Greetings and good tidings for all, the Lord is here and has made Himself known!
Throughout the year we have followed the directions that God has given us, in some way or other, and now during Advent and over Christmas we hear the message of the Angels – Christ is born in Bethlehem, and it is a time to respond.
Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened! (Luke 2:15).
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.
We have worked hard this year to address the challenges that we are facing as a nation. It appears that as the church we oscillate between focus on God and focus on people. We tend to look to God and try to do what He requires and force others to join us, or we try to focus on people and their hurts and needs and their brokenness. And we ask ourselves “how do we hold onto God’s commandments and requirements and simultaneously serve humanity in love despite their disobedience?”
This is the way of the cross.
Holding life in tension, and bearing its pain is the way of the cross. And the way of the cross begins in humility, in obscurity and in impossibility. “with man these things are impossible but with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26) to this life we are called to a life marked with miracles and the unordinary. A life where heaven and earth meet in the hearts and actions of common people. Where the sun shines through the clouds and “kingdom of God is near,” here but not yet. In this life we see that every act of obedience, every act of humility, every act of repentance, every act of love creates shafts of light where the Glory of heaven is displayed in human likeness, where Christ is revealed through us to the world.
May this Christmas resound with Angel song and the message of Good News. God is reaching out to the world and bringing salvation through His Son. This is our calling and in this our duty and our joy, we must persevere.
The way of Christ is not simply a joyful, kind, happy go lucky lifestyle. The way of Christ rises against injustice, it speaks out for the poor, it challenges the powers of this world. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of light and light dispels darkness. This is why in 2019 we have committed to community engagement and in 2020 we are going to work even harder to develop a ministry to and in the world. We must bring the love of God in shafts of light to a hurting and broken world. We must be a Christmas People.
As we journey to the babe in Bethlehem may we receive a new vision for our lives, a life that is to grow in wisdom and stature as Jesus Himself did. (2 Luke vs 52).
May we give ourselves fully to the work of Jesus the Christ our King and live out our calling to be “Ambassadors of reconciliation” and live the Good News of God in every situation. The Good News that Jesus is the Christ and He Reigns, He is the Messiah, He is the King, and He is saving the world.
May your faith be renewed and, may you live in the knowledge of the love of Christ. As we embrace our humanity and seek reconciliation with God, as we embrace our blessed position as heirs of the kingdom, but seek to live in humility, may the Spirit of God fill us with the power to do what God has commanded us to do, and may our response be – “I am the Lord’s servant,” …… “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)
Merry Christmas
Rector
