What’s different?

I love the TV programme, the Vicar of Dibley. There is one episode when the vicar is getting ready to write her Christmas sermon. Her Churchwarden helpfully points out, that it needs to be good as otherwise you lose the people and send them elsewhere for the next year. The Vicar ends up preaching with the use of a Spice Girls Annual.  An unusual choice of text, perhaps !! There is a feeling that we want to say something new and different to grasp people.

This year, as every year, I have been struck by something which I will carry with me through the season. After all, Christmas is an amazing celebration. We have the best news ever to share. However, perhaps we can be so used to the wonderful news of God becoming one of us, living amongst us and then bringing us salvation, that we need reminding of the sheer surprise and joy of that first Christmas. 

The thing I have been struck by this year, which I will be using to focus my prayers is from an African American pastor, Shadrach Meshach Lockridge. I heard his words as part of my daily prayers with Lectio 365. The words were, 

My King is the King. 

He’s the key to knowledge.

He’s the wellspring to wisdom.

He’s the doorway of deliverance. 

He’s the pathway of peace.

He’s the roadway of righteousness . 

He’s the highway of holiness.

He’s the gateway of glory

Do you know Him?

These words are fantastic and they are a challenge indeed. How well do we  know God ? More than that, how prepared are we to ask people if they know God? 

On Christmas Day we celebrate the fact that Jesus came amongst us. I love the prologue to the gospel of John (1:1-18) which is the gospel reading for Christmas day. It explains not only where Jesus came from but that He is the word, existing before all time. Not just this, but He has shown us what it is to know Him. This is because as we know Him we see our Creator, and the one through whom we can know grace and truth. Absolutely fantastic! 

I have always enjoyed Christmas, it celebrates the most momentous news ever, but sometimes we can be guilty of forgetting how amazing it is. We have a King, who is eternal, we worship God who came in human form. 

As I am writing this I can use the gospel from Luke (2:1-20). In this version we hear of the shepherds being blinded by angels who told them the good news that Jesus had been born, and not just this but He was the one they had been waiting for. The shepherds didn’t wait when they heard the news about Jesus from the angels they ran straight to Bethlehem. Was it curiosity ? Was it complete wonder?

I want Christmas to always have a sense of wonder to it, I never want to become too used to the gospel readings, however many times I hear them. I referred to David Wilbourne last week, and I will do so again now. This is because he said once that the birth of Jesus split history in two. This is amazing, the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, and we have seen His glory. My hope is that rejoicing will always continue as I move towards my Lord and Saviour in prayer. Amen