Sunday Service Marsden Road Unitng Church 29 December 2019

This morning Lyn led our worship, telling the Christmas story from the perspectives of people, involved in a event  all following the directions given to them  by God or God’s messenger.

An idea which emerged for me was that of relying on God’s guidance rather than just charging ahead without any thought about consequences.

 God’s message came to people in different ways. Sometimes an angel appeared, sometimes someone had a dream, sometimes someone heard of something going on through the grapevine.

Today it is the same. Sometimes we hear God’s voice through a Bible reading, sometimes through a hymn, sometimes through a homily, sometimes through the words of a friend or even through our reflection while we are sitting quietly in a place where we are comfortable and ready to hear the voice of God coming to us in non-verbal ways, such as the waves of the surf, the landforms or even through the beautiful structure of plants.

The important thing is to allow God’s voice to come and not imagine what we want to hear. Then we must obey as the various people in Lyn’s homily did. We may be mistaken but from my experience that will become clear to us and we can start again.

Then Lyn went on to talk about how people today fill the Christmas season with everything except the celebration of Christ’s birth, giving  examples of the amazing materialism and greed that is attached to Christmas by so many people today. When children grow up with all of that around them, no wonder they have no idea what it is meant to be about.

 Lyn reminded us that many today are so glad when Christmas is over because of the pressure they are under to provide the various “wants” of family and others at this time. Christmas is supposed to be a time of happy celebration of Jesus’ birth and the joy that he brings to us when we follow him.

 Lyn, by alluding to the candles of Peace, Joy, Love and Hope that we light in the Sundays coming up to Christmas, told us of the true meaning of the season and that we are meant to take that message into the year ahead.

Lyn reminded us that in all Joseph and Mary did they followed the voice of God. Today we can do that by following the words and example of Jesus but do we? Or do we stray from time to time, following our own way?

 

Lyn said in reference to the terrible times people in Australia are having in the drought and fires:

“Christmas brings people together, but it’s greatest joy is that it brings people together with God.” She then challenged us:

“Why not let Christmas bring you together with Jesus, our Immanuel, who promises you will never be alone - even in the toughest of times.”
 

 Why not - we have every reason to do so.