look for their particular personalities.

The child whose birth we celebrate today was born to a young woman and we don't know what dreams she had for her son's future, from what Luke tells us the concern was where to stay where was there going to be a bed. The Angel had told her that this child would be special. This is one baby, small and vulnerable, born to a first-time mother changes not only his parents’ lives, but the lives of many.

In this short time we have together this morning I hope you have time to reflect on the place of this baby in your life. For we can sing carols, listen to the story, and go to our meals and our celebrations unchanged.

What part of this story connects with you? Maybe it is the ordinariness of a man and a woman and a child, maybe it is because the message was given to shepherds some of the lowliest in the land which today would mean those who work in aged care and child care and disability care amongst others.

Maybe the part of the story that connects with you is the travelling to fulfil government requirements and how the good news of God's love came in the midst of political and military Dominion. Maybe what connects with you in this story is not anyone be you can put your finger on.

For me it's an amazing sense that God is willing to do whatever it takes to let us know we are loved. Not in a flashy showy way; not like New Year's Eve fireworks or a big marching band; not by throwing lots of money on advertising or bribes; not by having the biggest artillery and bravest soldiers. God came to be involved in our lives. God came to live amongst us, to walk with us, to teach and to heal and offer new life and transformation.

Jesus came as an underdog, in Australian terms, the Roman Empire was large and powerful. In the coming of Jesus,  a new kingdom was dawning,  the kingdom of God. This kingdom is different to the kingdoms of the Empire. In his lifetime Jesus and the kingdom of God were up against the Roman empire; we don't have empires in quite the same way these days, but they are still the kingdoms of greed and self-interest and oppression.

We might think of Christmas as a time of peace. There is a story that during World War I in places where the German and British forces were fighting in trenches nearby, that on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, troops offered greetings to each other, sang carols and in places got out and played football. Is that peace? that short period of time when the war stopped?  

It's like the peace that happens at a wedding or funeral when members of family get together, grit their teeth and smile through clenched teeth and pretend everything is okay when underneath is turmoil and anger and pain.

I have a part of a reflection to read:

 The Season for Miracles

(Reflection and Prayer Litany)

If we were to list the miracles of Christmas

we’d probably talk about virgin births
angels, perhaps
and stars that light the sky
but perhaps there’s another miracle:
one of Mary saying ‘yes’ when God asked her to believe
and Joseph saying ‘yes’ when God asked him to trust.
They had to change everything about their lives
and the birth of the Christ-child wasn’t possible until they did.
What does it mean for you to say ‘yes’ to this story?
to believe that it might be possible
for the darkness to be transformed to light
and for peace to come in the world?
Those who know the darkest of the world
know the fragility of light;
we hold our breath as the candles flicker
we know they don’t always last.
the birth of Jesus doesn’t make everything right
but it shows us that the only way the darkness can be beaten
is to say ‘yes’ to the birth of light.
....

— written by Cheryl Lawrie, on her blog [hold this space] http://holdthisspace.org.au/

 

The peace that Jesus brings is deeper and more resilient than a temporary cessation of fighting. The peace we seek, we yearn for, is peace that is indwelling, that allows us to live, without fear, without hatred.

Jesus came to usher in the kingdom of God, the kingdom that is founded on love, the kingdom of peace and hope and joy. And the peace that Jesus bring is not peace as the world brings it, fleeting, here one day and gone the next. The peace that Jesus brings is like deep pool that never dries up.

Will say yes to the kingdom of peace this day?

 

Duet: Let there be Peace on earth

Christmas Day

Throughout advent we have paused to consider in what ways we contribute, or share: hope, peace, joy and love. Today we come together to remember the birth of Jesus. We hear the Bible story, we sing the carols; Christmas is a time when tradition, and family traditions, come to the fore.

But each year there are people for whom Christmas does not follow the familiar rhythm and pattern. As people move house, and relocate for work, some families no longer get together for Christmas. Children grow and marry, there are two family traditions to try and attend to. People die. Marriages end in separation or divorce. I know 2 families this year, who are with a parent about to die.

Traditions change, and that is fine; life is continually changing, but one thing the Christmas story does, is to anchor us into something we find hard to put into words.

Luke records the story of the birth of Jesus, to a young woman, away from home.  This story still amazes me.  

The Christmas story includes angels in a few places, and they always seem to say “Do not be afraid”, so maybe angels aren’t cute and sweet looking?

An angel  appears to the shepherds, and says:

"Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

 ‘Good news of great joy for all the people’. What is the good news of Christmas? Presents, food, family, parties, holidays?

‘Good news of great joy for all the people’. “all people” I wonder what good news there is for ‘all people’ this Christmas, not only the ones who received gifts they like, not only the people with enough food and a place to holiday. ‘all people’ . the angel is recorded as saying “all people” ; ‘Good news of great joy for all the people’ – so that means the families who are mourning a death, it means people with no one to call family, it means people who live in fear.

Christmas is amazing, because the birth of Jesus happened amidst the ordinary world of ordinary people. Mary was faithful to God, but Mary was not a princess, she wasn’t a spiritual seeker off on  a pilgrimage, all we are told about her suggests she was a teenage girl engaged to Joseph. And Joseph, he was a carpenter; not a priest or a king. Two people, like many other couples of their time.

And then after the birth, the shepherds come to visit. Now in the play at carols 2 nights ago, the shepherds were clean and well mannered; but shepherds at that time in history were people who could not get any other work.

That is part of the joy of the Christmas story, that God chooses the outsiders, the rejected, the homeless.

What does this story of a baby born to a young mother and laid in a feeding trough, of shepherds coming in from the hills, of no room for travellers, of Roman imperialism, what does this story have for us today?

At the beginning of the service today we watched a video clip of people singing in a shopping mall, I believe it is called a flash mob. In the midst of people’s activity, Christmas broke in.

That is ‘the good news of great joy for all people’; that God broke into our existence, not to emperors and bishops, but to ordinary people in out of the way places.

The good news for each of us today is that God breaks into our lives, offering hope, peace, joy and love.