URC Daily Devotion 2nd January 2025
96
URC Daily Devotion 2nd January 2025
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Thursday 2 January 2025
St Luke 7: 36 - 50
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’
Reflection
It is said that when a woman hits forty (or thereabouts) she becomes invisible. I read a series of crime novels where the basic premise was that an older woman was invisible and could therefore rob a bank undetected, if she so wished. (She didn’t. She solved the cases instead.) But invisibility has always been part of a woman’s lot in a man’s world and sometimes to her advantage. As in this case. The woman has managed to find her way, uninvited, into the inner circle, where the chief guest is reclining at dinner.
The men involved have names: Jesus and Simon. The woman has two labels: ‘woman’ and ‘sinner’. It feels like a hostile situation, surrounded by those who label her so unkindly.
I find it interesting that Jesus actually confronts his host with his blindness to the woman. ‘Do you see this woman?’ he has to ask. I wonder who we don’t really see in our everyday lives? Who are the people burdened with labels instead of names - refugees, illegal immigrants, the women and children represented only by numbers killed in men’s wars?
Let us never forget God sees each one as a precious individual person, each one as worthy as the folk who think they are important, the folk who think they have the right to abuse and kill them. Instead, there is one Lord who declares that these ‘invisible people’ are the ones with faith, whose sins are forgiven.
Prayer
Open our eyes to truly see the people we encounter, Lord.
Give us hearts that recognise them as Your children just as much as we are, and may we take the time to learn each other’s names, and stories.
Amen --> Today's writer Dorothy Courtis, is an Assembly Accredited Lay Preacher and member of Halesworth URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2025 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 7: 36 - 50
One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’
Reflection
It is said that when a woman hits forty (or thereabouts) she becomes invisible. I read a series of crime novels where the basic premise was that an older woman was invisible and could therefore rob a bank undetected, if she so wished. (She didn’t. She solved the cases instead.) But invisibility has always been part of a woman’s lot in a man’s world and sometimes to her advantage. As in this case. The woman has managed to find her way, uninvited, into the inner circle, where the chief guest is reclining at dinner.
The men involved have names: Jesus and Simon. The woman has two labels: ‘woman’ and ‘sinner’. It feels like a hostile situation, surrounded by those who label her so unkindly.
I find it interesting that Jesus actually confronts his host with his blindness to the woman. ‘Do you see this woman?’ he has to ask. I wonder who we don’t really see in our everyday lives? Who are the people burdened with labels instead of names - refugees, illegal immigrants, the women and children represented only by numbers killed in men’s wars?
Let us never forget God sees each one as a precious individual person, each one as worthy as the folk who think they are important, the folk who think they have the right to abuse and kill them. Instead, there is one Lord who declares that these ‘invisible people’ are the ones with faith, whose sins are forgiven.
Prayer
Open our eyes to truly see the people we encounter, Lord.
Give us hearts that recognise them as Your children just as much as we are, and may we take the time to learn each other’s names, and stories.
Amen --> Today's writer Dorothy Courtis, is an Assembly Accredited Lay Preacher and member of Halesworth URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2025 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
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URC Daily Devotion 1st January 2025
96
URC Daily Devotion 1st January 2025
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Wednesday 1 January 2025
St Luke 7: 18 - 35
The disciples of John reported all these things to Jesus. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.) ‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.”
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’
Reflection
A very happy and revolutionary New Year!
I struggle to think of a better encounter with Jesus to inspire us as we take a breath to ponder the past, present, and future.
John the Baptist has sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus ‘are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?’. We have just spent the glorious period of Advent pondering the same question; perhaps wondering what we wait for in our own lives, the life of the Church and the wider world - so I hope we don’t have more waiting to do!
There is just the slightest sense of exasperation in Luke’s words. Jesus has been doing all these amazing things, so go, and tell John everything you’ve seen!
Go and tell. Perhaps Luke is echoing Isaiah 52 and those beautiful feet bringing good news on the mountain. My feet may not be beautiful, but I hope the good news they carry is!
The answer to the question ‘are you the one’, as we get ourselves prepared for 2025, is ‘go and tell what you have seen’. In other words, as we look to the future of such a struggling world, there is something important in opening our senses to the ever-present glimpses of God’s love and peace, then following the call to go and tell!
This verse struck me: ‘Blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me’. I wonder if there is something in this about being willing to listen, willing to change, willing to tell. Is there a blessing to be found in being open to the potential offence and challenge in Jesus' words and actions?
I think there is, so may this New Year be filled with the blessing of noticing the surprising and rebellious love of God. May we be blessed by the potential to change and grow and then get out there and share that blessing with others!
Prayer
Gracious God,
we give thanks for the past and pay attention to its lessons.
We notice the present and dwell in its richness.
We look to the future with its hope and potential.
Bless us, we pray, with open hearts and vital senses;
alert to the truth that Jesus has come
and is leading us to a new kin-dom.
So be it. Amen --> Today's writer The Revd Martin Knight is Chaplain of the Brighthelm Centre and Pioneer Minister with the LGBTQIA+ community in Brighton & Hove. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2025 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 7: 18 - 35
The disciples of John reported all these things to Jesus. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.) ‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.”
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’
Reflection
A very happy and revolutionary New Year!
I struggle to think of a better encounter with Jesus to inspire us as we take a breath to ponder the past, present, and future.
John the Baptist has sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus ‘are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?’. We have just spent the glorious period of Advent pondering the same question; perhaps wondering what we wait for in our own lives, the life of the Church and the wider world - so I hope we don’t have more waiting to do!
There is just the slightest sense of exasperation in Luke’s words. Jesus has been doing all these amazing things, so go, and tell John everything you’ve seen!
Go and tell. Perhaps Luke is echoing Isaiah 52 and those beautiful feet bringing good news on the mountain. My feet may not be beautiful, but I hope the good news they carry is!
The answer to the question ‘are you the one’, as we get ourselves prepared for 2025, is ‘go and tell what you have seen’. In other words, as we look to the future of such a struggling world, there is something important in opening our senses to the ever-present glimpses of God’s love and peace, then following the call to go and tell!
This verse struck me: ‘Blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me’. I wonder if there is something in this about being willing to listen, willing to change, willing to tell. Is there a blessing to be found in being open to the potential offence and challenge in Jesus' words and actions?
I think there is, so may this New Year be filled with the blessing of noticing the surprising and rebellious love of God. May we be blessed by the potential to change and grow and then get out there and share that blessing with others!
Prayer
Gracious God,
we give thanks for the past and pay attention to its lessons.
We notice the present and dwell in its richness.
We look to the future with its hope and potential.
Bless us, we pray, with open hearts and vital senses;
alert to the truth that Jesus has come
and is leading us to a new kin-dom.
So be it. Amen --> Today's writer The Revd Martin Knight is Chaplain of the Brighthelm Centre and Pioneer Minister with the LGBTQIA+ community in Brighton & Hove. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2025 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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URC Daily Devotion 31 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 31 December 2024
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31 December 2024
St Luke 7: 11 - 17
Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Reflection
Two large crowds clash at the town gates: one trying to get in, one trying to get out; one celebrating recent events, one mourning recent events. This could be the recipe for a riot in many circumstances today. But the leader of one group sees and has compassion on the leader of the other group. Jesus sees the tears of the grieving widow and mother, and is moved to intervene from a place of love.
Jesus comes forward and touches the open bier where the son’s body is visible to all – a shocking action as touching a dead body is the most ‘unclean’ act imaginable. He directly addresses the dead young man (just as he will a dead girl in Capernaum and his friend Lazarus in the tomb) and suddenly he is alive.
This takes place just over the hill from Shunem where Elisha raised a woman’s son, and has strong echoes of Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son. Jesus’ act fits the tradition of the great prophets, restoring life, repairing families, renewing hope. No wonder the crowd proclaim ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’. Indeed, this is the last of the acts that will shortly be reported to John the Baptist in prison as signs of hope that the kingdom is coming.
A young man’s resurrection is a present joy and a future hope. His mother, as a widow, would have been dependent on him financially for security, as well as emotionally. There are resonances of the compassion Jesus will have on his own mother in his dying moments, when he will offer provision of love and care through his closest disciple becoming a surrogate son. These intergenerational bonds are truly precious in the kingdom of God.
I wonder what the young man had to say on awakening in his own funeral?
Prayer
Jesus give us eyes of compassion.
This New Year’s Eve
help us mourn with those who mourn
and laugh with those who laugh.
May we be and seek signs of life restored,
families repaired, hope renewed.
As the year turns,
Jesus give us ears attuned to the young as well as old.
May we give you praise and glory
as we see your kingdom come in the year ahead.
Amen.
--> Today's writer Dr Sam Richards, serving as Head of Children’s and Youth Work, Messy Church team Chalgrove Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Reflection
Two large crowds clash at the town gates: one trying to get in, one trying to get out; one celebrating recent events, one mourning recent events. This could be the recipe for a riot in many circumstances today. But the leader of one group sees and has compassion on the leader of the other group. Jesus sees the tears of the grieving widow and mother, and is moved to intervene from a place of love.
Jesus comes forward and touches the open bier where the son’s body is visible to all – a shocking action as touching a dead body is the most ‘unclean’ act imaginable. He directly addresses the dead young man (just as he will a dead girl in Capernaum and his friend Lazarus in the tomb) and suddenly he is alive.
This takes place just over the hill from Shunem where Elisha raised a woman’s son, and has strong echoes of Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son. Jesus’ act fits the tradition of the great prophets, restoring life, repairing families, renewing hope. No wonder the crowd proclaim ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’. Indeed, this is the last of the acts that will shortly be reported to John the Baptist in prison as signs of hope that the kingdom is coming.
A young man’s resurrection is a present joy and a future hope. His mother, as a widow, would have been dependent on him financially for security, as well as emotionally. There are resonances of the compassion Jesus will have on his own mother in his dying moments, when he will offer provision of love and care through his closest disciple becoming a surrogate son. These intergenerational bonds are truly precious in the kingdom of God.
I wonder what the young man had to say on awakening in his own funeral?
Prayer
Jesus give us eyes of compassion.
This New Year’s Eve
help us mourn with those who mourn
and laugh with those who laugh.
May we be and seek signs of life restored,
families repaired, hope renewed.
As the year turns,
Jesus give us ears attuned to the young as well as old.
May we give you praise and glory
as we see your kingdom come in the year ahead.
Amen.
--> Today's writer Dr Sam Richards, serving as Head of Children’s and Youth Work, Messy Church team Chalgrove Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
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URC Daily Devotion 30 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 30 December 2024
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30 December 2024
We return to where we broke off the story before Christmas.
St Luke 7: 1 - 10
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Reflection
The ancient city of Capernaum, nestled along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, once served as a Roman army garrison town. Despite the military presence, some soldiers sought to build friendships with the local community. The Centurion in today's story was one such philanthropic individual.
We often assume marginalised people are at the bottom of the social or economic ladder. But this Centurion shows us the complexity of Jesus' ministry to the marginalised, as he, too, was embraced by Jesus' compassionate attention.
Even though he held a position of power within the mighty Roman Empire, the Jewish community typically viewed him with disdain. The Centurion might have felt this tension, as seen in his humble and perhaps even embarrassed request for help for his sick servant. Yet, his philanthropy earned him the respect of the synagogue elders. This led him to ask Jesus to heal his servant from afar, a remarkable display of faith that amazed Jesus, who rarely encountered such belief even among the more devout.
What about us? Many of us might find ourselves in "middle-ranking" positions, whether in the middle class, middle management, or balancing various responsibilities and obligations. We might carry what we define as shameful experiences or traits of our own. But we can find comfort in this story. Like the Centurion, we, too, are seen with love by Jesus.
This story highlights two essential truths: First, even when we feel undeserving of Jesus' presence, he takes joy in being with us. Second, deep expressions of faith can come from the most unexpected places.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
thank you for your healing love
and for seeing beyond societal labels
to the hidden wounds in all of us.
May your grace reach
even the most unexpected places in our lives.
Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Daniel Harris, Community Minister, Rochdale Bury & North Manchester Missional Partnership Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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We return to where we broke off the story before Christmas.
St Luke 7: 1 - 10
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Reflection
The ancient city of Capernaum, nestled along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, once served as a Roman army garrison town. Despite the military presence, some soldiers sought to build friendships with the local community. The Centurion in today's story was one such philanthropic individual.
We often assume marginalised people are at the bottom of the social or economic ladder. But this Centurion shows us the complexity of Jesus' ministry to the marginalised, as he, too, was embraced by Jesus' compassionate attention.
Even though he held a position of power within the mighty Roman Empire, the Jewish community typically viewed him with disdain. The Centurion might have felt this tension, as seen in his humble and perhaps even embarrassed request for help for his sick servant. Yet, his philanthropy earned him the respect of the synagogue elders. This led him to ask Jesus to heal his servant from afar, a remarkable display of faith that amazed Jesus, who rarely encountered such belief even among the more devout.
What about us? Many of us might find ourselves in "middle-ranking" positions, whether in the middle class, middle management, or balancing various responsibilities and obligations. We might carry what we define as shameful experiences or traits of our own. But we can find comfort in this story. Like the Centurion, we, too, are seen with love by Jesus.
This story highlights two essential truths: First, even when we feel undeserving of Jesus' presence, he takes joy in being with us. Second, deep expressions of faith can come from the most unexpected places.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
thank you for your healing love
and for seeing beyond societal labels
to the hidden wounds in all of us.
May your grace reach
even the most unexpected places in our lives.
Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Daniel Harris, Community Minister, Rochdale Bury & North Manchester Missional Partnership Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Sunday Worship 29 December 2024
96
Sunday Worship 29 December 2024
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Worship Services from the URC
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Order of Service
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
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to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 29 December 2024
The First Sunday of Christmas
Today’s service is led by the Revd Phil Nevard
Introduction
Welcome in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! I’m Rev’d Phil Nevard, a URC minister in South Cambridgeshire. The Sunday immediately after Christmas can sometimes feel a bit “after the Lord Mayor’s show. But however much we are flagging, God isn’t; however jaded we might be with carols and Christmas, God isn’t. God welcomes a new day and another chance to draw close to you that you might draw close to them. In the time it has taken us to celebrate Jesus’ birth, he’s grown into a 12yr old lad and is asking questions in the Temple. So we’ve some catching up to do! We gather to worship God.
Prayer of approach
It may feel like the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind make moan ...
but we have come to worship and our hearts are wanned.
Our spirits are lifted by the presence of God's Spirit.
Our joy is brightened as we hear the call of Christ.
Our fellowship is strengthened as we gather in His name.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him nor earth contain ...
Our God who created the universe cannot be tamed.
Our God who sustains life itself is beyond the reach of mere words.
Our God who is alpha and omega, beginning and end,
is bigger than we can imagine.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Enough for him whom cherubim worship night and day -
a breast full of milk and a manger full of hay.
That awesome powerful creator God is born a helpless babe.
The God whom heaven cannot hold is cradled in a mother's arms.
The God whom earth cannot contain is seen and heard and touched.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
What can I give him, poor as I am? Some money for the offertory?
An hour of my time on Sunday morning?
A few good deeds to keep my conscience clear?
Obedience, faith, belief ... he wants more than that, He wants my heart.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Georgina Rossetti (c. 1872) Public Domain Sung and Performed by Walton Salvation Army and used with their kind permission.
In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone:
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for him whom cherubim worship night and day,
a breastful of milk and a mangerful of hay:
enough for him whom angels fall down before,
the ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air,
but only his mother, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him, give my heart.
Confession and Absolution
Too often we let our hearts grow cold and dark,
to match the weather, rather than face our transgressions.
In the cold dim winter God's light is hard to see,
we long to hear God's promise to unburden our hearts.
God calls us to repentance and offers us the light of Christ.
(moment of quiet)
God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Feel the warmth, feel the sensation of a melting heart; know that you are forgiven, know that you are restored. Thanks be to God
Prayer for illumination
Living God, help us so to hear your holy Word
that we may truly understand;
that, understanding, we may believe
and believing, we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience,
seeking your honour and glory in all that we do;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, ‘May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord’; and then they would return to their home.
Music for Quiet Reflection Lord, Now Lettest (Nunc Dimittis)
arranged by Geoffrey Burgon and sung by the choir of St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney and used with their kind permission.
Reading St Luke 2:41-52
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Hymn Child in the Manger
Mary MacDonald (1789-1872) translated L Macbean (1853-1931). Public Domain. Sung and performed by members of Dalgety Church and used with their kind permission.
Child in the manger, infant of Mary;
outcast and stranger, Lord of all;
Child who inherits all our transgressions,
all our demerits on Him fall.
Once the most holy Child of salvation
gently and lowly lived below;
now as our glorious mighty Redeemer,
see Him victorious o'er each foe.
Prophets foretold Him, infant of wonder;
angels behold Him on His throne;
worthy our Saviour of all our praises;
happy forever are His own.
Sermon
You might not be ready for Jesus to be twelve yet, I’m not sure I am! But here we are, four days on from Christmas Day, and Jesus is already a pretentious kid asking too many questions! There are people in the church who get deeply grumpy with the world for celebrating Christmas too early and then abandoning it on boxing day. WAIT! They say, wait a little longer, THEN we’ll do Christmas. But then when we do, before all the mice pies are gone, Jesus is twelve, and before Aunt Thelma has finally vacated the spare room and gone home, Jesus is grown up and being baptised in the Jordan! No time is spent enjoying Jesus as a baby!
The stories surrounding Jesus’ birth in the gospels are not the same as the “Baby’s First Years” books that we might keep as parents, or if they are, they are like the third child’s book where you never bothered to record anything! Our youngest can still get very cross that we have no idea what her first word was. She found that out when she asked us separately and we each gave a different made-up answer! We were royally rumbled!
The stories surrounding Jesus’ birth in the gospels, however you view them, are very carefully crafted to set the scene for Jesus' ministry and to connect his life and mission to the broader narrative of Israel’s history. The birth of the Jesus to a virgin or young maiden draws on Isaiah 7:14; the place of Jesus’ birth draws on Micah 5:2; the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt evokes Hosea 11:1; the slaughter of the innocents evokes Jeremiah 31:15; the role of John the Baptist evokes Isaiah 40:3; the theme of light and darkness evokes Isaiah 9:2; the Davidic family tree evokes Samuel 7:12-13.
So we shouldn’t be surprised that here we have Jesus as a young boy in the temple growing in wisdom and in divine and human favour, just as Samuel was described as a young boy in the temple growing in stature and in favour with the LORD and with the people. Luke is inviting the reader to put these two stories together and allow them to speak to us.
So let’s have a go at doing just that. I’ll highlight the traditional three things that occur to me.
Firstly, both of these stories have faithful mothers – Hannah and Mary. Both of them, in some sense, gave their first-born to God. Sometimes world-views have changed so much since biblical times that it is difficult to draw direct lessons. I think most of us would struggle to understand what it might mean to give your child to God. We are steeped in the idea that our children will make their own minds up and chart their own paths through life. But try this on for size. I wonder whether both Mary and Hannah are both trusting God with their children, in the sense that God will love and guide and cherish them as God has every generation, but that they are also both trusting the next generation with God.
The story of Samuel is told very much at a time when the old guard is dying out – Eli is on his last legs. This story abut Jesus also features an elderly generation who might consider themselves to be on their last legs. Simeon is quite open about it, “Now I have seen this boy I can depart in peace.” The shape of worship and how the nation understands faith in God will now be shaped by a new generation. There is something grace-filled about handing on a baton, something faith-filled and hope-filled. Samuel might only be 7 or 8yrs old Jesus is only 12. Hannah and Mary trust God with them, but also trust them with God.
Secondly, I’m not sure how we’d deal with either of these two kids today. I suspect we might think something was wrong, or that they were a bit weird or even creepy. Our world does not encourage intense religious devotion at an early age. We might think it was a bit unhealthy, over-zealous or that they had been indoctrinated by some dangerously radical sect. For children, we might consider them to be a bit obsessively over-consumed by religious devotion.
I wonder, though, whether their stories might be an opportunity for us to look back over our own journeys of faith. For Samuel, the beginning was not really a choice he made – his mum made it for him! I suspect there is a generation where that rings true… “I was dragged to church as a kid!” For some people that led to a rejection of church as soon as possible, for others it was an experience of something on which they then built their own choices and faith-commitments, like Samuel did. I suspect Samuel’s calling unfolded gradually whereas Jesus was clear about who he was and what God’s calling for his life was very early on. Jesus was in the temple by his own choice, it wasn’t his parents’ doing, they had no idea where he was!
Maybe as we approach yet another new year it’s a good time to reflect on your own spiritual journey. Whether you feel like you are still discovering your calling or whether you have known it for a long time, God’s timing and purpose are unique for each person. Where do you think God might be leading you next?
Thirdly, the whole growing in wisdom and favour thing. Whatever 2025 holds for you, may it hold this! May you be a wiser person at the end of 2025. That probably needs to come with small print, because wisdom is often gained through hardship and pain. Our faith will not offer us a pain and hardship-free 2025, but it might offer us a greater depth of wisdom and understanding, especially if that pain and hardship is borne as we are part of a faithful, worshipping community of God’s people.
May you also gain favour with God and with people in 2025. Again, some small print! Even a cursory knowledge of the lives of Samuel and Jesus will tell us that “gaining favour with people” did not mean being fawning and ingratiating! Far from it! I suspect what it means for them and us is that we might increasingly live our lives in such a way that we leave a trace of grace wherever we go, the aroma of God, the flavour of hope… that kind of life is attractive and compelling.
So, now I’ve added the small-print, I’m very much aware that this might sound like “May you live in interesting times” but…
As we pack away Christmas and head into 2025, may you grow in wisdom and may you grow in favour with God and among all God’s people. Amen
Hymn All Poor Ones and Humble
Based on a traditional Welsh Carol v1 translated by Kathene E Roberts, v 2 translated by T Penar Davies. Sung by an unknown Church Quartet © 1928 Oxford University Press OneLicence # A-734713
All poor ones and humble and all those who stumble,
come hastening and feel not afraid,
for Jesus our treasure, with love past all measure,
in lowly poor manger was laid.
Though wise men who found him laid rich gifts around him
yet oxen they gave him their hay,
and Jesus in beauty accepted their duty, contented in manger he lay.
Then haste we to show him the praises we owe him,
our service he ne’er can despise,
whose love still is able to show us that stable,
where softly in manger he lies.
Or Christ Child will lead us The Good Shepherd feed us,
And with us abide till his day.
Then hatred he’ll banish; Then sorrow will vanish,
And death and despair flee away.
And he shall reign ever, And nothing shall sever
From us the great love of our King;
His peace and his pity shall bless his fair city;
and praises we ever shall sing.
Then haste we to show him the praises we owe him,
our service he ne’er can despise,
whose love still is able to show us that stable,
where softly in manger he lies.
Nunc Dimittis
Now Lord you let your servant go in peace:
Your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Offertory Prayer
Church offertory is rarely a plate or a bag passed from person to person these days. It is more likely to be a much more invisible digital bank transfer set to some automatic schedule which is harder for us to notice. What we give to God through the life of our church has always been more than what’s in a bag or on a plate – it’s all of our acts of service in and through the life of this congregation. So let us give thanks for all of that.
Loving God, You give to us without counting the cost,
You give to us beyond human measure. Accept these and all our gifts to be used in your service each and every day. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Loving and Eternal God,
We give thanks for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came to dwell among us, bringing light and hope to our world. As we reflect on the story of Jesus in the temple, we are reminded of His wisdom, His sense of purpose, and His deep connection with You, even from a young age.
We pray today for all children and young people, that they may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favour with You and with others. May their homes and communities be places where they are nurtured and encouraged to explore their faith and discover the calling You have placed on their lives. We lift before You parents, guardians, and all who care for children, asking that You grant them the patience, love, and wisdom to guide them faithfully.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the Church, that it may be a place where all are welcome, where questions are embraced, and where the teachings of Jesus are lived out in our words and actions. Help us to be a community that supports one another in our journeys of faith, and that reaches out to those in need, reflecting the love and compassion of Christ in all we do.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are lost, confused, or searching for meaning in their lives. Just as Mary and Joseph searched anxiously for Jesus, we ask that You guide all who are seeking, that they may find their way to You. May we, as Your people, be ready to offer comfort, direction, and hope to those who are struggling.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember before You those who are in need today—those who are sick, lonely, grieving, or burdened by the challenges of life. (pause to add names and situations that rest heavy on YOUR heart) As we carry them in our hearts, we ask for Your healing presence to surround them. May they feel the peace that comes from knowing they are loved and held by You, even in the midst of their difficulties.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves, that like Jesus, we may grow in our understanding of Your will for our lives. As we stand at the threshold of a new year, help us to be attentive to Your voice, to seek Your wisdom in all that we do, and to be faithful in our calling as Your disciples.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We offer these prayers, those spoken formally out loud
and those whispered in the quietness of our hearts
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
Hymn Ring a Bell for Peace
Marian Collihole © 1972 Stainer and Bell OneLicence # A-734713 Played by Cheryl Jackson and sung by Crystal Schau of the Music Team of Transcona Memorial United Church.
Ring a bell for peace,for the babe born on this night,
ring a bell through the country and the town;
ring a bell for peace, come and see the wondrous light,
ring a bell, ring it merry up and down.
Blow a horn for joy, for the babe born in the hay,
blow a horn through the country and the town;
blow a horn for joy, come and hear what people say,
blow a horn, blow it merry up and down.
Play a flute for hope, for the babe now fast asleep,
play a flute through the country and the town;
play a flute for hope, see the shepherds leave their sheep,
play a flute, play it merry up and down.
Beat the drum for faith, for the babe beneath the star,
beat the drum through the country and the town;
beat the drum for faith, come and play both near and far,
beat the drum, beat it merry up and down.
Blessing
Loving God,
as we go out into your world,
may we know your presence with us
in all the pressures and potential of the coming week.
Help us to leave traces of grace
wherever we are and whatever we do. Amen.
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PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
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Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 29 December 2024
The First Sunday of Christmas
Today’s service is led by the Revd Phil Nevard
Introduction
Welcome in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! I’m Rev’d Phil Nevard, a URC minister in South Cambridgeshire. The Sunday immediately after Christmas can sometimes feel a bit “after the Lord Mayor’s show. But however much we are flagging, God isn’t; however jaded we might be with carols and Christmas, God isn’t. God welcomes a new day and another chance to draw close to you that you might draw close to them. In the time it has taken us to celebrate Jesus’ birth, he’s grown into a 12yr old lad and is asking questions in the Temple. So we’ve some catching up to do! We gather to worship God.
Prayer of approach
It may feel like the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind make moan ...
but we have come to worship and our hearts are wanned.
Our spirits are lifted by the presence of God's Spirit.
Our joy is brightened as we hear the call of Christ.
Our fellowship is strengthened as we gather in His name.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him nor earth contain ...
Our God who created the universe cannot be tamed.
Our God who sustains life itself is beyond the reach of mere words.
Our God who is alpha and omega, beginning and end,
is bigger than we can imagine.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Enough for him whom cherubim worship night and day -
a breast full of milk and a manger full of hay.
That awesome powerful creator God is born a helpless babe.
The God whom heaven cannot hold is cradled in a mother's arms.
The God whom earth cannot contain is seen and heard and touched.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
What can I give him, poor as I am? Some money for the offertory?
An hour of my time on Sunday morning?
A few good deeds to keep my conscience clear?
Obedience, faith, belief ... he wants more than that, He wants my heart.
In the bleak mid-winter, we gather to worship God.
Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Georgina Rossetti (c. 1872) Public Domain Sung and Performed by Walton Salvation Army and used with their kind permission.
In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone:
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for him whom cherubim worship night and day,
a breastful of milk and a mangerful of hay:
enough for him whom angels fall down before,
the ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air,
but only his mother, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the Beloved with a kiss.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him, give my heart.
Confession and Absolution
Too often we let our hearts grow cold and dark,
to match the weather, rather than face our transgressions.
In the cold dim winter God's light is hard to see,
we long to hear God's promise to unburden our hearts.
God calls us to repentance and offers us the light of Christ.
(moment of quiet)
God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Feel the warmth, feel the sensation of a melting heart; know that you are forgiven, know that you are restored. Thanks be to God
Prayer for illumination
Living God, help us so to hear your holy Word
that we may truly understand;
that, understanding, we may believe
and believing, we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience,
seeking your honour and glory in all that we do;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, ‘May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord’; and then they would return to their home.
Music for Quiet Reflection Lord, Now Lettest (Nunc Dimittis)
arranged by Geoffrey Burgon and sung by the choir of St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney and used with their kind permission.
Reading St Luke 2:41-52
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Hymn Child in the Manger
Mary MacDonald (1789-1872) translated L Macbean (1853-1931). Public Domain. Sung and performed by members of Dalgety Church and used with their kind permission.
Child in the manger, infant of Mary;
outcast and stranger, Lord of all;
Child who inherits all our transgressions,
all our demerits on Him fall.
Once the most holy Child of salvation
gently and lowly lived below;
now as our glorious mighty Redeemer,
see Him victorious o'er each foe.
Prophets foretold Him, infant of wonder;
angels behold Him on His throne;
worthy our Saviour of all our praises;
happy forever are His own.
Sermon
You might not be ready for Jesus to be twelve yet, I’m not sure I am! But here we are, four days on from Christmas Day, and Jesus is already a pretentious kid asking too many questions! There are people in the church who get deeply grumpy with the world for celebrating Christmas too early and then abandoning it on boxing day. WAIT! They say, wait a little longer, THEN we’ll do Christmas. But then when we do, before all the mice pies are gone, Jesus is twelve, and before Aunt Thelma has finally vacated the spare room and gone home, Jesus is grown up and being baptised in the Jordan! No time is spent enjoying Jesus as a baby!
The stories surrounding Jesus’ birth in the gospels are not the same as the “Baby’s First Years” books that we might keep as parents, or if they are, they are like the third child’s book where you never bothered to record anything! Our youngest can still get very cross that we have no idea what her first word was. She found that out when she asked us separately and we each gave a different made-up answer! We were royally rumbled!
The stories surrounding Jesus’ birth in the gospels, however you view them, are very carefully crafted to set the scene for Jesus' ministry and to connect his life and mission to the broader narrative of Israel’s history. The birth of the Jesus to a virgin or young maiden draws on Isaiah 7:14; the place of Jesus’ birth draws on Micah 5:2; the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt evokes Hosea 11:1; the slaughter of the innocents evokes Jeremiah 31:15; the role of John the Baptist evokes Isaiah 40:3; the theme of light and darkness evokes Isaiah 9:2; the Davidic family tree evokes Samuel 7:12-13.
So we shouldn’t be surprised that here we have Jesus as a young boy in the temple growing in wisdom and in divine and human favour, just as Samuel was described as a young boy in the temple growing in stature and in favour with the LORD and with the people. Luke is inviting the reader to put these two stories together and allow them to speak to us.
So let’s have a go at doing just that. I’ll highlight the traditional three things that occur to me.
Firstly, both of these stories have faithful mothers – Hannah and Mary. Both of them, in some sense, gave their first-born to God. Sometimes world-views have changed so much since biblical times that it is difficult to draw direct lessons. I think most of us would struggle to understand what it might mean to give your child to God. We are steeped in the idea that our children will make their own minds up and chart their own paths through life. But try this on for size. I wonder whether both Mary and Hannah are both trusting God with their children, in the sense that God will love and guide and cherish them as God has every generation, but that they are also both trusting the next generation with God.
The story of Samuel is told very much at a time when the old guard is dying out – Eli is on his last legs. This story abut Jesus also features an elderly generation who might consider themselves to be on their last legs. Simeon is quite open about it, “Now I have seen this boy I can depart in peace.” The shape of worship and how the nation understands faith in God will now be shaped by a new generation. There is something grace-filled about handing on a baton, something faith-filled and hope-filled. Samuel might only be 7 or 8yrs old Jesus is only 12. Hannah and Mary trust God with them, but also trust them with God.
Secondly, I’m not sure how we’d deal with either of these two kids today. I suspect we might think something was wrong, or that they were a bit weird or even creepy. Our world does not encourage intense religious devotion at an early age. We might think it was a bit unhealthy, over-zealous or that they had been indoctrinated by some dangerously radical sect. For children, we might consider them to be a bit obsessively over-consumed by religious devotion.
I wonder, though, whether their stories might be an opportunity for us to look back over our own journeys of faith. For Samuel, the beginning was not really a choice he made – his mum made it for him! I suspect there is a generation where that rings true… “I was dragged to church as a kid!” For some people that led to a rejection of church as soon as possible, for others it was an experience of something on which they then built their own choices and faith-commitments, like Samuel did. I suspect Samuel’s calling unfolded gradually whereas Jesus was clear about who he was and what God’s calling for his life was very early on. Jesus was in the temple by his own choice, it wasn’t his parents’ doing, they had no idea where he was!
Maybe as we approach yet another new year it’s a good time to reflect on your own spiritual journey. Whether you feel like you are still discovering your calling or whether you have known it for a long time, God’s timing and purpose are unique for each person. Where do you think God might be leading you next?
Thirdly, the whole growing in wisdom and favour thing. Whatever 2025 holds for you, may it hold this! May you be a wiser person at the end of 2025. That probably needs to come with small print, because wisdom is often gained through hardship and pain. Our faith will not offer us a pain and hardship-free 2025, but it might offer us a greater depth of wisdom and understanding, especially if that pain and hardship is borne as we are part of a faithful, worshipping community of God’s people.
May you also gain favour with God and with people in 2025. Again, some small print! Even a cursory knowledge of the lives of Samuel and Jesus will tell us that “gaining favour with people” did not mean being fawning and ingratiating! Far from it! I suspect what it means for them and us is that we might increasingly live our lives in such a way that we leave a trace of grace wherever we go, the aroma of God, the flavour of hope… that kind of life is attractive and compelling.
So, now I’ve added the small-print, I’m very much aware that this might sound like “May you live in interesting times” but…
As we pack away Christmas and head into 2025, may you grow in wisdom and may you grow in favour with God and among all God’s people. Amen
Hymn All Poor Ones and Humble
Based on a traditional Welsh Carol v1 translated by Kathene E Roberts, v 2 translated by T Penar Davies. Sung by an unknown Church Quartet © 1928 Oxford University Press OneLicence # A-734713
All poor ones and humble and all those who stumble,
come hastening and feel not afraid,
for Jesus our treasure, with love past all measure,
in lowly poor manger was laid.
Though wise men who found him laid rich gifts around him
yet oxen they gave him their hay,
and Jesus in beauty accepted their duty, contented in manger he lay.
Then haste we to show him the praises we owe him,
our service he ne’er can despise,
whose love still is able to show us that stable,
where softly in manger he lies.
Or Christ Child will lead us The Good Shepherd feed us,
And with us abide till his day.
Then hatred he’ll banish; Then sorrow will vanish,
And death and despair flee away.
And he shall reign ever, And nothing shall sever
From us the great love of our King;
His peace and his pity shall bless his fair city;
and praises we ever shall sing.
Then haste we to show him the praises we owe him,
our service he ne’er can despise,
whose love still is able to show us that stable,
where softly in manger he lies.
Nunc Dimittis
Now Lord you let your servant go in peace:
Your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Offertory Prayer
Church offertory is rarely a plate or a bag passed from person to person these days. It is more likely to be a much more invisible digital bank transfer set to some automatic schedule which is harder for us to notice. What we give to God through the life of our church has always been more than what’s in a bag or on a plate – it’s all of our acts of service in and through the life of this congregation. So let us give thanks for all of that.
Loving God, You give to us without counting the cost,
You give to us beyond human measure. Accept these and all our gifts to be used in your service each and every day. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Loving and Eternal God,
We give thanks for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came to dwell among us, bringing light and hope to our world. As we reflect on the story of Jesus in the temple, we are reminded of His wisdom, His sense of purpose, and His deep connection with You, even from a young age.
We pray today for all children and young people, that they may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favour with You and with others. May their homes and communities be places where they are nurtured and encouraged to explore their faith and discover the calling You have placed on their lives. We lift before You parents, guardians, and all who care for children, asking that You grant them the patience, love, and wisdom to guide them faithfully.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the Church, that it may be a place where all are welcome, where questions are embraced, and where the teachings of Jesus are lived out in our words and actions. Help us to be a community that supports one another in our journeys of faith, and that reaches out to those in need, reflecting the love and compassion of Christ in all we do.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are lost, confused, or searching for meaning in their lives. Just as Mary and Joseph searched anxiously for Jesus, we ask that You guide all who are seeking, that they may find their way to You. May we, as Your people, be ready to offer comfort, direction, and hope to those who are struggling.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember before You those who are in need today—those who are sick, lonely, grieving, or burdened by the challenges of life. (pause to add names and situations that rest heavy on YOUR heart) As we carry them in our hearts, we ask for Your healing presence to surround them. May they feel the peace that comes from knowing they are loved and held by You, even in the midst of their difficulties.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves, that like Jesus, we may grow in our understanding of Your will for our lives. As we stand at the threshold of a new year, help us to be attentive to Your voice, to seek Your wisdom in all that we do, and to be faithful in our calling as Your disciples.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We offer these prayers, those spoken formally out loud
and those whispered in the quietness of our hearts
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
Hymn Ring a Bell for Peace
Marian Collihole © 1972 Stainer and Bell OneLicence # A-734713 Played by Cheryl Jackson and sung by Crystal Schau of the Music Team of Transcona Memorial United Church.
Ring a bell for peace,for the babe born on this night,
ring a bell through the country and the town;
ring a bell for peace, come and see the wondrous light,
ring a bell, ring it merry up and down.
Blow a horn for joy, for the babe born in the hay,
blow a horn through the country and the town;
blow a horn for joy, come and hear what people say,
blow a horn, blow it merry up and down.
Play a flute for hope, for the babe now fast asleep,
play a flute through the country and the town;
play a flute for hope, see the shepherds leave their sheep,
play a flute, play it merry up and down.
Beat the drum for faith, for the babe beneath the star,
beat the drum through the country and the town;
beat the drum for faith, come and play both near and far,
beat the drum, beat it merry up and down.
Blessing
Loving God,
as we go out into your world,
may we know your presence with us
in all the pressures and potential of the coming week.
Help us to leave traces of grace
wherever we are and whatever we do. Amen.
--> Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of ONE LICENSE A-734713
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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URC Daily Devotion 29 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 29 December 2024
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29 December 2024
Psalm 62
In God alone is my soul at rest;
my help comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress; I stand firm.
How long will you all attack me
to break me down,
as though I were a tottering wall,
or a tumbling fence?
Their plan is only to destroy;
they take pleasure in lies.
With their mouth they utter blessing
but in their heart they curse.
In God alone be at rest, my soul;
for my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress; I stand firm.
In God is my safety and glory,
the rock of my strength.
Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him
for God is our refuge.
Common folk are only a breath,
the great are an illusion.
Placed in the scales, they rise;
they weigh less than a breath.
Do not put your trust in oppression
nor vain hopes on plunder.
Do not set your heart on riches
even when they increase.
For God has said only one thing;
only two do I know:
that to God alone belongs power
and to you, Lord, love;
and that you repay us all
according to his deeds.
Reflection
This psalm gives the sense that the psalmist was writing this at a time of crisis; something was causing them to dig deep for what was true in their life. Through their words they firmly planted their trust in God, defiantly telling those who would try to break that bond they would not succeed. There is hope, there is salvation, there is confidence that because of God, all will turn out right. However, there is also honesty; despite their firm hold of God, the psalmist found the experience hard.
As we teeter on the beginning of a new year, do these words of the psalmist chime with how we are feeling? We might not be going through a difficult time in our lives, but every new year comes with its uncertainties. Therefore, are the words of the psalmist some wisdom for us as we embark on another year of unknowns?
Whatever happens this coming year, the psalmist’s words not only encourage us to trust and rely on God, but they also urge us to speak honestly before God. If we need to lament, then we need to lament! We should not feel that we must dress our words up or suppress how we are feeling. (After all, God knows our hearts better than we do.) This is because if we truly trust God, then we must be fully open to God; our prayers need to be utterly honest. This is the only way we will, as the psalmist suggests, find rest in our souls with God.
Prayer
In you alone God, our souls find rest.
In our waiting on you, we find salvation:
from those times of trouble,
from those times of uncertainty,
from those times of unrest.
We pour out our hearts to you,
and trust in your unfailing love
through Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Dr Elaine Colechin, Minister, Bromley United Reformed Church Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Psalm 62
In God alone is my soul at rest;
my help comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress; I stand firm.
How long will you all attack me
to break me down,
as though I were a tottering wall,
or a tumbling fence?
Their plan is only to destroy;
they take pleasure in lies.
With their mouth they utter blessing
but in their heart they curse.
In God alone be at rest, my soul;
for my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock, my stronghold,
my fortress; I stand firm.
In God is my safety and glory,
the rock of my strength.
Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him
for God is our refuge.
Common folk are only a breath,
the great are an illusion.
Placed in the scales, they rise;
they weigh less than a breath.
Do not put your trust in oppression
nor vain hopes on plunder.
Do not set your heart on riches
even when they increase.
For God has said only one thing;
only two do I know:
that to God alone belongs power
and to you, Lord, love;
and that you repay us all
according to his deeds.
Reflection
This psalm gives the sense that the psalmist was writing this at a time of crisis; something was causing them to dig deep for what was true in their life. Through their words they firmly planted their trust in God, defiantly telling those who would try to break that bond they would not succeed. There is hope, there is salvation, there is confidence that because of God, all will turn out right. However, there is also honesty; despite their firm hold of God, the psalmist found the experience hard.
As we teeter on the beginning of a new year, do these words of the psalmist chime with how we are feeling? We might not be going through a difficult time in our lives, but every new year comes with its uncertainties. Therefore, are the words of the psalmist some wisdom for us as we embark on another year of unknowns?
Whatever happens this coming year, the psalmist’s words not only encourage us to trust and rely on God, but they also urge us to speak honestly before God. If we need to lament, then we need to lament! We should not feel that we must dress our words up or suppress how we are feeling. (After all, God knows our hearts better than we do.) This is because if we truly trust God, then we must be fully open to God; our prayers need to be utterly honest. This is the only way we will, as the psalmist suggests, find rest in our souls with God.
Prayer
In you alone God, our souls find rest.
In our waiting on you, we find salvation:
from those times of trouble,
from those times of uncertainty,
from those times of unrest.
We pour out our hearts to you,
and trust in your unfailing love
through Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Dr Elaine Colechin, Minister, Bromley United Reformed Church Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
Change Your Email Address
or
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URC Daily Devotion 28 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 28 December 2024
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28 December 2024
St Luke 2: 39 - 40
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
Reflection
There’s a moment near the end of the 2009 Star Trek “reboot” when the Starship Enterprise swoops in to save the day that always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The swell of the choir, the flash of the special effects, and the film reaches its dramatic conclusion.
Reboots have become big business for Hollywood. From director JJ Abrams’ Star Trek and Star Wars projects through to Daniel Craig’s James Bond origin stories, producers have enticed audiences into cinemas by resetting their storylines to offer fresh takes on familiar characters.
As Christians, we’re witnesses to perhaps the greatest “reboot” ever. Jesus died on the Cross to wash away our sins and rose from the grave to give us a “reboot”, a fresh start, an opportunity for a one-on-one relationship with God.
We access that reboot day-by-day in our personal prayers and week-by-week when we come to pray together as part of our worship. At the same time, we pray for help to forgive others for their sins against us, helping them to find that fresh start, that reboot.
Hogmanay is approaching. For many of us, it’s a time for reflection, often tinged with melancholy, as the dark evenings and long nights remind us of all we’ve lost and how we’ve failed.
Yet Hogmanay can also be a fresh start, a reboot, a new beginning. Even though it may simply be the turn of a page in the arbitrary way we measure time, the new year brings with it a new potential.
That potential leaps out from today’s passage in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus as a child is brimming with potential, growing and strengthening, gaining wisdom and favour from God.
Today’s passage mirrors Luke 1:80 as Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist, grows and becomes strong in strength and spirit as well. It’s a timely reminder of how we as followers of Jesus are brimming with potential too.
Prayer
God of the reboot,
thank you for your never-ending, overflowing, grace
which allows us to say sorry and to start again.
As we approach Hogmanay,
help us to grow in faith and in number.
Strengthen us for service; fill us with your wisdom.
And pour out your favour upon us,
so that we can love our neighbour and,
in doing so, love you more deeply.
In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
--> Today's writer Peter Ranscombe is a student at the Scottish College. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 2: 39 - 40
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
Reflection
There’s a moment near the end of the 2009 Star Trek “reboot” when the Starship Enterprise swoops in to save the day that always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The swell of the choir, the flash of the special effects, and the film reaches its dramatic conclusion.
Reboots have become big business for Hollywood. From director JJ Abrams’ Star Trek and Star Wars projects through to Daniel Craig’s James Bond origin stories, producers have enticed audiences into cinemas by resetting their storylines to offer fresh takes on familiar characters.
As Christians, we’re witnesses to perhaps the greatest “reboot” ever. Jesus died on the Cross to wash away our sins and rose from the grave to give us a “reboot”, a fresh start, an opportunity for a one-on-one relationship with God.
We access that reboot day-by-day in our personal prayers and week-by-week when we come to pray together as part of our worship. At the same time, we pray for help to forgive others for their sins against us, helping them to find that fresh start, that reboot.
Hogmanay is approaching. For many of us, it’s a time for reflection, often tinged with melancholy, as the dark evenings and long nights remind us of all we’ve lost and how we’ve failed.
Yet Hogmanay can also be a fresh start, a reboot, a new beginning. Even though it may simply be the turn of a page in the arbitrary way we measure time, the new year brings with it a new potential.
That potential leaps out from today’s passage in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus as a child is brimming with potential, growing and strengthening, gaining wisdom and favour from God.
Today’s passage mirrors Luke 1:80 as Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist, grows and becomes strong in strength and spirit as well. It’s a timely reminder of how we as followers of Jesus are brimming with potential too.
Prayer
God of the reboot,
thank you for your never-ending, overflowing, grace
which allows us to say sorry and to start again.
As we approach Hogmanay,
help us to grow in faith and in number.
Strengthen us for service; fill us with your wisdom.
And pour out your favour upon us,
so that we can love our neighbour and,
in doing so, love you more deeply.
In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
--> Today's writer Peter Ranscombe is a student at the Scottish College. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
Change Your Email Address
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URC Daily Devotion 27 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 27 December 2024
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27 December 2024
St Luke 2: 36 - 38
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Reflection
Today we would probably discourage anyone from dedicating every hour of every day to our local church. In these verses, however, we catch a glimpse of the Prophetess Anna who has dedicated her life, following the death of her husband, to prayer and fasting in the temple. According to Luke she is very old. She has spent years in this way. She has seen people come and go. She has probably blessed many. For those younger people visiting the temple, she might have seemed to be part of the ‘old regime.’
Anna encounters Jesus and his parents. In him she catches a glimpse of God and her hopes from the future. She blesses him. Despite her great age Anna is looking towards the future and God’s continuing work.
We spend our lives in a variety of ways. Some of us are prayer warriors. Many of us give ourselves to working for God in church and in community settings--in paid and volunteer roles. Some days we may be tempted to despair--for our world can feel very broken. When our church is closing, when wars continue to rage, when people can’t pay their bills, when crops fail and people are hungry, we may wonder where God is at work? How can the future be shaped by the love, justice and mercy embodied in Jesus?
If Anna had those fears at any point in her life, they were refocused in the hope and love she saw in Jesus, even as a wee one. As we have again welcomed the wee Jesus, we have caught a glimpse of love, justice and mercy embodied in him. Like Anna may we turn from the past and focus on the hope of the future found in him. In our daily lives may we find ways to look forward in faith and embody the love, justice and mercy found in Jesus.
Prayer
May we turn from idolising the past to watching for signs of God in the present.
May we give ourselves to God’s work, wherever we find ourselves.
May we, young and old, bless those we encounter.
May we give ourselves to creating a future which embodies the Kingdom of God. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Martha McInnes, Minister, Cardiff and Penarth Pastorate Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 2: 36 - 38
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Reflection
Today we would probably discourage anyone from dedicating every hour of every day to our local church. In these verses, however, we catch a glimpse of the Prophetess Anna who has dedicated her life, following the death of her husband, to prayer and fasting in the temple. According to Luke she is very old. She has spent years in this way. She has seen people come and go. She has probably blessed many. For those younger people visiting the temple, she might have seemed to be part of the ‘old regime.’
Anna encounters Jesus and his parents. In him she catches a glimpse of God and her hopes from the future. She blesses him. Despite her great age Anna is looking towards the future and God’s continuing work.
We spend our lives in a variety of ways. Some of us are prayer warriors. Many of us give ourselves to working for God in church and in community settings--in paid and volunteer roles. Some days we may be tempted to despair--for our world can feel very broken. When our church is closing, when wars continue to rage, when people can’t pay their bills, when crops fail and people are hungry, we may wonder where God is at work? How can the future be shaped by the love, justice and mercy embodied in Jesus?
If Anna had those fears at any point in her life, they were refocused in the hope and love she saw in Jesus, even as a wee one. As we have again welcomed the wee Jesus, we have caught a glimpse of love, justice and mercy embodied in him. Like Anna may we turn from the past and focus on the hope of the future found in him. In our daily lives may we find ways to look forward in faith and embody the love, justice and mercy found in Jesus.
Prayer
May we turn from idolising the past to watching for signs of God in the present.
May we give ourselves to God’s work, wherever we find ourselves.
May we, young and old, bless those we encounter.
May we give ourselves to creating a future which embodies the Kingdom of God. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Martha McInnes, Minister, Cardiff and Penarth Pastorate Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
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URC Daily Devotion 26 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 26 December 2024
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26 December 2024
St Luke 2: 21 - 35
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Reflection
Many of us harbour secrets, not just from others but from ourselves. When this is taken to excess, we are in danger of creating an inner darkness, which at its worst can make us feel fearful, isolated, and in need of healing, even though this isn’t how we want to live.
We may fear the light of exposure, but there’s a softer light, the “light for revelation” that Simeon spoke of. This light, brought by Jesus, brings peace, healing, and life. Simeon experienced this light when he held Jesus and spoke of seeing salvation. Others in the Bible also encountered this light, revealing their inner truths and leading them to transformation.
This light of revelation also shines on our hidden selves, revealing our deepest desires and fears. It invites us to open our hearts, face our inner darkness, and let go of secrets. This is how we can move towards wholeness and live authentically.
We may carry guilt, shame, or unfulfilled dreams within us. We may hide our true selves for fear of rejection, or because it seems too good to be true; but knowing our deepest desires is sacred. It's like Simeon's meeting with Jesus, where our old lives meet new life, and we encounter salvation.
What if today you brought your secret into the light for revelation? What might you see?
This gentle light will not betray or accuse you. Instead, it reveals love, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, compassion, healing, wholeness, acceptance, beauty, hope, and new life.
That’s what Simeon saw in the temple, and there’s no reason it cannot be what we see. This light, by revealing our innermost thoughts, leads us to a sacred meeting place within ourselves, where we encounter the transformative love and acceptance of Jesus.
Prayer
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Dr Michael Hopkins, Moderator of Wessex Synod Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 2: 21 - 35
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Reflection
Many of us harbour secrets, not just from others but from ourselves. When this is taken to excess, we are in danger of creating an inner darkness, which at its worst can make us feel fearful, isolated, and in need of healing, even though this isn’t how we want to live.
We may fear the light of exposure, but there’s a softer light, the “light for revelation” that Simeon spoke of. This light, brought by Jesus, brings peace, healing, and life. Simeon experienced this light when he held Jesus and spoke of seeing salvation. Others in the Bible also encountered this light, revealing their inner truths and leading them to transformation.
This light of revelation also shines on our hidden selves, revealing our deepest desires and fears. It invites us to open our hearts, face our inner darkness, and let go of secrets. This is how we can move towards wholeness and live authentically.
We may carry guilt, shame, or unfulfilled dreams within us. We may hide our true selves for fear of rejection, or because it seems too good to be true; but knowing our deepest desires is sacred. It's like Simeon's meeting with Jesus, where our old lives meet new life, and we encounter salvation.
What if today you brought your secret into the light for revelation? What might you see?
This gentle light will not betray or accuse you. Instead, it reveals love, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, compassion, healing, wholeness, acceptance, beauty, hope, and new life.
That’s what Simeon saw in the temple, and there’s no reason it cannot be what we see. This light, by revealing our innermost thoughts, leads us to a sacred meeting place within ourselves, where we encounter the transformative love and acceptance of Jesus.
Prayer
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Dr Michael Hopkins, Moderator of Wessex Synod Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Christmas Morning Service 2024
96
Christmas Morning Service 2024
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Worship Services from the URC
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Order of Service
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Christmas Morning 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young
Introduction
Happy Christmas! My name is Alex, I’m a pioneer minister in Cambridge City Centre, and I am recording today’s sermon from Downing Place URC, Cambridge, which is the church that I work out of. For me, Christmas is a time to celebrate love, generosity, and justice. It can also be a lonely and difficult day for many of us. Let’s take time this Christmas to pause and give thanks for all that we have, to reach out to each-other in mutual support, and to find solidarity in the cries of a newborn God, living in frightening times.
Scripture Sentences Psalm 96 & Call to Worship
O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We come to worship!
Soon the bells will start. We come to let our prayers ring out!
And the thing that'll make 'em ring is the carol that you sing.
We come to sing our praises! Right within your heart. We come to ponder, deep in our hearts.
Hymn O Come All Ye Faithful
Latin, 18th century, possibly by John Francis Wade (c.1711-1786) and others, the choir of King’s College, Cambridge.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God, begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
'Glory to God in the highest':
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given:
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness
So this is Christmas, and what have we done?
God we thank you for the year that is ending,
and for the one just beginning.
And so this is Christmas, we thank you for fun -
with near and with dear ones, with old and with young.
As we meet you in this space, we let go of fear,
we draw near to you, we wait for peace...
So this is Christmas and yet we still live in a world where the strong exploit the weak, where the rich ones snatch wealth from the poor ones,
where the words "War is over, if you want it, war is over now," ring with challenge, rather than peace.
God forgive us, God forgive us.
Christ child forgive us, Christ child forgive us.
Spirit of change, transform us, Spirit of change, transform us.
God's peace is not the easy peace, but Christ's gift to us is that peace is within grasp, as we hear that good news, we yearn to be part of the change we seek. Amen.
A Prayer for Illumination
God, you let go of majesty,
humbled yourself to draw near,
cried with the screams of the newborn,
reached out to wrap your tiny fists around our outstretched fingers.
Help us to let go, humble us, hear our cries, stretch our minds,
as we open the gifts of your Word, Amen.
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Hymn See in Yonder Manger Low
Edward Caswall (1814-1878) sung by the choir of Paisley Abbey
See! in yonder manger low,
born for us on earth below,
see! the tender Lamb appears
promised from eternal years.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Lo! within a manger lies
he who built the starry skies,
he who, throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Sacred Infant, all Divine,
what a tender love was thine,
thus to come from highest bliss
down to such a world as this!
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Reading St Luke 2:1-16
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "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." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
Sermon
At Christmas I often hear folks suggesting, in churches and in the media that there is a divide, or a competition, between secular and sacred, that is witnessed in the shopping and partying, the good food and gifts. But is there really a divide? Or are we stoking a culture war that doesn’t exist? The joy of giving, spending time with chosen family, volunteering to help those who are isolated, singing carols together - to me, Christmas is the one time at which vast numbers of folks join in sharing the Good News of love and the gap between secular and sacred - if such a gap exists - is at its most narrow. This year, I've been reflecting on the way in which Christmas songs reflect the Gospel message, the Good News that is ushered in in a simple home.
As Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters know:
“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that'll make 'em ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door”
Our own front door can, indeed, be a place of hope for the hopeless, and rest for the weary. Throughout the worst parts of the Covid19 crisis, many stood outside our own front doors sharing hope and joy with others, despite our necessary isolation. Despite the terror of war and oppression, many have opened those same doors to individuals and families fleeing Ukraine.
Jesus’s migrant parents, travelling from one region to another to fulfil the census ordered by an overly powerful ruler knocked on a door, far from home, only to be told that there was no room at the inn. This is often the message that migrants to our own shores receive, too. And yet, the innkeeper, thinking creatively, offers room at the manger. It’s not ideal, but it is honest: a real, individual human being sharing the little that he has so that new hope might be brought to birth in a troubled world.
As we celebrate that new hope, I wonder if we can help our leaders to think creatively, making room for hope to shine in the lives of all weary travellers, from all over the world.
Even more optimistic yet were Yoko Ono and John Lennon, writing:
So this is Christmas (War is over)
And what have we done? (If you want it)
Another year over (War is over)
And a new one just begun (Now)
And so Happy Christmas (War is over)
We hope you have fun (If you want it)
The near and the dear ones (War is over)
The old and the young (Now)
War is over, if you want it,
War is over now.
Do we want it? Of course we do. Ono and Lennon cleverly mix their idealistic claim that war is over now, with the narrative of a Christmas celebrated with family and friends. The onus, they suggest, is on us. Peace is possible, but it is neither easy nor simple. It is not without sacrifice. Peace wasn’t easy on that first Christmas day, either. Imagine being told that the hope of peace for the whole world rested on the tiny shoulders of the new born son for whom you laboured long in the straw and the mess… Christmas is about labouring for peace, rather than resting in it. And so, as we celebrate that labouring towards peace, I wonder if we can be people live out that call to peace, embodied in the Christ child, as we lighten the yoke of oppression for others.
Joni Mitchell does not share Lennon’s optimism about this special day, lamenting:
It's coming on Christmas they're cutting down trees,
they're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace.
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
In our reading from Isaiah, the prophet foretells a time at which we will have ‘joy as if at the harvest’. Christmas day is all about that joy of abundance – abundant presents, abundant food, abundant good company. But we live in a world of scarcity, where the greed of capitalism leads to immense piles of wasted food, where the idolatrous love of borders leads to a lack of folks to work together to harvest food, and where both the cost of living crisis and the fear of differences tear families apart and leave little to celebrate. It’s coming on Christmas, and it is time to stop cutting down trees. As you open your gifts today, enjoy them, savour them, and spare a thought for those who have less, or even nothing at all. Consider how you might live simply this year, skating towards a better future for all.
But, for now, let’s turn towards the joy of Christmas. Perhaps one of the most well-known, and, in my opinion, joyously annoying Christmas songs is brought to us by Mariah Carey. She tells us that:
I don't want a lot for Christmas there is just one thing I need.
I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know.
Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you.
The Gospels suggest that shepherds - ordinary, smelly night-workers with little power - were the first invited to meet Christ. And they celebrate by sharing that Good News with everyone that they know. Today is a day to meet Christ – to meet the love of God. Whether we spend today alone or with others, God is with us. Desperate to meet those shepherds, God sends a whole host of angels out to invite them to Christ’s side. God is so desperate to meet us, and to meet every person that we encounter, that they send us out to share our lives with each-other and with strangers near and far.
On witnessing God meeting with the shepherds, with these unlikely and yet cherished guests, Mary treasured their words, and pondered them in her heart. I wonder what would change if we treasured the words of everyone we met, if we really listened, if we really saw Christ in every stranger’s eyes. I wonder what you are pondering in your heart today.
The thing about that song, ‘all I want for Christmas is you’ is that, if that you is Christ, then it is all of us. We see Christ in each other. We love Christ by loving each other. This Christmas, let’s celebrate Christ, by celebrating each-other. This Christmas, and all through the coming year, I pray that we might encounter and share Christ’s love in ever new ways, with everyone we meet. May it be so. Amen.
Hymn Who Would Think That What Was Needed
John L. Bell (b.1949) and Graham Maule (b.1958) © WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH, Scotland. Sung by Northallerton Methodist Church and used with their kind permission.
Who would think that what was needed
to transform and save the earth
might not be a plan or army,
proud in purpose, proved in worth?
Who would think, despite derision,
that a child should lead the way?
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Shepherds watch and wise men wonder,
monarchs scorn and angels sing;
such a place as none would reckon
hosts a holy helpless thing.
Stable beasts and by-passed strangers
watch a baby laid in hay:
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Centuries of skill and science
span the past from which we move,
yet experience questions whether,
with such progress, we improve.
While the human lot we ponder,
lest our hopes and humour fray,
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Prayers of Intercessions
It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees.
They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace.
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on...
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in the trees starved of oxygen and the rivers full of plastic. Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in the tears of those who mourn and yearn, the hands of those with nothing to spare, the bodies of those who live and love expansively, and the scars of those we don't yet understand.
Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in each of us, in our flesh, in our thoughts, in our fears and hopes, and in our actions... Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
This Christmas, instead of skating away, may we skate towards a new world, where we, Christ's hands, save the earth, where we, Christ's feet, journey with the unloved, where we, Christ's people, join in Christ's work.
In Jesus's name we pray, Amen
Offertory
This is a season of giving. Let’s take a moment to commit our time, our talents, and our treasure to God’s work.
God, giver of good gifts, thankyou for the joy of giving. We commit our gifts to you, that they might be used to do your will. Amen.
Hymn Joy to the World
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) sung by Pentatonix
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!
let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of
his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Blessing
All I want for Christmas is you!
Go with love and laughter,
go with ponderings and words of love,
go with joy to live out peace,
and know that the blessing of God:
The blessing of the One in Three
who yearns, who births, and who is born,
is with you this Christmas. Amen.
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PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
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Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Christmas Morning 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Dr Alex Clare-Young
Introduction
Happy Christmas! My name is Alex, I’m a pioneer minister in Cambridge City Centre, and I am recording today’s sermon from Downing Place URC, Cambridge, which is the church that I work out of. For me, Christmas is a time to celebrate love, generosity, and justice. It can also be a lonely and difficult day for many of us. Let’s take time this Christmas to pause and give thanks for all that we have, to reach out to each-other in mutual support, and to find solidarity in the cries of a newborn God, living in frightening times.
Scripture Sentences Psalm 96 & Call to Worship
O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We come to worship!
Soon the bells will start. We come to let our prayers ring out!
And the thing that'll make 'em ring is the carol that you sing.
We come to sing our praises! Right within your heart. We come to ponder, deep in our hearts.
Hymn O Come All Ye Faithful
Latin, 18th century, possibly by John Francis Wade (c.1711-1786) and others, the choir of King’s College, Cambridge.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God, begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
'Glory to God in the highest':
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given:
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness
So this is Christmas, and what have we done?
God we thank you for the year that is ending,
and for the one just beginning.
And so this is Christmas, we thank you for fun -
with near and with dear ones, with old and with young.
As we meet you in this space, we let go of fear,
we draw near to you, we wait for peace...
So this is Christmas and yet we still live in a world where the strong exploit the weak, where the rich ones snatch wealth from the poor ones,
where the words "War is over, if you want it, war is over now," ring with challenge, rather than peace.
God forgive us, God forgive us.
Christ child forgive us, Christ child forgive us.
Spirit of change, transform us, Spirit of change, transform us.
God's peace is not the easy peace, but Christ's gift to us is that peace is within grasp, as we hear that good news, we yearn to be part of the change we seek. Amen.
A Prayer for Illumination
God, you let go of majesty,
humbled yourself to draw near,
cried with the screams of the newborn,
reached out to wrap your tiny fists around our outstretched fingers.
Help us to let go, humble us, hear our cries, stretch our minds,
as we open the gifts of your Word, Amen.
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Hymn See in Yonder Manger Low
Edward Caswall (1814-1878) sung by the choir of Paisley Abbey
See! in yonder manger low,
born for us on earth below,
see! the tender Lamb appears
promised from eternal years.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Lo! within a manger lies
he who built the starry skies,
he who, throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim.
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Sacred Infant, all Divine,
what a tender love was thine,
thus to come from highest bliss
down to such a world as this!
Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption's happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'
Reading St Luke 2:1-16
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "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." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
Sermon
At Christmas I often hear folks suggesting, in churches and in the media that there is a divide, or a competition, between secular and sacred, that is witnessed in the shopping and partying, the good food and gifts. But is there really a divide? Or are we stoking a culture war that doesn’t exist? The joy of giving, spending time with chosen family, volunteering to help those who are isolated, singing carols together - to me, Christmas is the one time at which vast numbers of folks join in sharing the Good News of love and the gap between secular and sacred - if such a gap exists - is at its most narrow. This year, I've been reflecting on the way in which Christmas songs reflect the Gospel message, the Good News that is ushered in in a simple home.
As Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters know:
“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the bells will start
And the thing that'll make 'em ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door”
Our own front door can, indeed, be a place of hope for the hopeless, and rest for the weary. Throughout the worst parts of the Covid19 crisis, many stood outside our own front doors sharing hope and joy with others, despite our necessary isolation. Despite the terror of war and oppression, many have opened those same doors to individuals and families fleeing Ukraine.
Jesus’s migrant parents, travelling from one region to another to fulfil the census ordered by an overly powerful ruler knocked on a door, far from home, only to be told that there was no room at the inn. This is often the message that migrants to our own shores receive, too. And yet, the innkeeper, thinking creatively, offers room at the manger. It’s not ideal, but it is honest: a real, individual human being sharing the little that he has so that new hope might be brought to birth in a troubled world.
As we celebrate that new hope, I wonder if we can help our leaders to think creatively, making room for hope to shine in the lives of all weary travellers, from all over the world.
Even more optimistic yet were Yoko Ono and John Lennon, writing:
So this is Christmas (War is over)
And what have we done? (If you want it)
Another year over (War is over)
And a new one just begun (Now)
And so Happy Christmas (War is over)
We hope you have fun (If you want it)
The near and the dear ones (War is over)
The old and the young (Now)
War is over, if you want it,
War is over now.
Do we want it? Of course we do. Ono and Lennon cleverly mix their idealistic claim that war is over now, with the narrative of a Christmas celebrated with family and friends. The onus, they suggest, is on us. Peace is possible, but it is neither easy nor simple. It is not without sacrifice. Peace wasn’t easy on that first Christmas day, either. Imagine being told that the hope of peace for the whole world rested on the tiny shoulders of the new born son for whom you laboured long in the straw and the mess… Christmas is about labouring for peace, rather than resting in it. And so, as we celebrate that labouring towards peace, I wonder if we can be people live out that call to peace, embodied in the Christ child, as we lighten the yoke of oppression for others.
Joni Mitchell does not share Lennon’s optimism about this special day, lamenting:
It's coming on Christmas they're cutting down trees,
they're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace.
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
In our reading from Isaiah, the prophet foretells a time at which we will have ‘joy as if at the harvest’. Christmas day is all about that joy of abundance – abundant presents, abundant food, abundant good company. But we live in a world of scarcity, where the greed of capitalism leads to immense piles of wasted food, where the idolatrous love of borders leads to a lack of folks to work together to harvest food, and where both the cost of living crisis and the fear of differences tear families apart and leave little to celebrate. It’s coming on Christmas, and it is time to stop cutting down trees. As you open your gifts today, enjoy them, savour them, and spare a thought for those who have less, or even nothing at all. Consider how you might live simply this year, skating towards a better future for all.
But, for now, let’s turn towards the joy of Christmas. Perhaps one of the most well-known, and, in my opinion, joyously annoying Christmas songs is brought to us by Mariah Carey. She tells us that:
I don't want a lot for Christmas there is just one thing I need.
I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know.
Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you.
The Gospels suggest that shepherds - ordinary, smelly night-workers with little power - were the first invited to meet Christ. And they celebrate by sharing that Good News with everyone that they know. Today is a day to meet Christ – to meet the love of God. Whether we spend today alone or with others, God is with us. Desperate to meet those shepherds, God sends a whole host of angels out to invite them to Christ’s side. God is so desperate to meet us, and to meet every person that we encounter, that they send us out to share our lives with each-other and with strangers near and far.
On witnessing God meeting with the shepherds, with these unlikely and yet cherished guests, Mary treasured their words, and pondered them in her heart. I wonder what would change if we treasured the words of everyone we met, if we really listened, if we really saw Christ in every stranger’s eyes. I wonder what you are pondering in your heart today.
The thing about that song, ‘all I want for Christmas is you’ is that, if that you is Christ, then it is all of us. We see Christ in each other. We love Christ by loving each other. This Christmas, let’s celebrate Christ, by celebrating each-other. This Christmas, and all through the coming year, I pray that we might encounter and share Christ’s love in ever new ways, with everyone we meet. May it be so. Amen.
Hymn Who Would Think That What Was Needed
John L. Bell (b.1949) and Graham Maule (b.1958) © WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH, Scotland. Sung by Northallerton Methodist Church and used with their kind permission.
Who would think that what was needed
to transform and save the earth
might not be a plan or army,
proud in purpose, proved in worth?
Who would think, despite derision,
that a child should lead the way?
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Shepherds watch and wise men wonder,
monarchs scorn and angels sing;
such a place as none would reckon
hosts a holy helpless thing.
Stable beasts and by-passed strangers
watch a baby laid in hay:
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Centuries of skill and science
span the past from which we move,
yet experience questions whether,
with such progress, we improve.
While the human lot we ponder,
lest our hopes and humour fray,
God surprises earth with heaven,
coming here on Christmas Day.
Prayers of Intercessions
It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees.
They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace.
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on...
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in the trees starved of oxygen and the rivers full of plastic. Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in the tears of those who mourn and yearn, the hands of those with nothing to spare, the bodies of those who live and love expansively, and the scars of those we don't yet understand.
Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
God, sometimes the outstretched arms of the world make us simply want to skate away, and yet, you are in each of us, in our flesh, in our thoughts, in our fears and hopes, and in our actions... Our gift to you is love, Your gift to us is grace. Hear our prayers. Hear our prayers.
This Christmas, instead of skating away, may we skate towards a new world, where we, Christ's hands, save the earth, where we, Christ's feet, journey with the unloved, where we, Christ's people, join in Christ's work.
In Jesus's name we pray, Amen
Offertory
This is a season of giving. Let’s take a moment to commit our time, our talents, and our treasure to God’s work.
God, giver of good gifts, thankyou for the joy of giving. We commit our gifts to you, that they might be used to do your will. Amen.
Hymn Joy to the World
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) sung by Pentatonix
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!
let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of
his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Blessing
All I want for Christmas is you!
Go with love and laughter,
go with ponderings and words of love,
go with joy to live out peace,
and know that the blessing of God:
The blessing of the One in Three
who yearns, who births, and who is born,
is with you this Christmas. Amen.
--> Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of ONE LICENSE A-734713
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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URC Daily Devotion 25 December 2024 Christmas Day
96
URC Daily Devotion 25 December 2024 Christmas Day
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25 December 2024
Christmas Day
St Luke 2: 8 - 20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Reflection
This story will be read, or have been read, many times and in many places during the Christmas season. But I wonder how many of us take the trouble to stop and read it carefully and, above all, try to understand what it’s saying to us today?
The events happened in fields near Bethlehem, where the sheep sold in the Temple as sacrifices were kept throughout the year. The shepherds watched their flocks to protect them from thieves and natural predators so none of this part is extraordinary.
Going further on, the message is made personal to the shepherds with the words, “to you.” This personalization is important because shepherds were considered ritually unclean because they were out in the fields and away from home, they could not keep the “Traditions of the Elders” related to ceremonial washing, etc. which made the religious people shun them.
However, God did not. He sent angels to them to proclaim the Messiah’s birth, to show that the Messiah was sent to all people, not just to the rich and the good.
They are told how they can test this pronouncement to know that it is true. They will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, quite usual for this time, but this one would be lying in a manger, a feeding trough. That would certainly be very unusual.
They did as the angels had instructed and hurried off, finding Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Odd as it may seem, the sign confirmed the news from the angels!
Wherever we are as we celebrate the birth of Jesus today, we mustn’t forget that it was the angels who gave the announcement of the birth but more importantly it was given to the lowest of society. The ritually unclean were given the most important of messages which confirms that whatever our status, wherever we are from we are welcomed and loved by God.
Christmas Blessings to you all
Prayer
Loving God, may
the worship we have shared lead to acts of service;
the carols we have sung help others to sing;
the candles we have lit, remind us no one should live in darkness.
the gathering of families and friends be good news of great joy to us;.
the ways you have come close to us not be forgotten
but remain hidden in our memories. Amen
--> Today's writer Sue Knight - Local Church Leader Reigate Park Church and Ordinand at Westminster College Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Christmas Day
St Luke 2: 8 - 20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Reflection
This story will be read, or have been read, many times and in many places during the Christmas season. But I wonder how many of us take the trouble to stop and read it carefully and, above all, try to understand what it’s saying to us today?
The events happened in fields near Bethlehem, where the sheep sold in the Temple as sacrifices were kept throughout the year. The shepherds watched their flocks to protect them from thieves and natural predators so none of this part is extraordinary.
Going further on, the message is made personal to the shepherds with the words, “to you.” This personalization is important because shepherds were considered ritually unclean because they were out in the fields and away from home, they could not keep the “Traditions of the Elders” related to ceremonial washing, etc. which made the religious people shun them.
However, God did not. He sent angels to them to proclaim the Messiah’s birth, to show that the Messiah was sent to all people, not just to the rich and the good.
They are told how they can test this pronouncement to know that it is true. They will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, quite usual for this time, but this one would be lying in a manger, a feeding trough. That would certainly be very unusual.
They did as the angels had instructed and hurried off, finding Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Odd as it may seem, the sign confirmed the news from the angels!
Wherever we are as we celebrate the birth of Jesus today, we mustn’t forget that it was the angels who gave the announcement of the birth but more importantly it was given to the lowest of society. The ritually unclean were given the most important of messages which confirms that whatever our status, wherever we are from we are welcomed and loved by God.
Christmas Blessings to you all
Prayer
Loving God, may
the worship we have shared lead to acts of service;
the carols we have sung help others to sing;
the candles we have lit, remind us no one should live in darkness.
the gathering of families and friends be good news of great joy to us;.
the ways you have come close to us not be forgotten
but remain hidden in our memories. Amen
--> Today's writer Sue Knight - Local Church Leader Reigate Park Church and Ordinand at Westminster College Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Midnight Communion Service 24 December 2024
96
Midnight Communion Service 24 December 2024
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Worship Services from the URC
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Order of Service
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Christmas Eve
Midnight Communion Service 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
Welcome
Good evening and welcome to worship on this most holiest of nights when, with Christians around the world we gather in the dark to welcome the light. We listen again, in music and words, to the story of God becoming one with us. My name is Andy Braunston and I’m leading worship from the Peedie Kirk United Reformed Church in Orkney – a place that experiences depths of darkness in the winter and days of near endless sunlight in the Summer. So, I bid you welcome as, once again, we welcome the Light of the World.
Call To Worship
One: Come and hear the news the angels bring!
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come, leave your sadness and listen to the angels’ news
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come, out of darkness & into light & listen to the angels’ news:
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come and worship!
Hymn On Christmas Night All Christians Sing
English traditional after Luke Wadding (d.1686) BBC Songs of Praise
On Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
on Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King's birth.
Then why should we on earth be so sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
then why should we on earth be so sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin he set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?
When sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
heaven and earth with joy may sing,
all for to see the new-born King.
All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
‘Glory to God, on earth be peace,
goodwill to all shall never cease.’
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness
In the darkness of this night, Eternal One, You bathe us in light.
In the shadows of these long days, O Most High, Your light shines on us.
In the midst of gloom and despair, O Emmanuel, You increase our joy.
O God, You free us from all that oppresses and drags us down,
but we prefer the darkness of sin, to the light of love.
You send us the Prince of Peace, but we prefer wars and rumours of war.
You send us a Wonderful Counsellor,
but we prefer listening to whispering shadows.
Forgive us, good God, and give us time to change,
time to turn towards You, time to work for justice, and time to heal. Amen.
Hear the words of the angels: 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. Accept the salvation offered to you, live in freedom and work for change. Amen.
Prayer for Illumination
Lighten our darkness, we beseech You, O God; and by Your great mercy, break open Your word to us as it is read, proclaimed, and understood,
for the love of Your only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Hymn It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810-1876) (alt.) performed by Geraldine Latty & Carey Luce Engage Worship used with their kind permission.
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold:
Through all the earth, goodwill and peace from heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.
With sorrow brought by sin & strife the world has suffered long;
and, since the angels sang, have passed two thousand years of wrong;
the nations, still at war, hear not the love-song which they bring;
O, hush the noise & cease the strife to hear the angels sing.
And those whose journey now is hard whose hope is burning low,
who tread the rocky path of life with painful steps and slow,
O listen to the news of love which makes the heavens ring!
And rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing!
And still the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
towards the fulness of the time, when comes the age foretold:
then earth and heaven renewed shall see, the prince of peace, their king;
and all the world repeat the song which now the angels sing.
Reading St Luke 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "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." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!"
Hymn While Shepherds Watched
Nahum Tate c1700 sung by unknown performer on the aMiscellany YouTube channel.
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.
'Fear not,' said he for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind
'glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all your kind.
'To you, in David's town, this day is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; and this shall be the sign:
'The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swaddling clothes and in a manger laid.'
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song:
'All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to earth, begin and never cease.
Sermon
These are difficult times really. We live in an age of economic and political instability where wars and rumours of wars abound. Inflation attacks our savings; wages, pensions and benefits aren’t increasing enough to keep up and, whilst the fuel crisis has been delayed, it is still a real threat. Mr Putin has broken about every law going and Ukraine aches under the burden of invasion, war and terror. The poor and downtrodden flee war, persecution and violence yet rich countries close their borders. These are dark times indeed.
Our readings also reflect dark times – appropriate for worship in the dark closest to the longest night. Isaiah’s prophecy comes at a time when the northern kingdom of Israel was being ground down by Assyria, where invasion, battle, and terror were every day events where, like Ukraine now, the nation was threatened with extinction. In the midst of the gloom of the age the prophet points to hope - a great light will dawn on a nation that’s lived in darkness, joy will be increased – joy great than when soldiers divide plunder. Oppression will be lifted, uniforms will be burned and the nation was to find peace in a new born baby – a baby who would be wise, have the authority of the Most High and who would be a prince of peace. Isaiah’s words were grounded in the political and economic realities of his time.
The famous passage from St Luke telling of the angels appearing to poor shepherds out on the hills is also grounded in the realities of the time. The Roman overlords wanted everyone counted – why? Almost certainly to know who to tax. Not only did the Romans rule Israel but they wanted the Jews to pay for the invasion and occupation through harsh taxes. Luke grounds his story in the reign of the Emperor Augustus and during the governorship of Quirinius. We read this story every year and give these details little thought – but Luke makes it clear that Jesus was born in a nation under occupation and brutal military rule. No thought given to how poor people could comply with the census; Mary struggled to find somewhere to give birth with dignity and safety. The first people told of this great event weren’t the rich and powerful but poor, outcast shepherds. Jesus was born in the night during the darkness of an occupied, downtrodden, poor country where world politics and imperial intrigue were played out.
In the darkness of invasion, war, and a precarious national existence, Isaiah offered hope, hope in the birth of a child who would bathe the people in light, deliver them from oppression, and bring peace.
In the darkness of occupation, poverty, and national obliteration Luke has angels come to sing of Christ’s birth – good news to the poor and the outsiders, good news for those on the edge. Good news for us too.
In our dark times God gives us hope.
We long for change now, not through revolution but through Jesus’ same radical love being used to change our world. Jesus’ wisdom helps undermine the empires of our day: the economic Leviathans which privilege the rich and powerful; the ethical systems which say truth is relative, and the social powers which divide us in order to rule.
Instead, that wonderful counsellor calls us to see the world as it really is.
Instead, that Prince of Peace calls us to love our enemies with a radical, truth telling, assertive love which calls out crime and oppression.
Instead, that child whom Isaiah named as everlasting Father, calls us to recognise our interconnectedness and mutual responsibilities as people related to each other in the human family.
In these dark times we are given light; light to see the way, light to challenge what goes on in the dark, and light to bring life to others.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we see you laid to rest on Mary’s lap,
sleeping under the gaze of animal and angel,
of anxious parents and excited shepherds.
Lord Jesus, on your lap are lain all wreaths of empire,
in you the poor find their wealth, the oppressed find their freedom,
and the powerful find judgement.
Lord Jesus, plead for us now,
as your light breaks into our darkness,
that we may share your love and life in the gloom of our world. Amen.
Hymn What Child is This?
W Chatterton Dix 1865 sung by the Sunday 7pm Choir of St. Francis de Sales Church in Ajax, Ontario, Canada and used with their kind permission.
What Child is this who laid to rest
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son, of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian fear: for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come Peasant, King, to own Him
The King of Kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Intercessions
In the darkness of this night, O God, we come to your light, bringing the gloom of our world before you.
We remember before you
those who worship in secret this night, for fear of the authorities…
those who sleep on the streets this night….
those who work this night…
those who are in pain this night…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We remember before you
those who lead, or aspire to lead, our nations…
those who worry about paying their bills this winter…
those living in war torn lands…
those looking for light in the dark…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We remember before you, in silence, those we know in any kind of need…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We join our prayers together as we pray, with Jesus…
Our Father...
Holy Communion
Jesus, we praise You and give You thanks,
because you emptied Yourself of power,
and became foolishness for our sake;
for we celebrate the night when
You were delivered as one of us, a baby needy and naked,
wrapped in a woman's blood, born into poverty and exile,
to proclaim good news to the poor, and to let the broken victims go free.
We remember the night when, gathered with your friends
You took bread and having blessed it, broke it and said:
"Take this all of you and eat it, for this is my body which will be broken for you, do this in memory of me"
In the same way when the Supper was finished,
you took the cup filled with wine, blessed it and said:
"Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant, which will be shed for you. Do this in memory of me."
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith......
Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!
Come now dearest Spirit of our God,
embrace us with Your comfortable power,
brood over these bodily things and make us one body in Christ,
as we eat this bread and wine, His body and blood.
As Mary's body was broken for him, and her blood shed,
so may we show forth His brokenness for the life of the world
and may creation be made whole through the new birth in His blood.
Therefore, with the woman who gave You birth,
with the women who befriended You and fed you,
the woman who anointed You for death,
the women who met You risen from the tomb,
and with all Your lovers, women and men,
throughout the ages, we praise You as we realise that:
Through You, with You, in You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all glory and honour is Yours, almighty Creator, for ever and ever, Amen.
Music During Communion The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and others BBC Songs of Praise
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!'
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies,
with the angelic hosts proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem'.
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail, the Incarnate Deity,
pleased as a man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
born to raise the folk of earth, born to give us second birth:
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Blessing
May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary
and the peace of the Christ-child
be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen. --> Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of ONE LICENSE A-734713
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
update your preferences
or
unsubscribe from this list.
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Christmas Eve
Midnight Communion Service 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
Welcome
Good evening and welcome to worship on this most holiest of nights when, with Christians around the world we gather in the dark to welcome the light. We listen again, in music and words, to the story of God becoming one with us. My name is Andy Braunston and I’m leading worship from the Peedie Kirk United Reformed Church in Orkney – a place that experiences depths of darkness in the winter and days of near endless sunlight in the Summer. So, I bid you welcome as, once again, we welcome the Light of the World.
Call To Worship
One: Come and hear the news the angels bring!
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come, leave your sadness and listen to the angels’ news
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come, out of darkness & into light & listen to the angels’ news:
Many: News of great joy and mirth!
One: Come and worship!
Hymn On Christmas Night All Christians Sing
English traditional after Luke Wadding (d.1686) BBC Songs of Praise
On Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
on Christmas night all Christians sing,
to hear the news the angels bring,
news of great joy, news of great mirth,
news of our merciful King's birth.
Then why should we on earth be so sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
then why should we on earth be so sad,
since our Redeemer made us glad,
when from our sin he set us free,
all for to gain our liberty?
When sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before his grace,
then life and health come in its place;
heaven and earth with joy may sing,
all for to see the new-born King.
All out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night:
all out of darkness we have light,
which made the angels sing this night;
‘Glory to God, on earth be peace,
goodwill to all shall never cease.’
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Forgiveness
In the darkness of this night, Eternal One, You bathe us in light.
In the shadows of these long days, O Most High, Your light shines on us.
In the midst of gloom and despair, O Emmanuel, You increase our joy.
O God, You free us from all that oppresses and drags us down,
but we prefer the darkness of sin, to the light of love.
You send us the Prince of Peace, but we prefer wars and rumours of war.
You send us a Wonderful Counsellor,
but we prefer listening to whispering shadows.
Forgive us, good God, and give us time to change,
time to turn towards You, time to work for justice, and time to heal. Amen.
Hear the words of the angels: 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. Accept the salvation offered to you, live in freedom and work for change. Amen.
Prayer for Illumination
Lighten our darkness, we beseech You, O God; and by Your great mercy, break open Your word to us as it is read, proclaimed, and understood,
for the love of Your only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Reading Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Hymn It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810-1876) (alt.) performed by Geraldine Latty & Carey Luce Engage Worship used with their kind permission.
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold:
Through all the earth, goodwill and peace from heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.
With sorrow brought by sin & strife the world has suffered long;
and, since the angels sang, have passed two thousand years of wrong;
the nations, still at war, hear not the love-song which they bring;
O, hush the noise & cease the strife to hear the angels sing.
And those whose journey now is hard whose hope is burning low,
who tread the rocky path of life with painful steps and slow,
O listen to the news of love which makes the heavens ring!
And rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing!
And still the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
towards the fulness of the time, when comes the age foretold:
then earth and heaven renewed shall see, the prince of peace, their king;
and all the world repeat the song which now the angels sing.
Reading St Luke 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "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." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!"
Hymn While Shepherds Watched
Nahum Tate c1700 sung by unknown performer on the aMiscellany YouTube channel.
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.
'Fear not,' said he for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind
'glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all your kind.
'To you, in David's town, this day is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; and this shall be the sign:
'The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swaddling clothes and in a manger laid.'
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song:
'All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to earth, begin and never cease.
Sermon
These are difficult times really. We live in an age of economic and political instability where wars and rumours of wars abound. Inflation attacks our savings; wages, pensions and benefits aren’t increasing enough to keep up and, whilst the fuel crisis has been delayed, it is still a real threat. Mr Putin has broken about every law going and Ukraine aches under the burden of invasion, war and terror. The poor and downtrodden flee war, persecution and violence yet rich countries close their borders. These are dark times indeed.
Our readings also reflect dark times – appropriate for worship in the dark closest to the longest night. Isaiah’s prophecy comes at a time when the northern kingdom of Israel was being ground down by Assyria, where invasion, battle, and terror were every day events where, like Ukraine now, the nation was threatened with extinction. In the midst of the gloom of the age the prophet points to hope - a great light will dawn on a nation that’s lived in darkness, joy will be increased – joy great than when soldiers divide plunder. Oppression will be lifted, uniforms will be burned and the nation was to find peace in a new born baby – a baby who would be wise, have the authority of the Most High and who would be a prince of peace. Isaiah’s words were grounded in the political and economic realities of his time.
The famous passage from St Luke telling of the angels appearing to poor shepherds out on the hills is also grounded in the realities of the time. The Roman overlords wanted everyone counted – why? Almost certainly to know who to tax. Not only did the Romans rule Israel but they wanted the Jews to pay for the invasion and occupation through harsh taxes. Luke grounds his story in the reign of the Emperor Augustus and during the governorship of Quirinius. We read this story every year and give these details little thought – but Luke makes it clear that Jesus was born in a nation under occupation and brutal military rule. No thought given to how poor people could comply with the census; Mary struggled to find somewhere to give birth with dignity and safety. The first people told of this great event weren’t the rich and powerful but poor, outcast shepherds. Jesus was born in the night during the darkness of an occupied, downtrodden, poor country where world politics and imperial intrigue were played out.
In the darkness of invasion, war, and a precarious national existence, Isaiah offered hope, hope in the birth of a child who would bathe the people in light, deliver them from oppression, and bring peace.
In the darkness of occupation, poverty, and national obliteration Luke has angels come to sing of Christ’s birth – good news to the poor and the outsiders, good news for those on the edge. Good news for us too.
In our dark times God gives us hope.
- Hope that evil and warfare won’t have the last word.
- Hope that the prince of peace will inspire us to change our ways.
- Hope that perpetrators of war crimes will face justice.
- Hope that the poor won’t always be with us.
- Hope that fairer policies and politics, economics and ethics will come.
We long for change now, not through revolution but through Jesus’ same radical love being used to change our world. Jesus’ wisdom helps undermine the empires of our day: the economic Leviathans which privilege the rich and powerful; the ethical systems which say truth is relative, and the social powers which divide us in order to rule.
Instead, that wonderful counsellor calls us to see the world as it really is.
Instead, that Prince of Peace calls us to love our enemies with a radical, truth telling, assertive love which calls out crime and oppression.
Instead, that child whom Isaiah named as everlasting Father, calls us to recognise our interconnectedness and mutual responsibilities as people related to each other in the human family.
In these dark times we are given light; light to see the way, light to challenge what goes on in the dark, and light to bring life to others.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we see you laid to rest on Mary’s lap,
sleeping under the gaze of animal and angel,
of anxious parents and excited shepherds.
Lord Jesus, on your lap are lain all wreaths of empire,
in you the poor find their wealth, the oppressed find their freedom,
and the powerful find judgement.
Lord Jesus, plead for us now,
as your light breaks into our darkness,
that we may share your love and life in the gloom of our world. Amen.
Hymn What Child is This?
W Chatterton Dix 1865 sung by the Sunday 7pm Choir of St. Francis de Sales Church in Ajax, Ontario, Canada and used with their kind permission.
What Child is this who laid to rest
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son, of Mary.
Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian fear: for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come Peasant, King, to own Him
The King of Kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Intercessions
In the darkness of this night, O God, we come to your light, bringing the gloom of our world before you.
We remember before you
those who worship in secret this night, for fear of the authorities…
those who sleep on the streets this night….
those who work this night…
those who are in pain this night…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We remember before you
those who lead, or aspire to lead, our nations…
those who worry about paying their bills this winter…
those living in war torn lands…
those looking for light in the dark…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We remember before you, in silence, those we know in any kind of need…
that the hope you bring will permeate their lives.
We join our prayers together as we pray, with Jesus…
Our Father...
Holy Communion
Jesus, we praise You and give You thanks,
because you emptied Yourself of power,
and became foolishness for our sake;
for we celebrate the night when
You were delivered as one of us, a baby needy and naked,
wrapped in a woman's blood, born into poverty and exile,
to proclaim good news to the poor, and to let the broken victims go free.
We remember the night when, gathered with your friends
You took bread and having blessed it, broke it and said:
"Take this all of you and eat it, for this is my body which will be broken for you, do this in memory of me"
In the same way when the Supper was finished,
you took the cup filled with wine, blessed it and said:
"Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant, which will be shed for you. Do this in memory of me."
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith......
Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!
Come now dearest Spirit of our God,
embrace us with Your comfortable power,
brood over these bodily things and make us one body in Christ,
as we eat this bread and wine, His body and blood.
As Mary's body was broken for him, and her blood shed,
so may we show forth His brokenness for the life of the world
and may creation be made whole through the new birth in His blood.
Therefore, with the woman who gave You birth,
with the women who befriended You and fed you,
the woman who anointed You for death,
the women who met You risen from the tomb,
and with all Your lovers, women and men,
throughout the ages, we praise You as we realise that:
Through You, with You, in You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all glory and honour is Yours, almighty Creator, for ever and ever, Amen.
Music During Communion The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and others BBC Songs of Praise
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!'
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies,
with the angelic hosts proclaim, 'Christ is born in Bethlehem'.
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail, the Incarnate Deity,
pleased as a man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
born to raise the folk of earth, born to give us second birth:
Hark! the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born King'.
Blessing
May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary
and the peace of the Christ-child
be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen. --> Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of ONE LICENSE A-734713
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
update your preferences
or
unsubscribe from this list.
URC Daily Devotion 24 December 2024 Christmas Eve
96
URC Daily Devotion 24 December 2024 Christmas Eve
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24 December 2024
Christmas Eve
St Luke 2: 1 - 7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Reflection
‘For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold’
We may be ‘hastening’ towards Christmas Day - see yesterday’s DD and Edmund Sears’ carol above - but in this oh so familiar pivotal Christmas reading only verse 7 is actually about the birth, the rest is what chefs call ‘mis en place’. All the ingredients are found and all the utensils are collected together ready to prepare the dish. Luke gives readers precise locations, personae and rationale for the family being in Bethlehem at that moment in time. All the elements are in place and the story can then unfold. After all, there is a bun in the oven!
It’s as if Luke is saying - pay attention everyone, this is not a fable nor an invention, this is the public record, these are verifiable facts, this is traceable and TRUE. It does also have to do with the ‘prophet bards’ and the Golden Age being both immanent and present. Over the circling years it takes on different nuances speaking to our particular situations and our own circumstances but the basic fact remains that God chose a certain time and place to be born and today we get to mark it as the miracle of grace it is for us all.
In the whirl of Christmas preparations at church, at home, in the bombardment of media and entertainment let’s try and remember the truths of tonight and tomorrow. Let’s not beat ourselves up about how we celebrate. What better occasion could there be to pull out all the stops joyfully or pare things down quietly - whatever our way may be - but Luke reminds us that it’s about Emmanuel - God With Us - both then and now. And isn’t that the best gift of all time?
Truly.
Prayer
And is it true? And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me ?
And is it true? For if it is,
No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare –
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.
Sir John Betjeman (1906-84)
--> Today's writer The Revd Carole Elphick Retired Minister worshipping at Muswell Hill URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Christmas Eve
St Luke 2: 1 - 7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Reflection
‘For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold’
We may be ‘hastening’ towards Christmas Day - see yesterday’s DD and Edmund Sears’ carol above - but in this oh so familiar pivotal Christmas reading only verse 7 is actually about the birth, the rest is what chefs call ‘mis en place’. All the ingredients are found and all the utensils are collected together ready to prepare the dish. Luke gives readers precise locations, personae and rationale for the family being in Bethlehem at that moment in time. All the elements are in place and the story can then unfold. After all, there is a bun in the oven!
It’s as if Luke is saying - pay attention everyone, this is not a fable nor an invention, this is the public record, these are verifiable facts, this is traceable and TRUE. It does also have to do with the ‘prophet bards’ and the Golden Age being both immanent and present. Over the circling years it takes on different nuances speaking to our particular situations and our own circumstances but the basic fact remains that God chose a certain time and place to be born and today we get to mark it as the miracle of grace it is for us all.
In the whirl of Christmas preparations at church, at home, in the bombardment of media and entertainment let’s try and remember the truths of tonight and tomorrow. Let’s not beat ourselves up about how we celebrate. What better occasion could there be to pull out all the stops joyfully or pare things down quietly - whatever our way may be - but Luke reminds us that it’s about Emmanuel - God With Us - both then and now. And isn’t that the best gift of all time?
Truly.
Prayer
And is it true? And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me ?
And is it true? For if it is,
No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare –
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.
Sir John Betjeman (1906-84)
--> Today's writer The Revd Carole Elphick Retired Minister worshipping at Muswell Hill URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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URC Daily Devotion 23 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 23 December 2024
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23 December 2024
St Luke 1: 39 - 56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
Reflection
With the rush of Christmas preparations, the days of December become for many a time of haste. And it's a theme, and a word, to be found also within the Christmas narrative. Soon we’ll read again of shepherds hurrying down to Bethlehem; soon we’ll hear again the news once announced to them: a Saviour’s birth in a borrowed space, with a manger as a make-do crib.
But the mention of haste that I find most moving is the one that occurs here in today’s passage.
Mary has said “Yes” to God. But who among her townsfolk will believe her tale of angelic announcement and divine favour? So she sets out “with haste” and heads for the hills. Is she doing what so many young and vulnerable mothers-to-be across the generations have felt forced to do? Is she running away from home?
Yet as Mary seeks sanctuary with an elder kinswoman, there comes a hastening of joy in Elizabeth’s heart and even within her womb. And as these two blessed women meet, the elder is inspired to draw forth from the younger a song not of shame but of deliverance.
Now boldness is brought to birth in Mary – and haste is set aside. For this Magnificat, this recital of mercy on the meek and the up-ending of every vain power-play, stands as a mighty affirmation of God's enduring purpose and plan. Centuries later, Martin Luther King Jr would remark that though the arc of the moral universe may be long, “it bends towards justice”. But for now, let no-one dare mask or mansplain what Mary clearly knows: that her baby boy, embodying God's merciful justice, will one day rule the nations.
And though Luke's account of what follows is brief, clearly courage is cradled. Mary stays for about three months - just long enough, perhaps, to accompany Elizabeth through to childbirth? Then she returns home - just in time for her own baby bump to start showing.
Prayer
In the hastening-on of these December days,
so pregnant with our hopes and fears,
may every runaway find refuge
and every victim find a voice.
Sovereign God, faithful and just:
frustrate the plans, we pray,
of those who flaunt their power;
but lift up the lowly.
Mighty One, be magnified in us,
as we rejoice in your salvation.
Let your mercy be made known
in this and every generation. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Dominic Grant, Minister at Barnet URC and St Andrew’s Chesterfield Road URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 1: 39 - 56
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
Reflection
With the rush of Christmas preparations, the days of December become for many a time of haste. And it's a theme, and a word, to be found also within the Christmas narrative. Soon we’ll read again of shepherds hurrying down to Bethlehem; soon we’ll hear again the news once announced to them: a Saviour’s birth in a borrowed space, with a manger as a make-do crib.
But the mention of haste that I find most moving is the one that occurs here in today’s passage.
Mary has said “Yes” to God. But who among her townsfolk will believe her tale of angelic announcement and divine favour? So she sets out “with haste” and heads for the hills. Is she doing what so many young and vulnerable mothers-to-be across the generations have felt forced to do? Is she running away from home?
Yet as Mary seeks sanctuary with an elder kinswoman, there comes a hastening of joy in Elizabeth’s heart and even within her womb. And as these two blessed women meet, the elder is inspired to draw forth from the younger a song not of shame but of deliverance.
Now boldness is brought to birth in Mary – and haste is set aside. For this Magnificat, this recital of mercy on the meek and the up-ending of every vain power-play, stands as a mighty affirmation of God's enduring purpose and plan. Centuries later, Martin Luther King Jr would remark that though the arc of the moral universe may be long, “it bends towards justice”. But for now, let no-one dare mask or mansplain what Mary clearly knows: that her baby boy, embodying God's merciful justice, will one day rule the nations.
And though Luke's account of what follows is brief, clearly courage is cradled. Mary stays for about three months - just long enough, perhaps, to accompany Elizabeth through to childbirth? Then she returns home - just in time for her own baby bump to start showing.
Prayer
In the hastening-on of these December days,
so pregnant with our hopes and fears,
may every runaway find refuge
and every victim find a voice.
Sovereign God, faithful and just:
frustrate the plans, we pray,
of those who flaunt their power;
but lift up the lowly.
Mighty One, be magnified in us,
as we rejoice in your salvation.
Let your mercy be made known
in this and every generation. Amen.
--> Today's writer The Revd Dominic Grant, Minister at Barnet URC and St Andrew’s Chesterfield Road URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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Carol Service
96
Carol Service
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Worship Services from the URC
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Order of Service
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
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Or you can click here to see a video of the service where the hymns will appear on screen.
Worship from the United Reformed Church
Carol Service 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston, Minister for Digital Worship.
Opening Music Good Christians All Rejoice arranged and played by the Revd Phil Nevard and used with his kind permission.
Introduction
Welcome to this Carol Service where, through reading, reflection, prayer and song we will celebrate God becoming one of us in Jesus. At this time of the year there are a range of emotions - excitement and exhaustion, a sense of community and a sense, sometimes, of being alone, a time of reflecting over the year just past and a sense of wondering what’s coming next. We take all our hopes and fears and bring them to Bethlehem’s crib and unite them with God, revealed to us in the vulnerability of a child about to become a refugee. My name is Andy Braunston; I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship I’ve put this service together using some material from Nick Fawcett who was a Baptist Minister and writer and who produced fascinating reflections which we’ll here in this service. They, and the Biblical readings, are brought to us from many of my colleagues who work for us all in the URC. I hope you find this a useful way to start our Christmas celebrations together. Let’s sing now the ancient Advent hymn, O Come O Come Emmanuel which brings in song various prophecies in the Old Testament which we apply to Christ.
Hymn O Come O Come Emmanuel
Translator: J. M. Neale (1851)
sung by the people of St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa Monica, California
and used with their kind permission
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
3 O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
4 O come, Thou branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust thy mighty power to save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
5 O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
6 O come, Thou Day-spring from on high,
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all our kind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
8 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Prayer
We come to You, O God, longing for You to come to us;
to lighten the gloom of our world,
to speak peace to our nations furiously at war,
to overturn the tables and rebalance the scales.
As Your people of old longed for their Messiah, we long for You to come again.
As we prepare to celebrate Your coming to us in Jesus long ago,
gladden our hearts, open our minds,
and take us again to the heart of these stories,
that we may live knowing You are one with us. Amen.
Lighting of Advent Candles
We who dwell in a land of great shadows,
light these candles, O God,
to celebrate Your light and life.
For in the gloom of oppression You have freed Your people bringing salvation to all,
and showing Your glory in the cries of a vulnerable helpless baby
in whom our redemption draws ever nearer. Amen.
Andy: We hear again now the story of Gabriel’s visit to Mary, read for us by Sam Richards, Head of Children and Youth Work.
Reading St Luke 1: 26 - 38 read by Sam Richards & members of the Children & Youth Work team
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Andy: As we reflect on those words from Luke’s Gospel we sing the Basque Carol
Hymn The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Translator: S. Baring-Gould Public Domain Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he to meek and lowly Mary,
"most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
2 For know a blessed virgin mother you shall be.
All generations praise continually.
Your Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me be as it pleases God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name."
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!
4 Of her, Immanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
"Most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
Andy: The stories we tell at Christmas needed Joseph’s blessing yet we don’t often think about him. In this reflection Roo Stewart, Head of Public Issues for the URC, plays the role of Joseph, Mary’s fiancé.
Meditation of Joseph
I didn't know what to think,
not when she first told me -
my sweet innocent Mary, pregnant!
I suppose I should have been angry,
and I was later, extremely!
But that wasn't my first reaction;
it was shock, more like, disbelief, an inability to take it in.
You see, I just couldn't see her playing around,
deceiving me behind my back - not Mary.
Other girls perhaps, but she wasn't like them;
I'd have trusted her with my life if necessary.
So when she started chattering on about this angel,
about being with child by the Holy Spirit, do you know what?
I listened!
No, honestly, I really did!
Maybe that does sound daft,
but I just couldn't believe she was making it all up,
inventing an excuse to get her off the hook.
And, let's face it,
if it were an excuse it was a pretty lame one;
Precisely.
I mean, when's the last time you saw an angel?
But if I took it calmly at first, it wasn't long before the doubts set in,
the questions that couldn't be answered,
the niggling voices that wouldn't go away.
And in no time suspicion had grown into something worse -
resentment, bitterness, condemnation.
I'd have called off the engagement,
there's no doubt about that;
much as I liked the girl,
there was simply no way a man in my position
could countenance going through with it,
not if I wanted to keep any semblance of respectability.
She was tarnished,
according to the Law anyway,
her purity soiled;
and if I took no notice the village gossips would soon put their heads together
and decide I had done the tarnishing -
too impatient to wait until the goods had been paid for.
So that was it.
My mind was made up.
It was just a question finding the right words and the right time,
breaking it to her as gently as I could.
Only then I had this dream,
almost a vision you might say it was, looking back,
so powerfully did it speak to me.
Suddenly it was me seeing angels, not Mary,
it was me hearing the voice of God instead of her;
and it was the same message,
the same story - this child she carried, born of God, his gift to humankind,
the one who would at last redeem his people.
Did I believe it?
Well, I suppose I must have done, in a way.
I married her after all, despite the snide remarks, the wagging tongues.
Maybe, of course, I wanted to marry her anyway, or just didn't want to hurt her.
Maybe I simply liked the thought of being a dad, and wanted to believe that story of hers,
incredible though it seemed.
To be truthful
there were probably all kinds of reasons behind my decision;
yet perhaps it's through such things as those,
just as much as through dreams and visions,
our everyday thoughts and feelings,
that God chooses to speak to us.
Perhaps through those most of all.
Prayer
We give You thanks, O God,
for Joseph, who long ago,
risked ridicule and dared to trust -
in his fiancée and his dreams;
we thank You for all who nurture children,
parents and step parents,
foster families and friends,
and for those who show that love is deeper than genes.
Amen.
We listen now to Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus read by Carrie Kaunda, the URC’s Training and Development Coordinator for Safeguarding.
Reading St Luke 2: 1 - 7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
We sing Michael Perry’s hymn See Him Lying on a Bed of Straw
Hymn See Him Lying in a Bed of Straw
Michael Perry (1942-1996) Jubilate Hymns OneLicence
Performed and Recorded by Frodsham Methodist Church and used with their kind permission
See him lying on a bed of straw:
a draughty stable with an open door;
Mary cradling the babe she bore
the prince of glory is his name.
O now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord of love again:
just as poor as was the stable then,
the prince of glory when he came.
2 Star of silver, sweep across the skies,
show where Jesus in the manger lies;
shepherds, swiftly from your stupor rise
to see the saviour of the world!
3 Angels, sing again the song you sang,
sing the glory of God's gracious plan;
Sing that Bethl'em's little baby can
be the saviour of us all.
4 Mine are riches, from your poverty,
from your innocence, eternity;
mine, forgiveness by your death for me,
child of sorrow for my joy.
One of the fascinating things about the Christmas stories is there are always characters on the edge that we don’t often think about. Andy Jackson, our Head of Communications, now plays the role of the Inn Keeper.
Meditation of the innkeeper
I felt sorry for that couple, I really did.
They were at their wits' end, the pair of them, just about all in.
But it was the lady who concerned me most; fit to drop she was,
and hardly a surprise given her condition -
not that I'm an expert in these matters
but I felt sure her pains had already started;
and so it was to prove, poor lass.
As for him, he was beside himself, frantic with worry,
almost abusive in his frustration; and I can't say I blamed him -
I'd have been the same in the circumstances.
Yet what could I do?
There wasn't a room to spare,
that was the fact of the matter.
We were packed already, bulging at the seams,
and I could hardly turf someone else out just to fit them in, could I?
I mean - be reasonable - that would have caused a right-old to-do, no use to anybody.
So I offered them the stable, if they could make use of it.
Not much of a prospect I agree,
especially on such a night as that turned out, but it was a roof over their heads,
a shelter from the worst of the wind if nothing else.
All right, so I still feel bad about it,
wish now I'd taken the wife's advice and given up our room for them.
But to be honest we were both whacked, what with all the extra custom to see to.
We had an inn to run, remember,
and we were rushed off our feet,
longing only for a good night's sleep ourselves.
so we gave them the stable and that's the end of it-
no point brooding over what might have been.
And to be fair, they were grateful,
glad of anywhere to put their heads down.
But when I heard the baby crying,
that's when it got to me - out there in those conditions!
I felt ashamed, disgusted with myself.
So we hurried out, the wife and I, anxious to help,
not sure what we might find though fearing the worst.
But what a surprise!
There was no panic, no sign of confusion.
Quite the contrary - they seemed so peaceful, so full of joy, utterly content.
And the way they looked at that child - I mean,
I've heard of worshipping your kids but this was something else -
they were over the moon, absolutely ecstatic!
And that wasn't the half of it,
for suddenly there in the shadows I spotted a bunch of shepherds -
God knows where they came from.
Thought for a moment they were up to no good,
but they weren't.
They just stood there gawping into the manger,
wide-eyed with wonder,
almost as though they'd never seen a baby before!
And then they walked away,
joy in their faces, delight in their steps.
It's all quiet now, the inn and the stable,
as if that night had never happened.
And so far as I know both mother and child are well.
You could say that's down to me in part,
for at least I did something to help if no one else did.
Yet I can't help feeling I should have done more,
that I let everyone down somehow -
that it wasn't finally them I left out in the cold -
it was me.
Prayer
For the gift of hospitality, O God, we give thanks;
for those who open their hearts and their homes to people in need,
for those who collect food for the hungry, clothes for the cold,
and give money to the needy, we thank You
and remember that You were to be found
cold, naked, and vulnerable,
and are still be found on the edge of our world. Amen.
Now we listen to the famous words of Isaiah, long seen by Christians to be a prophecy of Jesus’ coming brought to us by Sam Richards and members of the Children and Youth Work team.
Reading Isaiah 9: 2 - 7
read by Sam Richards & members of the Children & Youth Work team
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
With those stirring words in our minds, we sing the lovely carol In the Bleak Midwinter.
Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Georgina Rossetti (c. 1872) Public Domain
sung by Liverpool Walton Salvation Army and used with their kind permission.
In the bleak midwinter
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone:
snow had fallen,
snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
2 Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
3 Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air,
but only his mother,
in her maiden bliss,
worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.
5 What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him, give my heart.
Now we think of the maiden mother who worshipped the Beloved with a kiss as Karen Campbell, our Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, brings us a take on how Mary may have been feeling.
Meditation of Mary
What a day it's been!
I'm shattered, exhausted, and yet I'm over the moon!
Does that sound strange?
Well, let me tell you what happened, then you'll understand.
It could hardly have started worse,
arriving in Bethlehem like that to find the place packed.
My heart sank.
I knew we wouldn't find anywhere, not a chance, but Joseph wouldn't have it.
‘Next time,' he kept saying, 'you'll see.'
Next time indeed!
A stable, that's what we ended up with -
hardly the accommodation I had in mind!
It wouldn't have mattered, mind you,
not in the usual run of things,
but I was nine months pregnant
and my pains had started that morning,
getting stronger by the minute.
I was in agony by the end,
you can imagine, just about desperate by then,
not bothered where we stopped just so long as I could rest.
That's why we accepted the innkeeper's offer,
makeshift though it was.
I lay there with cattle breathing down my neck,
straw prickling my back,
and what felt like a gale whistling beneath the door -
but I didn't care;
I didn't care about anything by then,
just wanted the baby to be born.
Poor Joseph, he was beside himself.
No idea how to cope or what to do next,
but thankfully one of the women from the inn took pity on us.
You’ll never kindly now good it was
to see her kindly reassuring face,
her confident smile beaming down at me
through the haze of pain.
It seemed like an eternity for all that,
but it wasn't long really.
And then that sound, that wonderful exhilarating sound,
my son, Jesus, crying!
I didn't want to let go of him, but I had to, of course, eventually.
I was exhausted, just about all in.
So I wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger.
Sleep came easy after that, blissful peace at last,
but a moment ago I woke with a start, remembering those words in that vision I had -
'And they shall name him Emmanuel, God with us'.
My child, Emmanuel?
Can it really be true?
God come to his people?
He's everything to me, I admit that, I could gladly worship him.
But others? I wonder.
Time alone will tell, I suppose.
Anyway, no more time for talking, I need my sleep.
But wait, who's this knocking on the door?
Shepherds!
What on earth can they want at this time of night?
I don't know.
What a day it's been!
What a day!
Prayer
Lord, it’s hard sometimes to know what to make of Your mother;
she’s pretty central to the story but she wouldn’t want to displace You.
Her ‘yes’ was vital yet dangerous.
We catch glimpses of her in the gospels;
sometimes urging You to act, sometimes scolding You,
but, most hauntingly, standing with You at the Cross.
We can’t imagine her pain nor her joy;
we thank You for all who say ‘yes’ to You,
for all who show fierce yet tender love,
for all who show the simple trust and faith we need to emulate.
Amen.
And now the action moves away from Bethlehem to the fields as Marion Brown, Stepwise and Digital Learning Administrator tells the next part of the story.
Reading St Luke 2: 8 - 20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
There are many tunes associated with our next hymn, this one probably being the most fun…
Hymn While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Nahum Tate (1700) performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham
and used with their kind permission
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
2 "Fear not," said he for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind
"glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and humankind.
3 "To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
4 "The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swaddling bands
and in a manger laid."
5 Thus spoke the seraph and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
6 "All glory be to God on high,
and to the world be peace;
goodwill henceforth from heav’n to earth
begin and never cease."
As images of the fields, and Ilkley Moor, fade away we listen now to Victoria James, our Chief Operating Officer, as she brings a shepherd’s perspective to us.
Meditation of the Shepherds
It was just an ordinary day, that's what I can't get over;
nothing special about it,
nothing different,
just another ordinary day.
And we were all just ordinary people,
that's what made it even more puzzling;
not important,
not influential,
just plain ordinary shepherds out working in the fields.
Yet we apparently were the first,
singled out for special favour!
The first to know,
the first to see,
the first to celebrate,
the first to tell!
I'm still not sure what happened -
one moment night drawing in,
and the next bright as day;
one moment laughing and joking together,
and the next rooted to the spot in amazement;
one moment looking forward to getting home,
and the next hurrying down to Bethlehem.
There just aren't words to express what we felt,
but we knew we had to respond,
had to go and see for ourselves.
Not that we expected to find anything mind you,
not if we were honest.
Well, you don't, do you?
I mean, it's not every day the Messiah arrives, is it?
And we'd always imagined when he finally did it would be in a blaze of glory,
to a fanfare of trumpets,
with the maximum of publicity.
Yet do you know what?
When we got there
it was to find everything just as we had been told,
wonderfully special,
yet surprisingly ordinary.
Not Jerusalem but Bethlehem,
not a palace but a stable,
not a prince enthroned in splendour but a baby lying in a manger.
We still find it hard to believe even now,
to think God chose to come through that tiny vulnerable child.
But as the years have passed -
and we’ve seen not just his birth but his life,
and not just his life but his death,
and not just his death, his his empty tomb,
his graveclothes, his joyful followers -
we’ve slowly come to realise it really was true.
God had chosen to come to us,
and more than that, to you - to ordinary, everyday people,
in the most ordinary, everyday of ways.
How extraordinary!
Prayer
Sheep can be very cute Lord,
lovely as lambs gambolling around the fields,
serene as they munch grass, playful as they explore,
obedient to the dogs sent to round them up;
their wool and their meat have been useful for thousands of years;
but these days we don’t think much of shepherds;
modern machinery makes sheep keeping a bit easier than it was in your day,
but those shepherds, up all night, protecting their flock,
not able to keep all the Law as sheep needed protection all the time,
they were the ones You sent the angels to!
We still sing of peace and goodwill,
we still imagine the angels rejoicing.
Help us, Good Shepherd,
to sing their song, to work for peace, to show goodwill,
and to keep, at the heart of it all, the simple trusting love of a baby. Amen
We listen now as Sharon Barr, our Designated Safeguarding Lead, reads the theological musics of the writer of John’s Gospel
Reading St John 1: 1 - 18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son ] who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
As we ponder John’s prologue we sing one of the oldest hymns still used in the Church, Of The Father’s Love Begotten.
Hymn Of The Father’s Love Begotten
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius Translator: J. M. Neale
sung at the Shenandoah Christian Music Camp and used with their kind permission
Of the Father’s love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see
evermore and evermore!
2 O that birth forever blessed,
when the virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bore the Saviour of our race;
and the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
first revealed His sacred face,
evermore and evermore!
3 O ye heights of heav'n, adore Him;
angel hosts, His praises sing:
pow'rs, dominions, bow before Him
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!
That song echoes down the ages for us. Now Nicola Furley-Smith, our Secretary of Ministries, muses on what it must have been like for a resident of Bethlehem all those years ago.
Meditation of a Resident of Bethlehem
Have you heard the news?
They're saying the Messiah's been born right here in Bethlehem.
Honestly, that's what I was told, the Christ,
God's promised deliverer, come at last to set us free.
Do I believe it?
Well, I'm not sure.
It's hard to credit, I admit,
but this friend I spoke to seemed pretty certain.
Heard it from a shepherd apparently,
some chap who claimed to have seen the child for themselves, and by all accounts he was delirious with excitement, absolutely full of it.
He may have been mistaken, of course, or simply spinning some old yarn -
you never can be sure, can you?
And, believe me, I don't go round believing everything I hear.
But this friend of mine,
the one who heard it from the shepherd,
he was full of it too.
You would have thought he’d been there,
in the stable, beside the manger,
the way he spoke.
He was utterly convinced, there's no question about that,
and as I listened to him chattering on,
I felt the urge welling up inside me,
just as he had done, to tell someone else,
to share the good news with those around me.
If he was right then this wasn't something to keep to myself,
not for the privileged few, but a message for everybody, one they all needed to hear.
But before I say anything more,
risk making a complete fool of myself,
there's something I have to do -
something my friend should have done and which the shepherds presumably did -
and that is go and see for myself.
Call me a cynic if you like but I believe it's important -
no, more than that, vital -
for if you're going to accept something,
let alone expect others to do the same,
you have to be sure of your ground,
as certain as you can be that it's not just all some grand delusion.
So I'm going now,
off to find out the truth for myself, off to see this child,
if he really exists, with my own eyes.
And if I find everything just as I've been told,
the baby lying there in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth,
then I shall go and tell others what I have seen -
for let's be honest,
what else would there be to do?
What else could anybody do in my place?
Prayer
It’s hard, Lord,
when we think and sing about Bethlehem
to separate out the town when you were born and what it is now;
a place caught up in pain, violence, disputed land, and hatred.
We want to think of it sleeping in stillness,
but the TV news reminds us of a different reality.
Help us to work, for peace, to see, in Your birth and life,
a pathway to a fierce truth-telling, justice-seeking love
which meets the hopes and fears of all the years. Amen.
The shepherds weren’t the only folk searching for Jesus as our next reading reminds us.
Reading St Matthew 2: 1 - 12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
One of the interesting things is about Christmas is we sing material from across the ages with modern hymns taking their place alongside Victorian carols and ancient material. Our next carol comes from the 14th Century but has been very popular because of the pairing of lovely words with a fun tune.
Hymn Good Christian Friends Rejoice
Latin 14th Century, translator JM Neal, Public Domain
sung by the Beyond the Walls Choir and used with their kind permission
Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today!
Ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!
2 Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
God has opened heaven’s door,
and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!
3 Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain the everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
For our final reflection Neil Hunter, our Digital Content Manager, plays the role of one of those mysterious magi.
Meditation of the Magi
We knew it would be worth it the moment we saw the star,
worth the hassle,
worth the effort,
worth the sacrifice.
But there were times then we wondered, can tell you!
As we laboured over those dusty barren tracks,
as we watched fearfully for bandits in the mountains,
as the sun beat down without a break,
and still no sign of an end to it,
we wondered, all too often.
We asked ourselves whether we'd got it wrong, misread the signs.
We argued over whether we'd taken the wrong turning somewhere along the way.
We questioned the wisdom of carrying on as the days dragged by.
And when finally we got to Jerusalem
only to find his own people had no idea what was going on,
then we really became worried.
Quite astonishing - the biggest event in their history,
and they didn't even realise it was happening!
Thankfully they looked it up,
eventually,
somewhere in one of their old prophets,
and we knew where to go then.
It was all there in writing if only they'd taken the trouble to look -
God knows why they couldn't see it!
Anyway, we made it at last, tired, sore and hungry, but we made it.
And it was worth it, more than we had ever imagined,
for in that child was a different sort of king, a different sort of kingdom,
from any we'd ever encountered before.
As much our ruler as theirs, as much our kingdom as anyone's.
So we didn't just present our gifts to him,
we didn't just make the customary gestures of acknowledgement.
We fell down and worshipped him.
Can you imagine that?
Us, respected, wealthy, important,
kneeling before a toddler.
Yet it seemed so natural,
the most natural response we could make,
the only response that would do!
Prayer
It’s odd, Lord, really,
that those astrologers found You;
the wisdom of other peoples having a lead on the court.
But then it’s odd that you were found not in a palace but a stable,
not in a bed but in a manger,
not with the up and in but the down and out.
I imagine those gifts were useful though,
kingly gold and priestly incense in particular;
I guess your mum was too polite to turn the myrrh down though,
nasty stuff, as bitter as sacrifice, an odd gift for a baby.
But then the odd story continues,
terrible murder, lonely exile, the highs and lows of ministry,
the betrayal of politics, and enthronement on a cross.
Help us this Christmas, Lord, to ponder the oddness of following You. Amen.
A carol service wouldn’t be the same without this exuberant carol from Charles Wesley. If you’ve not had your favourite carol yet, don’t worry we have URC services being sent out for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, the Sunday after Christmas and Epiphany! We sing now, Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
Hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley, Public Domain, Sung by the Northern Baptist association and used with their kind permission
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"
2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin's womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Blessing
May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary,
and the peace of the Christ child
be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Closing Music Good Christians All Rejoice arranged and played by Phil Nevard and used with his kind permission.
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Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
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Worship from the United Reformed Church
Carol Service 2024
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston, Minister for Digital Worship.
Opening Music Good Christians All Rejoice arranged and played by the Revd Phil Nevard and used with his kind permission.
Introduction
Welcome to this Carol Service where, through reading, reflection, prayer and song we will celebrate God becoming one of us in Jesus. At this time of the year there are a range of emotions - excitement and exhaustion, a sense of community and a sense, sometimes, of being alone, a time of reflecting over the year just past and a sense of wondering what’s coming next. We take all our hopes and fears and bring them to Bethlehem’s crib and unite them with God, revealed to us in the vulnerability of a child about to become a refugee. My name is Andy Braunston; I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship I’ve put this service together using some material from Nick Fawcett who was a Baptist Minister and writer and who produced fascinating reflections which we’ll here in this service. They, and the Biblical readings, are brought to us from many of my colleagues who work for us all in the URC. I hope you find this a useful way to start our Christmas celebrations together. Let’s sing now the ancient Advent hymn, O Come O Come Emmanuel which brings in song various prophecies in the Old Testament which we apply to Christ.
Hymn O Come O Come Emmanuel
Translator: J. M. Neale (1851)
sung by the people of St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa Monica, California
and used with their kind permission
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
3 O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
4 O come, Thou branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust thy mighty power to save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
5 O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
6 O come, Thou Day-spring from on high,
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all our kind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
8 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Prayer
We come to You, O God, longing for You to come to us;
to lighten the gloom of our world,
to speak peace to our nations furiously at war,
to overturn the tables and rebalance the scales.
As Your people of old longed for their Messiah, we long for You to come again.
As we prepare to celebrate Your coming to us in Jesus long ago,
gladden our hearts, open our minds,
and take us again to the heart of these stories,
that we may live knowing You are one with us. Amen.
Lighting of Advent Candles
We who dwell in a land of great shadows,
light these candles, O God,
to celebrate Your light and life.
For in the gloom of oppression You have freed Your people bringing salvation to all,
and showing Your glory in the cries of a vulnerable helpless baby
in whom our redemption draws ever nearer. Amen.
Andy: We hear again now the story of Gabriel’s visit to Mary, read for us by Sam Richards, Head of Children and Youth Work.
Reading St Luke 1: 26 - 38 read by Sam Richards & members of the Children & Youth Work team
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Andy: As we reflect on those words from Luke’s Gospel we sing the Basque Carol
Hymn The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Translator: S. Baring-Gould Public Domain Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he to meek and lowly Mary,
"most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
2 For know a blessed virgin mother you shall be.
All generations praise continually.
Your Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me be as it pleases God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name."
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!
4 Of her, Immanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
"Most highly favoured lady." Gloria!
Andy: The stories we tell at Christmas needed Joseph’s blessing yet we don’t often think about him. In this reflection Roo Stewart, Head of Public Issues for the URC, plays the role of Joseph, Mary’s fiancé.
Meditation of Joseph
I didn't know what to think,
not when she first told me -
my sweet innocent Mary, pregnant!
I suppose I should have been angry,
and I was later, extremely!
But that wasn't my first reaction;
it was shock, more like, disbelief, an inability to take it in.
You see, I just couldn't see her playing around,
deceiving me behind my back - not Mary.
Other girls perhaps, but she wasn't like them;
I'd have trusted her with my life if necessary.
So when she started chattering on about this angel,
about being with child by the Holy Spirit, do you know what?
I listened!
No, honestly, I really did!
Maybe that does sound daft,
but I just couldn't believe she was making it all up,
inventing an excuse to get her off the hook.
And, let's face it,
if it were an excuse it was a pretty lame one;
Precisely.
I mean, when's the last time you saw an angel?
But if I took it calmly at first, it wasn't long before the doubts set in,
the questions that couldn't be answered,
the niggling voices that wouldn't go away.
And in no time suspicion had grown into something worse -
resentment, bitterness, condemnation.
I'd have called off the engagement,
there's no doubt about that;
much as I liked the girl,
there was simply no way a man in my position
could countenance going through with it,
not if I wanted to keep any semblance of respectability.
She was tarnished,
according to the Law anyway,
her purity soiled;
and if I took no notice the village gossips would soon put their heads together
and decide I had done the tarnishing -
too impatient to wait until the goods had been paid for.
So that was it.
My mind was made up.
It was just a question finding the right words and the right time,
breaking it to her as gently as I could.
Only then I had this dream,
almost a vision you might say it was, looking back,
so powerfully did it speak to me.
Suddenly it was me seeing angels, not Mary,
it was me hearing the voice of God instead of her;
and it was the same message,
the same story - this child she carried, born of God, his gift to humankind,
the one who would at last redeem his people.
Did I believe it?
Well, I suppose I must have done, in a way.
I married her after all, despite the snide remarks, the wagging tongues.
Maybe, of course, I wanted to marry her anyway, or just didn't want to hurt her.
Maybe I simply liked the thought of being a dad, and wanted to believe that story of hers,
incredible though it seemed.
To be truthful
there were probably all kinds of reasons behind my decision;
yet perhaps it's through such things as those,
just as much as through dreams and visions,
our everyday thoughts and feelings,
that God chooses to speak to us.
Perhaps through those most of all.
Prayer
We give You thanks, O God,
for Joseph, who long ago,
risked ridicule and dared to trust -
in his fiancée and his dreams;
we thank You for all who nurture children,
parents and step parents,
foster families and friends,
and for those who show that love is deeper than genes.
Amen.
We listen now to Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus read by Carrie Kaunda, the URC’s Training and Development Coordinator for Safeguarding.
Reading St Luke 2: 1 - 7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
We sing Michael Perry’s hymn See Him Lying on a Bed of Straw
Hymn See Him Lying in a Bed of Straw
Michael Perry (1942-1996) Jubilate Hymns OneLicence
Performed and Recorded by Frodsham Methodist Church and used with their kind permission
See him lying on a bed of straw:
a draughty stable with an open door;
Mary cradling the babe she bore
the prince of glory is his name.
O now carry me to Bethlehem
to see the Lord of love again:
just as poor as was the stable then,
the prince of glory when he came.
2 Star of silver, sweep across the skies,
show where Jesus in the manger lies;
shepherds, swiftly from your stupor rise
to see the saviour of the world!
3 Angels, sing again the song you sang,
sing the glory of God's gracious plan;
Sing that Bethl'em's little baby can
be the saviour of us all.
4 Mine are riches, from your poverty,
from your innocence, eternity;
mine, forgiveness by your death for me,
child of sorrow for my joy.
One of the fascinating things about the Christmas stories is there are always characters on the edge that we don’t often think about. Andy Jackson, our Head of Communications, now plays the role of the Inn Keeper.
Meditation of the innkeeper
I felt sorry for that couple, I really did.
They were at their wits' end, the pair of them, just about all in.
But it was the lady who concerned me most; fit to drop she was,
and hardly a surprise given her condition -
not that I'm an expert in these matters
but I felt sure her pains had already started;
and so it was to prove, poor lass.
As for him, he was beside himself, frantic with worry,
almost abusive in his frustration; and I can't say I blamed him -
I'd have been the same in the circumstances.
Yet what could I do?
There wasn't a room to spare,
that was the fact of the matter.
We were packed already, bulging at the seams,
and I could hardly turf someone else out just to fit them in, could I?
I mean - be reasonable - that would have caused a right-old to-do, no use to anybody.
So I offered them the stable, if they could make use of it.
Not much of a prospect I agree,
especially on such a night as that turned out, but it was a roof over their heads,
a shelter from the worst of the wind if nothing else.
All right, so I still feel bad about it,
wish now I'd taken the wife's advice and given up our room for them.
But to be honest we were both whacked, what with all the extra custom to see to.
We had an inn to run, remember,
and we were rushed off our feet,
longing only for a good night's sleep ourselves.
so we gave them the stable and that's the end of it-
no point brooding over what might have been.
And to be fair, they were grateful,
glad of anywhere to put their heads down.
But when I heard the baby crying,
that's when it got to me - out there in those conditions!
I felt ashamed, disgusted with myself.
So we hurried out, the wife and I, anxious to help,
not sure what we might find though fearing the worst.
But what a surprise!
There was no panic, no sign of confusion.
Quite the contrary - they seemed so peaceful, so full of joy, utterly content.
And the way they looked at that child - I mean,
I've heard of worshipping your kids but this was something else -
they were over the moon, absolutely ecstatic!
And that wasn't the half of it,
for suddenly there in the shadows I spotted a bunch of shepherds -
God knows where they came from.
Thought for a moment they were up to no good,
but they weren't.
They just stood there gawping into the manger,
wide-eyed with wonder,
almost as though they'd never seen a baby before!
And then they walked away,
joy in their faces, delight in their steps.
It's all quiet now, the inn and the stable,
as if that night had never happened.
And so far as I know both mother and child are well.
You could say that's down to me in part,
for at least I did something to help if no one else did.
Yet I can't help feeling I should have done more,
that I let everyone down somehow -
that it wasn't finally them I left out in the cold -
it was me.
Prayer
For the gift of hospitality, O God, we give thanks;
for those who open their hearts and their homes to people in need,
for those who collect food for the hungry, clothes for the cold,
and give money to the needy, we thank You
and remember that You were to be found
cold, naked, and vulnerable,
and are still be found on the edge of our world. Amen.
Now we listen to the famous words of Isaiah, long seen by Christians to be a prophecy of Jesus’ coming brought to us by Sam Richards and members of the Children and Youth Work team.
Reading Isaiah 9: 2 - 7
read by Sam Richards & members of the Children & Youth Work team
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
With those stirring words in our minds, we sing the lovely carol In the Bleak Midwinter.
Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Georgina Rossetti (c. 1872) Public Domain
sung by Liverpool Walton Salvation Army and used with their kind permission.
In the bleak midwinter
frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron,
water like a stone:
snow had fallen,
snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
2 Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign:
in the bleak midwinter
a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
3 Angels and archangels
may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim
thronged the air,
but only his mother,
in her maiden bliss,
worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.
5 What can I give him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb,
if I were a wise man
I would do my part,
yet what I can I give him, give my heart.
Now we think of the maiden mother who worshipped the Beloved with a kiss as Karen Campbell, our Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, brings us a take on how Mary may have been feeling.
Meditation of Mary
What a day it's been!
I'm shattered, exhausted, and yet I'm over the moon!
Does that sound strange?
Well, let me tell you what happened, then you'll understand.
It could hardly have started worse,
arriving in Bethlehem like that to find the place packed.
My heart sank.
I knew we wouldn't find anywhere, not a chance, but Joseph wouldn't have it.
‘Next time,' he kept saying, 'you'll see.'
Next time indeed!
A stable, that's what we ended up with -
hardly the accommodation I had in mind!
It wouldn't have mattered, mind you,
not in the usual run of things,
but I was nine months pregnant
and my pains had started that morning,
getting stronger by the minute.
I was in agony by the end,
you can imagine, just about desperate by then,
not bothered where we stopped just so long as I could rest.
That's why we accepted the innkeeper's offer,
makeshift though it was.
I lay there with cattle breathing down my neck,
straw prickling my back,
and what felt like a gale whistling beneath the door -
but I didn't care;
I didn't care about anything by then,
just wanted the baby to be born.
Poor Joseph, he was beside himself.
No idea how to cope or what to do next,
but thankfully one of the women from the inn took pity on us.
You’ll never kindly now good it was
to see her kindly reassuring face,
her confident smile beaming down at me
through the haze of pain.
It seemed like an eternity for all that,
but it wasn't long really.
And then that sound, that wonderful exhilarating sound,
my son, Jesus, crying!
I didn't want to let go of him, but I had to, of course, eventually.
I was exhausted, just about all in.
So I wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger.
Sleep came easy after that, blissful peace at last,
but a moment ago I woke with a start, remembering those words in that vision I had -
'And they shall name him Emmanuel, God with us'.
My child, Emmanuel?
Can it really be true?
God come to his people?
He's everything to me, I admit that, I could gladly worship him.
But others? I wonder.
Time alone will tell, I suppose.
Anyway, no more time for talking, I need my sleep.
But wait, who's this knocking on the door?
Shepherds!
What on earth can they want at this time of night?
I don't know.
What a day it's been!
What a day!
Prayer
Lord, it’s hard sometimes to know what to make of Your mother;
she’s pretty central to the story but she wouldn’t want to displace You.
Her ‘yes’ was vital yet dangerous.
We catch glimpses of her in the gospels;
sometimes urging You to act, sometimes scolding You,
but, most hauntingly, standing with You at the Cross.
We can’t imagine her pain nor her joy;
we thank You for all who say ‘yes’ to You,
for all who show fierce yet tender love,
for all who show the simple trust and faith we need to emulate.
Amen.
And now the action moves away from Bethlehem to the fields as Marion Brown, Stepwise and Digital Learning Administrator tells the next part of the story.
Reading St Luke 2: 8 - 20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
There are many tunes associated with our next hymn, this one probably being the most fun…
Hymn While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Nahum Tate (1700) performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham
and used with their kind permission
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
2 "Fear not," said he for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind
"glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and humankind.
3 "To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
4 "The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swaddling bands
and in a manger laid."
5 Thus spoke the seraph and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
6 "All glory be to God on high,
and to the world be peace;
goodwill henceforth from heav’n to earth
begin and never cease."
As images of the fields, and Ilkley Moor, fade away we listen now to Victoria James, our Chief Operating Officer, as she brings a shepherd’s perspective to us.
Meditation of the Shepherds
It was just an ordinary day, that's what I can't get over;
nothing special about it,
nothing different,
just another ordinary day.
And we were all just ordinary people,
that's what made it even more puzzling;
not important,
not influential,
just plain ordinary shepherds out working in the fields.
Yet we apparently were the first,
singled out for special favour!
The first to know,
the first to see,
the first to celebrate,
the first to tell!
I'm still not sure what happened -
one moment night drawing in,
and the next bright as day;
one moment laughing and joking together,
and the next rooted to the spot in amazement;
one moment looking forward to getting home,
and the next hurrying down to Bethlehem.
There just aren't words to express what we felt,
but we knew we had to respond,
had to go and see for ourselves.
Not that we expected to find anything mind you,
not if we were honest.
Well, you don't, do you?
I mean, it's not every day the Messiah arrives, is it?
And we'd always imagined when he finally did it would be in a blaze of glory,
to a fanfare of trumpets,
with the maximum of publicity.
Yet do you know what?
When we got there
it was to find everything just as we had been told,
wonderfully special,
yet surprisingly ordinary.
Not Jerusalem but Bethlehem,
not a palace but a stable,
not a prince enthroned in splendour but a baby lying in a manger.
We still find it hard to believe even now,
to think God chose to come through that tiny vulnerable child.
But as the years have passed -
and we’ve seen not just his birth but his life,
and not just his life but his death,
and not just his death, his his empty tomb,
his graveclothes, his joyful followers -
we’ve slowly come to realise it really was true.
God had chosen to come to us,
and more than that, to you - to ordinary, everyday people,
in the most ordinary, everyday of ways.
How extraordinary!
Prayer
Sheep can be very cute Lord,
lovely as lambs gambolling around the fields,
serene as they munch grass, playful as they explore,
obedient to the dogs sent to round them up;
their wool and their meat have been useful for thousands of years;
but these days we don’t think much of shepherds;
modern machinery makes sheep keeping a bit easier than it was in your day,
but those shepherds, up all night, protecting their flock,
not able to keep all the Law as sheep needed protection all the time,
they were the ones You sent the angels to!
We still sing of peace and goodwill,
we still imagine the angels rejoicing.
Help us, Good Shepherd,
to sing their song, to work for peace, to show goodwill,
and to keep, at the heart of it all, the simple trusting love of a baby. Amen
We listen now as Sharon Barr, our Designated Safeguarding Lead, reads the theological musics of the writer of John’s Gospel
Reading St John 1: 1 - 18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son ] who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
As we ponder John’s prologue we sing one of the oldest hymns still used in the Church, Of The Father’s Love Begotten.
Hymn Of The Father’s Love Begotten
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius Translator: J. M. Neale
sung at the Shenandoah Christian Music Camp and used with their kind permission
Of the Father’s love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see
evermore and evermore!
2 O that birth forever blessed,
when the virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bore the Saviour of our race;
and the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
first revealed His sacred face,
evermore and evermore!
3 O ye heights of heav'n, adore Him;
angel hosts, His praises sing:
pow'rs, dominions, bow before Him
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!
That song echoes down the ages for us. Now Nicola Furley-Smith, our Secretary of Ministries, muses on what it must have been like for a resident of Bethlehem all those years ago.
Meditation of a Resident of Bethlehem
Have you heard the news?
They're saying the Messiah's been born right here in Bethlehem.
Honestly, that's what I was told, the Christ,
God's promised deliverer, come at last to set us free.
Do I believe it?
Well, I'm not sure.
It's hard to credit, I admit,
but this friend I spoke to seemed pretty certain.
Heard it from a shepherd apparently,
some chap who claimed to have seen the child for themselves, and by all accounts he was delirious with excitement, absolutely full of it.
He may have been mistaken, of course, or simply spinning some old yarn -
you never can be sure, can you?
And, believe me, I don't go round believing everything I hear.
But this friend of mine,
the one who heard it from the shepherd,
he was full of it too.
You would have thought he’d been there,
in the stable, beside the manger,
the way he spoke.
He was utterly convinced, there's no question about that,
and as I listened to him chattering on,
I felt the urge welling up inside me,
just as he had done, to tell someone else,
to share the good news with those around me.
If he was right then this wasn't something to keep to myself,
not for the privileged few, but a message for everybody, one they all needed to hear.
But before I say anything more,
risk making a complete fool of myself,
there's something I have to do -
something my friend should have done and which the shepherds presumably did -
and that is go and see for myself.
Call me a cynic if you like but I believe it's important -
no, more than that, vital -
for if you're going to accept something,
let alone expect others to do the same,
you have to be sure of your ground,
as certain as you can be that it's not just all some grand delusion.
So I'm going now,
off to find out the truth for myself, off to see this child,
if he really exists, with my own eyes.
And if I find everything just as I've been told,
the baby lying there in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth,
then I shall go and tell others what I have seen -
for let's be honest,
what else would there be to do?
What else could anybody do in my place?
Prayer
It’s hard, Lord,
when we think and sing about Bethlehem
to separate out the town when you were born and what it is now;
a place caught up in pain, violence, disputed land, and hatred.
We want to think of it sleeping in stillness,
but the TV news reminds us of a different reality.
Help us to work, for peace, to see, in Your birth and life,
a pathway to a fierce truth-telling, justice-seeking love
which meets the hopes and fears of all the years. Amen.
The shepherds weren’t the only folk searching for Jesus as our next reading reminds us.
Reading St Matthew 2: 1 - 12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
One of the interesting things is about Christmas is we sing material from across the ages with modern hymns taking their place alongside Victorian carols and ancient material. Our next carol comes from the 14th Century but has been very popular because of the pairing of lovely words with a fun tune.
Hymn Good Christian Friends Rejoice
Latin 14th Century, translator JM Neal, Public Domain
sung by the Beyond the Walls Choir and used with their kind permission
Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today!
Ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!
2 Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye hear of endless bliss:
Jesus Christ was born for this!
God has opened heaven’s door,
and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!
3 Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
now ye need not fear the grave:
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all
to gain the everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
For our final reflection Neil Hunter, our Digital Content Manager, plays the role of one of those mysterious magi.
Meditation of the Magi
We knew it would be worth it the moment we saw the star,
worth the hassle,
worth the effort,
worth the sacrifice.
But there were times then we wondered, can tell you!
As we laboured over those dusty barren tracks,
as we watched fearfully for bandits in the mountains,
as the sun beat down without a break,
and still no sign of an end to it,
we wondered, all too often.
We asked ourselves whether we'd got it wrong, misread the signs.
We argued over whether we'd taken the wrong turning somewhere along the way.
We questioned the wisdom of carrying on as the days dragged by.
And when finally we got to Jerusalem
only to find his own people had no idea what was going on,
then we really became worried.
Quite astonishing - the biggest event in their history,
and they didn't even realise it was happening!
Thankfully they looked it up,
eventually,
somewhere in one of their old prophets,
and we knew where to go then.
It was all there in writing if only they'd taken the trouble to look -
God knows why they couldn't see it!
Anyway, we made it at last, tired, sore and hungry, but we made it.
And it was worth it, more than we had ever imagined,
for in that child was a different sort of king, a different sort of kingdom,
from any we'd ever encountered before.
As much our ruler as theirs, as much our kingdom as anyone's.
So we didn't just present our gifts to him,
we didn't just make the customary gestures of acknowledgement.
We fell down and worshipped him.
Can you imagine that?
Us, respected, wealthy, important,
kneeling before a toddler.
Yet it seemed so natural,
the most natural response we could make,
the only response that would do!
Prayer
It’s odd, Lord, really,
that those astrologers found You;
the wisdom of other peoples having a lead on the court.
But then it’s odd that you were found not in a palace but a stable,
not in a bed but in a manger,
not with the up and in but the down and out.
I imagine those gifts were useful though,
kingly gold and priestly incense in particular;
I guess your mum was too polite to turn the myrrh down though,
nasty stuff, as bitter as sacrifice, an odd gift for a baby.
But then the odd story continues,
terrible murder, lonely exile, the highs and lows of ministry,
the betrayal of politics, and enthronement on a cross.
Help us this Christmas, Lord, to ponder the oddness of following You. Amen.
A carol service wouldn’t be the same without this exuberant carol from Charles Wesley. If you’ve not had your favourite carol yet, don’t worry we have URC services being sent out for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, the Sunday after Christmas and Epiphany! We sing now, Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
Hymn Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley, Public Domain, Sung by the Northern Baptist association and used with their kind permission
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"
2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin's womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th'incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Blessing
May the joy of the angels,
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary,
and the peace of the Christ child
be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Closing Music Good Christians All Rejoice arranged and played by Phil Nevard and used with his kind permission.
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Sunday Worship 22 December 2024
96
Sunday Worship 22 December 2024
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Worship Services from the URC
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Order of Service
Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
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to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 22 December 2024
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
Welcome
Hello and welcome to worship. Today we are almost ready to move into the Christmas season – a time of comfort, love, and joy. Many of us have travelled, or are about to travel, to be with - or preparing to host - family and friends. Today, on this last Sunday of Advent we remember Mary whose ‘yes’ to God ushered in a new world and who, herself, proclaimed a view of the world turned the right way up.
My name is Andy Braunston and whilst I live up in Orkney off Scotland’s far north coast but now I’m down in Lancashire to be with family for the festive season. So today, as we look back forward to Christmas, we join in our call to worship.
Call to Worship
We, living in gloom, gather to seek God’s light and love, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
We, burdened by heavy loads and news of wars and atrocities, gather to seek God’s peace and grace, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
We, caught up in the busyness of the season and the worries of the age, gather to seek God’s joy and power, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
And so as a people seeking light and love, peace and grace, and joy and power, we gather, not only to seek God’s comfort, but to see the world as it really is and what it could be when, like Mary, we glimpse the coming Kingdom and hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
Hymn Canticle of the Turning
Rory Cooney © 1990, GIA Publications, Inc. OneLicence # A-734713. Sung by members of Creator Lutheran Church
My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great.
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight
and my weakness you did not spurn.
So, from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
Though I am small, my God my all,
You work great things in me.
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame
and to those who would for you yearn
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn!
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
From the halls of power to the fortress tower
not a stone will be left on stone;
let the king beware for your justice tears
ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more
for the food they can never earn.
There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed
for the world is about to turn.
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
Though the nations rage from age to age
we remember who holds us fast.
God's mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound
'til the spear and rod can be crushed by God
who is turning the world around.
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
(repeat)
Advent Candle Lighting
Lighting Advent candles is a tradition coming, it is thought, from 17th Century German Lutherans. The tradition has evolved and become popular across the Church. A Lutheran pastor, tired of children asking if it was Christmas yet, got an old cartwheel, put 24 small candles and four larger candles and light one a day as a way of leading up to Christmas. One small candle was lit each weekday with a larger one each Sunday. The custom evolved into the Advent ring we see today and was taken up by German Catholics in the 1920s and then more widely. Advent primarily looks forward to Jesus’ coming again at the end of time but also is experienced as a countdown to Christmas.
Let us pray:
Table-turning God,
You scatter the proud and bring down the powerful,
You fill the hungry and send the rich away empty;
help us to do Your will
as we await our redemption which draws ever nearer. Amen
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Grace
Our souls cry out in praise and thanksgiving to you O God,
for all You have done and for all that You are.
We magnify You as Your servant Mary did so long ago,
for you have looked on us, in our lowliness,
raised us up, and made us a little less than the angels.
Through Your might, seen in weakness, You seek to change our world.
Discounting the mighty, You lift up the lowly.
Ignoring the proud, You delight in the humble.
But more, O God, You want us to do the same -
leaving behind the imagination of our hearts,
You call us to join in Your work of turning the tables,
feeding the hungry, and proclaiming that the world is about to turn.
Yet we so often ignore Your call and Your truth.
We prefer the glory of the world to the weakness of the Cross,
the company of the mighty rather than the presence of the lowly,
pride rather than humility, power rather than passion.
Forgive us, good God, and give us time to change. Amen.
Like a father who runs to welcome home the estranged,
like a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wing,
like a rock upon which we stand, God is loving and faithful,
forgives our sins and urges us to forgive others.
So, claim the forgiveness on offer,
forgive and be forgiven
so as to live as whole people. Amen!
Introduction
We hear again today the story of Mary’s great song of liberation; based in part on Hannah’s song in the Old Testament. The words we know as the Magnificat are often denied of their power by being set to tunes which, despite being beautiful, don’t convey the power of Mary’s words – words which discomfort and disturb us. Words which are safer when sung to stuffy music rather than mulled over for our life now. Words which explain where Jesus got some of his political ideas from. Let’s pray for light as we then hear again those ancient words.
Prayer for Illumination
Speak to us, O God, as a voice in our ear, warmth in our heart,
a sense of presence in our soul, a tingling in our being,
that as we hear, we learn to follow, Amen.
Reading St Luke 1: 49 – 55
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Hymn The Angel Gabriel
S. Baring-Gould Public Domain performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.
The Angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
'All hail,' said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
'For known a blessèd Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honour thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold;
most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
'To me be as it pleaseth God,' she said.
'My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name':
most highly favoured lady. Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
'Most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
Sermon
The English academic historian Diarmaid MacCulloch’s most recent book, Lower than the Angels, seeks to give a history of Christian views on sex and sexuality. It’s a very long, and well written book which is often quite humorous. MacCulloch brings a lightness of style to his academic work and gets a wide reading. In his book he muses on how the Church has used Mary, the mother of Jesus, in ways which run rather contrary to common sense and the Biblical narrative. This simple peasant girl from the hill country in Galilee is made into the Queen of Heaven. Despite the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ siblings, she’s declared ever-virgin. Despite revolutionary leanings in today’s reading, she’s always portrayed as submissive, eyes cast down, and ever obedient to God. She is held up as an example for women to follow yet women can never be both virgin and mother and so end up condemned by the priests and patriarchs for simply being themselves. The book is heady stuff but, there again, so is today’s reading.
We see two marginalised pregnant women meet up to console and comfort each other as they confirm things. Elizabeth is well beyond child-bearing years yet found herself pregnant and, just when it would be useful to have the help of her husband, he’s been made mute for doubting an angel. Then as now women could become pregnant rather later than expected but it’s clear this isn’t a surprise but a downright shock. Heaven knows what the village gossip would have been like; heaven knows what fears Elizabeth would have had bringing a child to term at her age and how long she’d have with the child before her own demise. Then we have teenage Mary pregnant out of wedlock – a precarious place for a woman in Palestine in that era – as now. Joseph could have broken off the engagement or could have had her stoned as an adulteress. Mary’s ‘yes’ was both radical and dangerous. Calvin thought this passage was about Mary seeking confirmation from Elizabeth than she’d done the right thing in saying ‘yes’ to Gabriel, but maybe Mary’s song was one that confirmed things to Elizabeth who must have been full of doubt about her pregnancy and all that would come next.
Here are two pregnant women, one far too old and the other probably far too young by our standards. One bears the messenger, the other the message. Both are in the story here without reference to men – Zechariah’s off somewhere being silent, Joseph is out of the picture. Both women must have been battling with doubt and hurt, wondering what on earth they had got themselves into and what God had in mind. These two women – each isolated in their own ways - sought connection and community as their worlds were turned upside down.
In this they are not that dissimilar to us; we need to find connection and community in a world which is often fragmented and where the hallmark of contemporary societies is loneliness even as we have countless online friends. We are bombarded with news yet really don’t know what’s going on. We have much to distract us with social media, hundreds of TV channels yet, at the same time, we’re bored. We long for authentic connection and true community where we can know and be known and where we won’t be judged. Surely this was what Mary and Elizabeth found in each other and what we could build in the Church. I’m sure that many in the Church now think they are far too old to be doing the jobs and roles that they do; I marvel at how, in the Catholic Church, they stop the cardinals being able to vote, or be made pope, at the age of 80! Imagine doing that job at that age! I imagine more than one pope has looked at Elizabeth’s story with a degree of sympathy. There again the few youngsters that are in our churches may wonder what they’ve got themselves into and, like Mary, feel they are far too inexperienced for the roles we often give them.
Our passage, however, gives us rather more. In the context of two marginalised women we hear Mary’s great revolutionary cry. These are dangerous words and, evidently, they were banned in British India, in 1980s Guatemala and Argentina – all for being too revolutionary for the establishment’s comfort. Oscar Romero, the murdered archbishop of San Salvador drew a comparison between Mary and the poor and powerless people in his country. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor murdered by the Nazis because he’d involved himself in a plot to topple and kill Hitler wrote that the Magnificat was “the most passionate, the wildest, one might say the most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” And written long before the Internationale – the hymn of revolutionary Communism - was composed.
In the Church we silence Mary in other ways. Many Catholics and Orthodox by making her meek and submissive, denying her womanhood and sexuality, and then exalting her with heavenly glory forgetting her earthly revolutionary fervour. Saints are always safer once they are dead of course. In Protestantism, as a reaction to the Catholic treatment of her, we tend to rather ignore her and, again, forget these words even as we sing them. Some modern sung versions of Mary’s song even leave out the revolutionary bits!
When Mary sang her song 2-3 percent of the population were rich whilst the rest struggled to get by. These are not the words of a gentle girl preparing to have her child but one of anguish and anger in an unjust unfair world crying out for change. These are words longing for the order of the world to be reversed and the tables to be turned. I wonder if these words came back to Mary on Christmas eve; she and Joseph shelter in a stable whilst Herod is in a sumptuous palace. They must flee into exile because of the insecure murderous rage of a tyrant. Their lives are unsettled by the schemes of the powerful and unimaginably rich. In the face of these absurdities, Mary proclaims a different type of absurdity – a world where things are turned around, where the rich are sent away empty, the hungry fed and the powerful dislodged from their thrones.
In our contemporary age things aren’t so different. The riches 10% of the world’s population own 76% of the world’s wealth whilst the poorest only own 2%. In the UK the bottom half of the population own less than 5% of the wealth whilst the top 10% own 57% and the top 1% own 23% of the wealth. The puzzle is how we react to this. The news we watch tells us to be suspicious of immigrants but not of millionaires yet it’s the latter with the wealth. It’s like the wealthy sit at the table stuffing themselves leaving the rest of us to argue over their crumbs. The clever know how to exploit all this. Mr Trumps victory in America seems to have been mainly about the economy where things have been hard over the last four years of Mr Biden’s presidency. Mr Trump, a failed businessman who inherited, and squandered, much of his money has enlisted the richest people in America who will do very well indeed out of his policies yet convinced normal working people they’ll be better off. We worry about the changes that new governments that bring in yet, normally, they tinker only around the edges of the systems we have rather than challenge and change the systems themselves. And, of course, we’re asked to blame those with least responsibility for our contemporary problems not those who cause them. We look at the Magnificat and think it’s absurd but we’re immune to the absurdities of our world as we’re taught they’re normal. Maybe a greater familiarity with Mary’s song will help us see the world as it is and how it should be.
Of course, all this is unsettling on the verge of Christmas. We don’t want to think about global politics, most of us don’t want to think of Mr Trump, and this isn’t the season for thinking about how to overturn the political tables and systems of our age…yet as Bonhoeffer noted Mary’s song is the oldest Advent hymn. He noted “This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”
So as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we remember the words of his mother. Not sickly sweet words, not words just talking about spiritual themes but hard, earthly words, words of a world turned upside down. Absurd words for an absurd age. Words from a marginalised pregnant woman. Words so dangerous the Church distracts from them by omission and dreary tunes. Yet these words go to the heart of Jesus’ own message and of God’s desire, in the coming Kingdom, to turn the world around. Let’s pray.
Eternal One,
we hear again Mary’s words;
not words from a dream,
but words offering salvation for many and destruction for some.
Words of victory and defeat, words of a victim and a victor.
Help us, O God, to live these words, and to overturn the tables of our age,
that we may sing Magnificat
and see the world’s absurdity turn into Your kingdom. Amen.
Hymn No Wind At The Window
John L Bell © 1992, Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. OneLicence # A-734713. Kirkton Church, Carluke, used with permission
No wind at the window, no knock on the door;
no light from the lampstand, no foot on the floor;
no dream born of tiredness, no ghost raised by fear:
just an angel and a woman and a voice in her ear.
O Mary, O Mary, don’t hide from my face.
Be glad that you’re favoured and filled with God’s grace.
The time for redeeming the world has begun;
and you are requested to mother God’s Son.
This child must be born that the kingdom might come:
salvation for many, destruction for some;
both end and beginning, both message and sign;
both victor and victim, both yours and divine.
No payment was promised, no promises made;
no wedding was dated, no blueprint displayed.
Yet Mary, consenting to what none could guess,
replied with conviction, Tell God I say, ‘Yes’.
Affirmation of Faith
We sing to our Lord a new song; we sing in our world a sure hope: Our God loves this world. The Ancient of Days called it into being, renews it through Jesus Christ, and governs it by the Holy Spirit. God is the world’s true hope. God saves the world through Jesus; those who call on His name will have life. Christ’s hand reaches out beyond those who say “Lord” to the infants who live in the atmosphere of faith, even to the farthest stars and planets of all creation. The boundaries of God’s love are not known; the Spirit works at the ends of the world, before the Church has there spoken a word. God will renew the world through Jesus, who will put all unrighteousness out, purify the works of human hands and perfect our fellowship in divine love. Christ will wipe away ever tear; death shall be no more. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and all creation will be filled with God’s glory. Come Lord Jesus, we are open to your Spirit. We await your full presence, our world finds rest and hope in you alone. Amen.
Offertory
The season of giving is upon us; the joy and delight in another’s eyes on receiving a gift is priceless. The joy in giving of our time to another, to offer a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear is priceless too. The gifts we give to support the charities and causes dear to us are priceless as is our giving to the Church – giving of time, talent and treasure. So let’s give thanks for all that’s given and the love and care it represents:
God of all good gifts,
we thank You for the gifts of time, talent, and treasure in this place.
May we know the joy of giving, the gratitude of receiving,
and the purpose that comes from following You. Amen.
Intercessions
As we bring our prayers to God we use the song from Taizé to focus our minds and hearts. You may wish simply to listen or to sing along.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Eternal One we wait,
we wait for the Christmas season to fully start,
we wait to see loved ones and friends,
we wait to celebrate;
we might even just be waiting for it all to be over!
We wait too for the world to turn,
for the words of Your mother to come true,
and for your Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Lord Jesus we wait,
we wait for justice to come to those who have long evaded it,
we wait for transparency in our systems and organisations,
we wait for the world to be fair to all instead of some,
we wait for racism to be named, exposed, and banished
from our structures,
we wait for our politics to align with Yours
where the hungry are fed and the lowly lifted up,
and for the Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Most Holy Spirit we wait,
we wait for the work You have begun in us to come to fruition,
we wait for Your guidance and the strength to follow,
we wait for opportunities to share our faith in word and action,
we wait for those who are ill in mind, body, and spirit to find wholeness,
we wait for Your Church to model the integrity, prophetic witness and honesty You dream of, and for the Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Eternal Trinity of love,
Accept our prayers, inspire and motivate us to wait,
Help us to keep watch and take heart.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
And so, with Jesus we pray…
Our Father…
(Wait for the Lord from the Taizé Community performed by Emmaus and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713)
Hymn When Out of Poverty is Born
Kathryn Galloway (b. 1952) Sung by members of Alloway Church and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713
When out of poverty is born a dream that will not die,
& landless weary folk find strength to stand with heads held high,
it’s then we learn from those who wait to greet the promised day,
The Lord is coming; don’t lose heart: be blest; prepare the way!
When people wander far from God, forget to share their bread,
they find their wealth an empty thing, their spirits are not fed.
For only just and tender love the hungry soul will stay.
And so God’s prophets echo still: be blest; prepare the way!
When God took flesh and came to earth the world turned upside down,
and in the strength of woman’s faith the Word of Life was born.
She knew that God would raise the low, it pleased her to obey.
Rejoice with Mary in the call, be blest; prepare the way!
Blessing
May the One who gave a vision to Mary of the world as it is,
the One who was brought up by her to see the world as it should be,
and the One who gives the energy to change the world,
enable you not to forget, nor tone down God’s preferential love
for the poor, the lowly, and the abused,
and to work to bring the values of the Kingdom
into the absurdities of our society.
And the blessing of our table turning God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you all now and always, Amen.
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Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today's service. You can either simply read this or you can
click here
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns. This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol. Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service. Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 22 December 2024
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston
Welcome
Hello and welcome to worship. Today we are almost ready to move into the Christmas season – a time of comfort, love, and joy. Many of us have travelled, or are about to travel, to be with - or preparing to host - family and friends. Today, on this last Sunday of Advent we remember Mary whose ‘yes’ to God ushered in a new world and who, herself, proclaimed a view of the world turned the right way up.
My name is Andy Braunston and whilst I live up in Orkney off Scotland’s far north coast but now I’m down in Lancashire to be with family for the festive season. So today, as we look back forward to Christmas, we join in our call to worship.
Call to Worship
We, living in gloom, gather to seek God’s light and love, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
We, burdened by heavy loads and news of wars and atrocities, gather to seek God’s peace and grace, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
We, caught up in the busyness of the season and the worries of the age, gather to seek God’s joy and power, and to hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
And so as a people seeking light and love, peace and grace, and joy and power, we gather, not only to seek God’s comfort, but to see the world as it really is and what it could be when, like Mary, we glimpse the coming Kingdom and hear God say: ‘Comfort, comfort now my people!’
Hymn Canticle of the Turning
Rory Cooney © 1990, GIA Publications, Inc. OneLicence # A-734713. Sung by members of Creator Lutheran Church
My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great.
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight
and my weakness you did not spurn.
So, from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
Though I am small, my God my all,
You work great things in me.
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame
and to those who would for you yearn
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn!
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
From the halls of power to the fortress tower
not a stone will be left on stone;
let the king beware for your justice tears
ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more
for the food they can never earn.
There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed
for the world is about to turn.
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
Though the nations rage from age to age
we remember who holds us fast.
God's mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound
'til the spear and rod can be crushed by God
who is turning the world around.
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
and the world is about to turn!
(repeat)
Advent Candle Lighting
Lighting Advent candles is a tradition coming, it is thought, from 17th Century German Lutherans. The tradition has evolved and become popular across the Church. A Lutheran pastor, tired of children asking if it was Christmas yet, got an old cartwheel, put 24 small candles and four larger candles and light one a day as a way of leading up to Christmas. One small candle was lit each weekday with a larger one each Sunday. The custom evolved into the Advent ring we see today and was taken up by German Catholics in the 1920s and then more widely. Advent primarily looks forward to Jesus’ coming again at the end of time but also is experienced as a countdown to Christmas.
Let us pray:
Table-turning God,
You scatter the proud and bring down the powerful,
You fill the hungry and send the rich away empty;
help us to do Your will
as we await our redemption which draws ever nearer. Amen
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Grace
Our souls cry out in praise and thanksgiving to you O God,
for all You have done and for all that You are.
We magnify You as Your servant Mary did so long ago,
for you have looked on us, in our lowliness,
raised us up, and made us a little less than the angels.
Through Your might, seen in weakness, You seek to change our world.
Discounting the mighty, You lift up the lowly.
Ignoring the proud, You delight in the humble.
But more, O God, You want us to do the same -
leaving behind the imagination of our hearts,
You call us to join in Your work of turning the tables,
feeding the hungry, and proclaiming that the world is about to turn.
Yet we so often ignore Your call and Your truth.
We prefer the glory of the world to the weakness of the Cross,
the company of the mighty rather than the presence of the lowly,
pride rather than humility, power rather than passion.
Forgive us, good God, and give us time to change. Amen.
Like a father who runs to welcome home the estranged,
like a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wing,
like a rock upon which we stand, God is loving and faithful,
forgives our sins and urges us to forgive others.
So, claim the forgiveness on offer,
forgive and be forgiven
so as to live as whole people. Amen!
Introduction
We hear again today the story of Mary’s great song of liberation; based in part on Hannah’s song in the Old Testament. The words we know as the Magnificat are often denied of their power by being set to tunes which, despite being beautiful, don’t convey the power of Mary’s words – words which discomfort and disturb us. Words which are safer when sung to stuffy music rather than mulled over for our life now. Words which explain where Jesus got some of his political ideas from. Let’s pray for light as we then hear again those ancient words.
Prayer for Illumination
Speak to us, O God, as a voice in our ear, warmth in our heart,
a sense of presence in our soul, a tingling in our being,
that as we hear, we learn to follow, Amen.
Reading St Luke 1: 49 – 55
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Hymn The Angel Gabriel
S. Baring-Gould Public Domain performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.
The Angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
'All hail,' said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
'For known a blessèd Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honour thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold;
most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
'To me be as it pleaseth God,' she said.
'My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name':
most highly favoured lady. Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
'Most highly favoured lady.' Gloria!
Sermon
The English academic historian Diarmaid MacCulloch’s most recent book, Lower than the Angels, seeks to give a history of Christian views on sex and sexuality. It’s a very long, and well written book which is often quite humorous. MacCulloch brings a lightness of style to his academic work and gets a wide reading. In his book he muses on how the Church has used Mary, the mother of Jesus, in ways which run rather contrary to common sense and the Biblical narrative. This simple peasant girl from the hill country in Galilee is made into the Queen of Heaven. Despite the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ siblings, she’s declared ever-virgin. Despite revolutionary leanings in today’s reading, she’s always portrayed as submissive, eyes cast down, and ever obedient to God. She is held up as an example for women to follow yet women can never be both virgin and mother and so end up condemned by the priests and patriarchs for simply being themselves. The book is heady stuff but, there again, so is today’s reading.
We see two marginalised pregnant women meet up to console and comfort each other as they confirm things. Elizabeth is well beyond child-bearing years yet found herself pregnant and, just when it would be useful to have the help of her husband, he’s been made mute for doubting an angel. Then as now women could become pregnant rather later than expected but it’s clear this isn’t a surprise but a downright shock. Heaven knows what the village gossip would have been like; heaven knows what fears Elizabeth would have had bringing a child to term at her age and how long she’d have with the child before her own demise. Then we have teenage Mary pregnant out of wedlock – a precarious place for a woman in Palestine in that era – as now. Joseph could have broken off the engagement or could have had her stoned as an adulteress. Mary’s ‘yes’ was both radical and dangerous. Calvin thought this passage was about Mary seeking confirmation from Elizabeth than she’d done the right thing in saying ‘yes’ to Gabriel, but maybe Mary’s song was one that confirmed things to Elizabeth who must have been full of doubt about her pregnancy and all that would come next.
Here are two pregnant women, one far too old and the other probably far too young by our standards. One bears the messenger, the other the message. Both are in the story here without reference to men – Zechariah’s off somewhere being silent, Joseph is out of the picture. Both women must have been battling with doubt and hurt, wondering what on earth they had got themselves into and what God had in mind. These two women – each isolated in their own ways - sought connection and community as their worlds were turned upside down.
In this they are not that dissimilar to us; we need to find connection and community in a world which is often fragmented and where the hallmark of contemporary societies is loneliness even as we have countless online friends. We are bombarded with news yet really don’t know what’s going on. We have much to distract us with social media, hundreds of TV channels yet, at the same time, we’re bored. We long for authentic connection and true community where we can know and be known and where we won’t be judged. Surely this was what Mary and Elizabeth found in each other and what we could build in the Church. I’m sure that many in the Church now think they are far too old to be doing the jobs and roles that they do; I marvel at how, in the Catholic Church, they stop the cardinals being able to vote, or be made pope, at the age of 80! Imagine doing that job at that age! I imagine more than one pope has looked at Elizabeth’s story with a degree of sympathy. There again the few youngsters that are in our churches may wonder what they’ve got themselves into and, like Mary, feel they are far too inexperienced for the roles we often give them.
Our passage, however, gives us rather more. In the context of two marginalised women we hear Mary’s great revolutionary cry. These are dangerous words and, evidently, they were banned in British India, in 1980s Guatemala and Argentina – all for being too revolutionary for the establishment’s comfort. Oscar Romero, the murdered archbishop of San Salvador drew a comparison between Mary and the poor and powerless people in his country. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor murdered by the Nazis because he’d involved himself in a plot to topple and kill Hitler wrote that the Magnificat was “the most passionate, the wildest, one might say the most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” And written long before the Internationale – the hymn of revolutionary Communism - was composed.
In the Church we silence Mary in other ways. Many Catholics and Orthodox by making her meek and submissive, denying her womanhood and sexuality, and then exalting her with heavenly glory forgetting her earthly revolutionary fervour. Saints are always safer once they are dead of course. In Protestantism, as a reaction to the Catholic treatment of her, we tend to rather ignore her and, again, forget these words even as we sing them. Some modern sung versions of Mary’s song even leave out the revolutionary bits!
When Mary sang her song 2-3 percent of the population were rich whilst the rest struggled to get by. These are not the words of a gentle girl preparing to have her child but one of anguish and anger in an unjust unfair world crying out for change. These are words longing for the order of the world to be reversed and the tables to be turned. I wonder if these words came back to Mary on Christmas eve; she and Joseph shelter in a stable whilst Herod is in a sumptuous palace. They must flee into exile because of the insecure murderous rage of a tyrant. Their lives are unsettled by the schemes of the powerful and unimaginably rich. In the face of these absurdities, Mary proclaims a different type of absurdity – a world where things are turned around, where the rich are sent away empty, the hungry fed and the powerful dislodged from their thrones.
In our contemporary age things aren’t so different. The riches 10% of the world’s population own 76% of the world’s wealth whilst the poorest only own 2%. In the UK the bottom half of the population own less than 5% of the wealth whilst the top 10% own 57% and the top 1% own 23% of the wealth. The puzzle is how we react to this. The news we watch tells us to be suspicious of immigrants but not of millionaires yet it’s the latter with the wealth. It’s like the wealthy sit at the table stuffing themselves leaving the rest of us to argue over their crumbs. The clever know how to exploit all this. Mr Trumps victory in America seems to have been mainly about the economy where things have been hard over the last four years of Mr Biden’s presidency. Mr Trump, a failed businessman who inherited, and squandered, much of his money has enlisted the richest people in America who will do very well indeed out of his policies yet convinced normal working people they’ll be better off. We worry about the changes that new governments that bring in yet, normally, they tinker only around the edges of the systems we have rather than challenge and change the systems themselves. And, of course, we’re asked to blame those with least responsibility for our contemporary problems not those who cause them. We look at the Magnificat and think it’s absurd but we’re immune to the absurdities of our world as we’re taught they’re normal. Maybe a greater familiarity with Mary’s song will help us see the world as it is and how it should be.
Of course, all this is unsettling on the verge of Christmas. We don’t want to think about global politics, most of us don’t want to think of Mr Trump, and this isn’t the season for thinking about how to overturn the political tables and systems of our age…yet as Bonhoeffer noted Mary’s song is the oldest Advent hymn. He noted “This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”
So as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we remember the words of his mother. Not sickly sweet words, not words just talking about spiritual themes but hard, earthly words, words of a world turned upside down. Absurd words for an absurd age. Words from a marginalised pregnant woman. Words so dangerous the Church distracts from them by omission and dreary tunes. Yet these words go to the heart of Jesus’ own message and of God’s desire, in the coming Kingdom, to turn the world around. Let’s pray.
Eternal One,
we hear again Mary’s words;
not words from a dream,
but words offering salvation for many and destruction for some.
Words of victory and defeat, words of a victim and a victor.
Help us, O God, to live these words, and to overturn the tables of our age,
that we may sing Magnificat
and see the world’s absurdity turn into Your kingdom. Amen.
Hymn No Wind At The Window
John L Bell © 1992, Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. OneLicence # A-734713. Kirkton Church, Carluke, used with permission
No wind at the window, no knock on the door;
no light from the lampstand, no foot on the floor;
no dream born of tiredness, no ghost raised by fear:
just an angel and a woman and a voice in her ear.
O Mary, O Mary, don’t hide from my face.
Be glad that you’re favoured and filled with God’s grace.
The time for redeeming the world has begun;
and you are requested to mother God’s Son.
This child must be born that the kingdom might come:
salvation for many, destruction for some;
both end and beginning, both message and sign;
both victor and victim, both yours and divine.
No payment was promised, no promises made;
no wedding was dated, no blueprint displayed.
Yet Mary, consenting to what none could guess,
replied with conviction, Tell God I say, ‘Yes’.
Affirmation of Faith
We sing to our Lord a new song; we sing in our world a sure hope: Our God loves this world. The Ancient of Days called it into being, renews it through Jesus Christ, and governs it by the Holy Spirit. God is the world’s true hope. God saves the world through Jesus; those who call on His name will have life. Christ’s hand reaches out beyond those who say “Lord” to the infants who live in the atmosphere of faith, even to the farthest stars and planets of all creation. The boundaries of God’s love are not known; the Spirit works at the ends of the world, before the Church has there spoken a word. God will renew the world through Jesus, who will put all unrighteousness out, purify the works of human hands and perfect our fellowship in divine love. Christ will wipe away ever tear; death shall be no more. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and all creation will be filled with God’s glory. Come Lord Jesus, we are open to your Spirit. We await your full presence, our world finds rest and hope in you alone. Amen.
Offertory
The season of giving is upon us; the joy and delight in another’s eyes on receiving a gift is priceless. The joy in giving of our time to another, to offer a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear is priceless too. The gifts we give to support the charities and causes dear to us are priceless as is our giving to the Church – giving of time, talent and treasure. So let’s give thanks for all that’s given and the love and care it represents:
God of all good gifts,
we thank You for the gifts of time, talent, and treasure in this place.
May we know the joy of giving, the gratitude of receiving,
and the purpose that comes from following You. Amen.
Intercessions
As we bring our prayers to God we use the song from Taizé to focus our minds and hearts. You may wish simply to listen or to sing along.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Eternal One we wait,
we wait for the Christmas season to fully start,
we wait to see loved ones and friends,
we wait to celebrate;
we might even just be waiting for it all to be over!
We wait too for the world to turn,
for the words of Your mother to come true,
and for your Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Lord Jesus we wait,
we wait for justice to come to those who have long evaded it,
we wait for transparency in our systems and organisations,
we wait for the world to be fair to all instead of some,
we wait for racism to be named, exposed, and banished
from our structures,
we wait for our politics to align with Yours
where the hungry are fed and the lowly lifted up,
and for the Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Most Holy Spirit we wait,
we wait for the work You have begun in us to come to fruition,
we wait for Your guidance and the strength to follow,
we wait for opportunities to share our faith in word and action,
we wait for those who are ill in mind, body, and spirit to find wholeness,
we wait for Your Church to model the integrity, prophetic witness and honesty You dream of, and for the Kingdom to come.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
Eternal Trinity of love,
Accept our prayers, inspire and motivate us to wait,
Help us to keep watch and take heart.
Wait for the Lord whose day is near.
Wait for the Lord, keep watch, take heart.
And so, with Jesus we pray…
Our Father…
(Wait for the Lord from the Taizé Community performed by Emmaus and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713)
Hymn When Out of Poverty is Born
Kathryn Galloway (b. 1952) Sung by members of Alloway Church and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713
When out of poverty is born a dream that will not die,
& landless weary folk find strength to stand with heads held high,
it’s then we learn from those who wait to greet the promised day,
The Lord is coming; don’t lose heart: be blest; prepare the way!
When people wander far from God, forget to share their bread,
they find their wealth an empty thing, their spirits are not fed.
For only just and tender love the hungry soul will stay.
And so God’s prophets echo still: be blest; prepare the way!
When God took flesh and came to earth the world turned upside down,
and in the strength of woman’s faith the Word of Life was born.
She knew that God would raise the low, it pleased her to obey.
Rejoice with Mary in the call, be blest; prepare the way!
Blessing
May the One who gave a vision to Mary of the world as it is,
the One who was brought up by her to see the world as it should be,
and the One who gives the energy to change the world,
enable you not to forget, nor tone down God’s preferential love
for the poor, the lowly, and the abused,
and to work to bring the values of the Kingdom
into the absurdities of our society.
And the blessing of our table turning God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you all now and always, Amen.
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URC Daily Devotion 22 December 2024 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
96
URC Daily Devotion 22 December 2024 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
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22 December 2024
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
We jump back in the Gospel to cover Luke’s version of the Christmas story this week.
St Luke 1: 26 - 38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Reflection
As with much of the Christmas story, we know the passages so well that they often lose their impact. So, it is good sometimes to just stop and really think about these words.
I am always astounded at Mary’s response to the words of the Angel Gabriel. Here is a girl, a teenager, trying to navigate her way through life and arrange a wedding when suddenly her whole world is turned upside down.
To be told she will become pregnant must have been frightening enough, but to be told that your son will be an ancestor of David, the Son of God no less; what a responsibility! Yet Mary simply says ‘yes’. What must have been going through her mind when the angel spoke to her, perhaps she was lost for words and could only manage ‘yes’?
It can be easy to look at Mary and see her as submissive – just accepting what is going to happen to her, yet if you look at the passage again, the angel does not give her a choice – she is told this will happen. She may question the mechanics of it but other than that she has no choice in the matter.
After the initial shock, Mary does go on to speak wonderful words of poetry known as The Magnificat but I’m sure you’ll hear that tomorrow.
Although at this time of year it can be easy to overlook it, there is much that is wrong in our world - war, violence and injustice, both individual and systemic, we can all play a part in working to overcome this and work towards a world that is fairer for all.
I wonder how keen we would be to answer ‘yes’, if the call came to us to challenge these systems, regardless of the cost to us?
Prayer
Lord, as we prepare to celebrate the result of Mary’s ‘yes’, the birth of your Son, help us to look at ways we can say yes, yes to helping others, yes to dismantling unjust structures, yes to spreading the Good News that is at the heart of this story. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Branwen Rees, East Wales Regional Minister Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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The Fourth Sunday of Advent
We jump back in the Gospel to cover Luke’s version of the Christmas story this week.
St Luke 1: 26 - 38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Reflection
As with much of the Christmas story, we know the passages so well that they often lose their impact. So, it is good sometimes to just stop and really think about these words.
I am always astounded at Mary’s response to the words of the Angel Gabriel. Here is a girl, a teenager, trying to navigate her way through life and arrange a wedding when suddenly her whole world is turned upside down.
To be told she will become pregnant must have been frightening enough, but to be told that your son will be an ancestor of David, the Son of God no less; what a responsibility! Yet Mary simply says ‘yes’. What must have been going through her mind when the angel spoke to her, perhaps she was lost for words and could only manage ‘yes’?
It can be easy to look at Mary and see her as submissive – just accepting what is going to happen to her, yet if you look at the passage again, the angel does not give her a choice – she is told this will happen. She may question the mechanics of it but other than that she has no choice in the matter.
After the initial shock, Mary does go on to speak wonderful words of poetry known as The Magnificat but I’m sure you’ll hear that tomorrow.
Although at this time of year it can be easy to overlook it, there is much that is wrong in our world - war, violence and injustice, both individual and systemic, we can all play a part in working to overcome this and work towards a world that is fairer for all.
I wonder how keen we would be to answer ‘yes’, if the call came to us to challenge these systems, regardless of the cost to us?
Prayer
Lord, as we prepare to celebrate the result of Mary’s ‘yes’, the birth of your Son, help us to look at ways we can say yes, yes to helping others, yes to dismantling unjust structures, yes to spreading the Good News that is at the heart of this story. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Branwen Rees, East Wales Regional Minister Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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URC Daily Devotion 21 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion 21 December 2024
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21 December 2024
St Luke 6: 46 - 49
Jesus said: ‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.’
Reflection
Doing what the Lord tells us creates strength and resilience. We may not feel strong or resilient, but when we face a catastrophic onslaught we discover, to our surprise, that we have the strength and resilience to withstand the attack. This is what Jesus’ metaphor about house building teaches us.
I believe it is true. But I am the first to acknowledge that others have had to face, and are facing, onslaughts far more catastrophic than I have had to face. So my faith in this truth is on the one hand firm, and on the other hand provisional.
Despite that though, the parable remains clear. Life throws at us all the destructive happenings that it can, and we find out in the midst of it all that there is at the heart of our being a stability, a power, a security that we had no idea we had been constructing piece by piece, obedience by obedience, over the years.
Maybe here is the kernel of why the faith has lasted two millennia. Groups of people and individuals have experienced in the reality of their lives that Christ is a sure foundation and that obeying Christ’s teaching really does form them to be people who weather storms.
But of course the slant of this text is the other way round. “Why do you not do what I tell you?” Do you hear the frustration in this utterance? Humanity is given free will and, freely and repetitively, humanity chooses the easy way that leads to disaster.
So, was the Incarnation a waste of time? Something to think about over the coming week as we turn to the familiar Christmas readings.
Prayer
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
--> Today's writer The Revd Gwen Collins, retired minister, Avenue St Andrew’s URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 6: 46 - 49
Jesus said: ‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.’
Reflection
Doing what the Lord tells us creates strength and resilience. We may not feel strong or resilient, but when we face a catastrophic onslaught we discover, to our surprise, that we have the strength and resilience to withstand the attack. This is what Jesus’ metaphor about house building teaches us.
I believe it is true. But I am the first to acknowledge that others have had to face, and are facing, onslaughts far more catastrophic than I have had to face. So my faith in this truth is on the one hand firm, and on the other hand provisional.
Despite that though, the parable remains clear. Life throws at us all the destructive happenings that it can, and we find out in the midst of it all that there is at the heart of our being a stability, a power, a security that we had no idea we had been constructing piece by piece, obedience by obedience, over the years.
Maybe here is the kernel of why the faith has lasted two millennia. Groups of people and individuals have experienced in the reality of their lives that Christ is a sure foundation and that obeying Christ’s teaching really does form them to be people who weather storms.
But of course the slant of this text is the other way round. “Why do you not do what I tell you?” Do you hear the frustration in this utterance? Humanity is given free will and, freely and repetitively, humanity chooses the easy way that leads to disaster.
So, was the Incarnation a waste of time? Something to think about over the coming week as we turn to the familiar Christmas readings.
Prayer
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
--> Today's writer The Revd Gwen Collins, retired minister, Avenue St Andrew’s URC Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
Change Your Email Address
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URC Daily Devotion Friday 20 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion Friday 20 December 2024
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Friday 20 December 2024
St Luke 6: 43 - 45
Jesus said: ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Reflection
A participant at the Friday Drop-In hosted by a local church had been allocated an allotment and wanted to grow potatoes, onions, and garlic for the weekly communal lunch. Would anyone help him? I offered to take a look, with another of the Drop-In guests who used to work as a gardener of lawns and flower beds. On the first visit the neighbouring plot holder gave us some spare onions, which we planted. On our next visit another new friend gave us seed potatoes so those went in too. The previous plot holder had left us a legacy of purple sprouting broccoli, chard, mint and three apple trees. Plus a thicket of brambles behind the shed. “We must cut those down” said my co-gardener. “Let’s wait” I replied “they have no thorns, so they’re likely cultivated blackberries”. Time proved this to be true and the fruit was harvested for jam to sell, and for Friday puddings.
Scripture offers gifts to the gardener, although I respond to this reading with “yes, but” and “it all depends”. Sometimes a good tree does produce bad fruit, or rather fruit that started good and turned bad due to attack by disease and pests. Clearly it is true that a bramble bush cannot yield grapes, although it can still produce a useful crop. Perhaps scripture is meant to be received poetically rather than scientifically.
Reflection on the abundance of the heart is the punchline of this text. It’s easy to think that abundance is always positive, as in Christ coming to give life abundant – yet an abundance of spite, bile and cynicism has a withering effect. When we know our own heart, and when we choose to align our heart with God’s love, we have more chance of producing good fruit for ourselves and our communities.
Prayer
Gardening God,
who prunes with firm and tender care,
seed in my heart good treasure,
that I may share words of encouragement and love. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Fiona Thomas, in transitional ministry with Bellingham, Catford and Lee Green. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 6: 43 - 45
Jesus said: ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Reflection
A participant at the Friday Drop-In hosted by a local church had been allocated an allotment and wanted to grow potatoes, onions, and garlic for the weekly communal lunch. Would anyone help him? I offered to take a look, with another of the Drop-In guests who used to work as a gardener of lawns and flower beds. On the first visit the neighbouring plot holder gave us some spare onions, which we planted. On our next visit another new friend gave us seed potatoes so those went in too. The previous plot holder had left us a legacy of purple sprouting broccoli, chard, mint and three apple trees. Plus a thicket of brambles behind the shed. “We must cut those down” said my co-gardener. “Let’s wait” I replied “they have no thorns, so they’re likely cultivated blackberries”. Time proved this to be true and the fruit was harvested for jam to sell, and for Friday puddings.
Scripture offers gifts to the gardener, although I respond to this reading with “yes, but” and “it all depends”. Sometimes a good tree does produce bad fruit, or rather fruit that started good and turned bad due to attack by disease and pests. Clearly it is true that a bramble bush cannot yield grapes, although it can still produce a useful crop. Perhaps scripture is meant to be received poetically rather than scientifically.
Reflection on the abundance of the heart is the punchline of this text. It’s easy to think that abundance is always positive, as in Christ coming to give life abundant – yet an abundance of spite, bile and cynicism has a withering effect. When we know our own heart, and when we choose to align our heart with God’s love, we have more chance of producing good fruit for ourselves and our communities.
Prayer
Gardening God,
who prunes with firm and tender care,
seed in my heart good treasure,
that I may share words of encouragement and love. Amen
--> Today's writer The Revd Fiona Thomas, in transitional ministry with Bellingham, Catford and Lee Green. Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
Change Your Email Address
or
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URC Daily Devotion Thursday 19 December 2024
96
URC Daily Devotion Thursday 19 December 2024
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Thursday 19 December 2024
St Luke 6: 37 - 42
Jesus said ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Friend] let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.
Reflection
These immensely powerful words of Jesus - so influential down the centuries - have never felt more significant and relevant than they do today. The rancorous nature of political debate and public discourse seem beset with vicious name calling and uncaring, inflexible judgement.
Jesus’ message cuts right through this corrosive culture of blame and division. In reading today’s verses anew, what strikes me is that the whole business of judgement and forgiveness is portrayed as a collaborative enterprise. It is not just that we should not be hasty to judge, else we might find ourselves poorly judged in turn by God, but also that as Christians we are part of a fellowship with God where we lovingly exercise judgement and forgiveness in partnership with him.
This brings to mind a wonderfully gentle poem on “Forgiveness” by George MacDonald, who greatly influenced the faith journey of CS Lewis. In this poem he portrays God’s appraisal of the totality of our lives not as a stern imperious judge but as a benevolent parent making the judgement with us, alongside us:
God gives his child upon his slate a sum –
To find eternity in hours and years;
With both sides covered, back the child doth come,
His dim eyes swollen with shed and unshed tears;
God smiles, wipes clean the upper side and nether,
And says, ‘Now, dear, we’ll do the sum together!’
There is a sense that life’s end is a returning home to the benevolent succour of God’s embrace, and it is perhaps this yearning for home with God that marks out the Christian life. MacDonald also wrote possibly the shortest poem ever written entitled “The Shortest and Sweetest of Songs.” It is just two words:
Come
Home.
There is a sense of longing behind these two words, of the gulf between the first and last words of the poem; a feeling of something not being right, suggested by the near-rhyme (and near-miss) of ‘Come’ and ‘Home’.
It is for this we now pray.
Prayer
As we live our lives
yearning for home:
May we learn to
be at one with you
in how we come
to judge and forgive
others and ourselves.
Till we come home,
Amen.
--> Today's writer Professor Graham Handscomb, Member of Christ Church URC Chelmsford Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
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St Luke 6: 37 - 42
Jesus said ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Friend] let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.
Reflection
These immensely powerful words of Jesus - so influential down the centuries - have never felt more significant and relevant than they do today. The rancorous nature of political debate and public discourse seem beset with vicious name calling and uncaring, inflexible judgement.
Jesus’ message cuts right through this corrosive culture of blame and division. In reading today’s verses anew, what strikes me is that the whole business of judgement and forgiveness is portrayed as a collaborative enterprise. It is not just that we should not be hasty to judge, else we might find ourselves poorly judged in turn by God, but also that as Christians we are part of a fellowship with God where we lovingly exercise judgement and forgiveness in partnership with him.
This brings to mind a wonderfully gentle poem on “Forgiveness” by George MacDonald, who greatly influenced the faith journey of CS Lewis. In this poem he portrays God’s appraisal of the totality of our lives not as a stern imperious judge but as a benevolent parent making the judgement with us, alongside us:
God gives his child upon his slate a sum –
To find eternity in hours and years;
With both sides covered, back the child doth come,
His dim eyes swollen with shed and unshed tears;
God smiles, wipes clean the upper side and nether,
And says, ‘Now, dear, we’ll do the sum together!’
There is a sense that life’s end is a returning home to the benevolent succour of God’s embrace, and it is perhaps this yearning for home with God that marks out the Christian life. MacDonald also wrote possibly the shortest poem ever written entitled “The Shortest and Sweetest of Songs.” It is just two words:
Come
Home.
There is a sense of longing behind these two words, of the gulf between the first and last words of the poem; a feeling of something not being right, suggested by the near-rhyme (and near-miss) of ‘Come’ and ‘Home’.
It is for this we now pray.
Prayer
As we live our lives
yearning for home:
May we learn to
be at one with you
in how we come
to judge and forgive
others and ourselves.
Till we come home,
Amen.
--> Today's writer Professor Graham Handscomb, Member of Christ Church URC Chelmsford Copyright New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright © 2024 United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can
Change Your Email Address
or
Unsubscribe
