On Christmas Eve we had planned to go for a night walk with a bunch of girls. Once it was planned, everyone gradually pulled out till there was just two of us, and when we got there it started to rain, and then...... basically I got scared of the dark and we turned back after 100 metres and sat in the car to drink hot chocolate instead!
Anyway... the amazing thing about it all was I put the ignition on to get the time and the radio came on- it was the midnight service on Radio 4.
If you know me you know I am not a big fan of the seasonal indulgence and tinsel trip. I also hate the mushy sentimental “baby-jesus-in-a-manger” stuff 'cos to me Jesus is God Almightly humbled to come to earth and die to sort out the mess we are in. We cannot patronise Him like that.
But before I go off on a sidetrack, the amazing thing was this service was really radical. I was gob-smacked. We listened until gone 12, and then listened all the way home, and then stopped in the car park at the end of the road to listen some more!
This is the reading from Titus 2 11-14
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
How good is that?
Salvation is not for me to have a nice blessed time on earth and eternity on a fluffy cloud in heaven.
We are called and saved in order to live lives that honour God. We are waiting for Jesus to return. We are His people who he chose.
I was impressed that this was being said at a Christmas service. I was impressed that the purpose/mission of our faith was being spoken about. That people were being challenged to do more than merely believe, but to let it change their lives.
Then the speaker chap (Rev Murphy O Connor, if that makes any difference to you) got preaching.
He talked about how the angels were not tinselly creatures but terrifying messangers of God.
He said how so often the message of God is not well received.
He said the message of Christmas was of good news for all people, but does the message of our faith get to all people?
He asked how we treat the immigrants and refugees in our country.
He asked what our attitude is to the homeless on our streets.
This is the last paragraph
“I would say that we have to return again to the first Christmas night and hear again the message the angel brought to the shepherds- 'news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people,. Ultimately I think it's a question of wether we believe in the God of Christmas. the God of Christmas is not light years away, living in another dimension. For us, Christmas means that God became one of our kind and lived a human life; in a sense God moved in nearby and is called 'Emmanuel', a word that means 'God is with us'. God is with us! It is worth letting those words sink in. Not only did God come to be with us then; He has promised to be with us all days, until the end of time."
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