Sunday Service Marsden Road Uniting Church 8 December 2013

Beth took today's service and provided an outline days before. I was so taken with her outline that I didn't think I could improve on it. First of all, these are the readings and hymns she used with my comments. Look up the readings and the hymns too, if you have the books.

The readings for today's service were Isaiah 11:1 - 10 and Matthew 3:1 - 12. The Isaiah reading speaks of someone who was to come, who would not make judgements on the basis of appearances but rule according to the righteousness of God and as a result would change the world beyond anything anyone could imagine. Matthew introduced John the Baptist as he appeared proclaiming, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." He made short work of the Pharisees and Sadducees, making it clear that Jesus’ power would be beyond anything they thought they had.

The hymns were 208, 119, and 546 from the Australian Hymn Book and 693 from TIS. 208 speaks of the response to Jesus and His teaching- crucifixion - and challenges us to look at whether at this time, we are crucifying Him anew or casting our pride aside, accepting the renewal only His grace can work. 119 tells us of God's great love and constancy. 546 raises our eyes to the hope God offers and the peace He brings. But in there, TIS 693 gave us God's loving invitation, "Come as you are". We don't have to meet any prerequisites - just come,

Within the framework of those readings and hymns and the prayers offered, Beth gave us this message:

Her notes:

The usual practice is to enter into the story and glory of Christmas as December begins but today I've chosen to look deeper - the hope and the foundation of the Incarnation.

Firstly we have Isaiah's picture poem of Shalom, God's just and holy peace where the Christ child might fulfill His mission, followed in Matthew, by John's rough entry into the smug, self satisfaction of Jewry - and the aching loneliness of the outsider, denied access to worship, both challenging us not to sit in judgement of those involved in the Christmas story or see "Christmas the accomplished fact". Rather, we should realise a babe born in Bethlehem means little if that same babe is not born anew in human hearts and experience.

We need to realise the costly grace at work in new and needy areas of the world - and as ever, among unlikely people - God never leaves Himself without witnesses - and the living church renews itself in and where the foundation enables its birth.

We may be  the Remnant with a tired faith here and now. But the valid Incarnation message is offered anew each year. Perhaps we yearn for the festival but are not prepared to be part of the foundation - perhaps unseen and unappreciated but none the less the base whereon others might see the Eternal Hope unfold. Beth's actual reflection wove in and out these thoughts, using stories, life experiences and events around us to pin it down in our lives

I could not add anything that would make the message clearer.

The prayers Beth used to lead us through this service to God acknowledged our many frailties but pointed us to that costly grace that brings forgiveness and freedom.

We concluded the service singing "Shalom to you now, Shalom my friends" a prayer of the gentlest goodwill to each other. As an ending it couldn't have been more fitting. Amen