30th December Read: Colossians 3:12-17 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 (NIV) I like to ‘deck the halls’ of my house every Christmas. I put out all the Christmassy things, all of the Christmas nativities, and hang a holly wreath on the outside doors of the house. During this time, I pack away the other decorations I have out and just try to have all things Christmas. Is this what it means to ‘deck the halls’? Can we also ‘deck the halls’ in our hearts and lives?
Reading through the Colossians passage above, I read it as decking the personal parts of my life. As we come to the end of another year and look to the beginnings of a New Year, how do you want to ‘deck the halls’ of your life? This Christmas carol does not mention the story of Jesus, but there are Christian implications to the holly. This is one plant in the northern hemisphere during the snowy times that does not seem to be affected by the cold. It looks fresh all year round – not just seasonally. It can relate to Jesus in the red berry that it bears (Mary bore Jesus), but more interestingly it relates to Easter, with the red berry symbolising the blood of Jesus, the thorny parts of holly being the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head.
Christmas is now over and the next big season in the church is Easter. The baby Jesus soon turns into the man Jesus walking to the cross for our salvation. ‘Deck the Halls’ is a very happy and lively carol with the “fa-la-la” coming between each line and sung dozens of times. The lyrics were written by the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant in 1862. The melody is of Welsh origin and can be traced back to the 16th century and a song called ‘Nos Galan’ which is about New Year’s Eve. If you happen to sing this song over Christmas, relate it to your life and decking yourself out personally for the New Year. In which parts of your life could you more imitate Jesus? Reflect on this and read the Colossians verses again. Let’s decorate our lives!
Sing or listen to: Deck the Halls PRAYER V1: Deck the hall with boughs of holly, ‘Tis the season to be jolly, Don we now our gay apparel, Troll the ancient Christmas carol, V3: Fast away the old year passes, Hail the new, ye lads and lasses! Sing we joyous all together, Heedless of the wind and weather. Amen.
Read: Psalm 95:1-7 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2 (NIV) James Montgomery (1771-1854) wrote this firstly as a poem on Christmas Eve in 1816, after reading the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2. As James was the editor of the Sheffield Iris newspaper in England, this is where he published this poem. A blind songwriter and organist, Henry Smart (1813-1879), in 1867 wrote the melody ‘Regent Square’ as a musical score to Montgomery’s poem. This hymn has such a magical tune, and the words just flow into praise and worship for the birth of our Saviour.
I imagine that James Montgomery must have wondered about the nativity story and God’s part in each of it, which directed him to focus each verse on a different part. Montgomery had a difficult life. He was born in Scotland, but 7 years later his parents left to be missionaries in the West Indies and they left James in a Moravian Community in Ireland and then in a school in England. He did not have a happy life and his marks at school showed his unhappiness, and when his parents died when he was 12, he left school and was a vagabond on the streets. But God had a plan for this young boy. He loved poetry which he sold on the streets of London and in his wanderings, he finally gained employment with a newspaper – the Sheffield Register.
At the age of 23, James became the editor, changed the name of the newspaper to the Sheffield Iris, and now had a platform for his poetry. He became very wealthy and widely respected in the community as he became a supporter of the British Bible Society. Why do I share this story of hard beginnings for a young boy? We may not know the plans of God nor why certain situations occur, but we do know that God can work through hardships to bring about blessings. God’s Son was born in hard circumstances and grew to be the Saviour of the world. This Christmas season reflect on your life and the blessings God has bestowed on you, on your family on the wider community. Let us ‘Worship Christ, the new-born King.’
Sing or listen to: Angels, From the Realms of Glory PRAYER V1: Angels, from the realms of glory, Wing your flight oér all the earth; Ye who sang creation’s story, Now proclaim Messiah’s birth: Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ, the new-born king. Amen.
Read: Hebrews 1:1-9 “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:35 (NIV) The birth of a child is miraculous in itself; waiting nine months and then this little person emerges into the world. But the birth of Jesus was a special event on a special night. It was accented by the stench of a stable, the invasion of heavenly armies, the adoration of lowly shepherds and great kings from the east. How could Mary and Joseph process all this? They even had a direct line of contact to God through the visiting of an angel, but still their question would be: What child is this? This involves the unknown; the Eternal God coming to be a part of our world.
They had the prophecies, but still all was scary and new. As Jesus’ life unfolded over the next 33 years, that question was answered. The birth of Jesus paled in comparison to all the miracles, stories and healings that Jesus performed. William Chatterton Dix, the writer of this carol, knew that as amazing as the birth of Jesus was, it was incomplete without Jesus’ finished work on the cross. It was the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of new life and victory over the grave. “Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary.” Christmas needs Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
‘What Child is This?’ we sing! Jesus was full of the majesty and the mystery of His Father and had been tasked to perform the greatest rescue plan of all time. But all of this would develop in time, for in that stable, on that amazing night, this child was a great and awesome mystery. The answer to the question: What child is this? – “This, this is Christ the King,” the Son of God and we have come to worship Him. “So bring him incense, gold and myrrh. Come peasant, king, to own him. The King of Kings salvation brings. Let loving hearts enthrone Him.” Jesus is God in the flesh. He is ours and we are His! Sing or listen to: What Child is This?
PRAYER V1: 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. Amen.
27th December Read: Luke 2:8-14 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their f locks at night.” Luke 2:8 (NIV) In the six verses of this carol the whole of the story of the shepherds and the angels is told from Luke 2:8-14. Read it from the Bible again and then listen to the carol. This carol is attributed to the Irish poet Nahum Tate, and it was the only Christmas hymn authorised to be sung in the Anglican Church before the 1700’s. Before that only the Psalms of David were allowed to be sung; maybe due to its retelling of the shepherds meeting with the angels from the Bible.
Shepherding is actually the first profession that the Bible mentions – “Abel was a keeper of sheep…” (Genesis 4:2). It was dangerous work where they had to protect the sheep from predators, finding grass and water and making sure that all the sheep were safe and none strayed. Shepherds were also considered society’s outsiders. Ceremonially unclean, they were not permitted to worship in the Temple and their character was questionable and so any testimony was inadmissible in court. Yet this carol reminds us that God has a way of turning the social order upside-down. Sometimes the world’s outsiders are considered God’s insiders.
Those that were unclean and not allowed to give testimony were the first that God told the news of Jesus’ birth, and they were charged with telling the world of this history altering news. Their testimony was listened to throughout the town of Bethlehem. All through Jesus’ ministry he reached out and touched those whom society had rejected. This beautiful carol tells of the birth of God’s Son. This is life-altering news. Let’s not keep it to ourselves but use Jesus’ example and step out of society’s norms and share the Gospel like the shepherds so long ago, with all who will listen. Turn this world upside-down and inside-out with the incredible love of a loving God. Sing or listen to: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
PRAYER V3: ‘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:’ V6: ‘All glory be to God on high, And to the earth be peace; Good-will henceforth from heaven to men Begin and never cease.’ Amen.
by Pastor Jim Strelan
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That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the word of life (1 John 1:1).
Read 1 John 1:1–10
As I was growing up, I fought against an idea of God that had him as very removed from me and my life, someone to fear, respect and keep at a distance. Then, there was a movement to bring God closer and be my friend, and this came through Jesus. Some called it the Jesus Revolution. While I would much rather have an idea of God that says he is approachable and nearer than distant, sometimes I think we need to pause for a moment and just consider who he is.
When we think of God in the human form of Jesus, flesh and blood, living our life, understanding our fears, crying our tears, stop for a moment and recognise just who this Jesus is. Especially now at Christmas: the bawling, red, wrinkly baby Jesus in the shed out the back in the feed box is the one who was from the beginning. You might know the song ‘Mary, Did You Know?’. It has the words, ‘Mary, did you know this sleeping baby you’re holding is the Great I Am?’
The writer of 1 John calls on us to pause for a moment and reflect: the one who was heard, seen, touched and with his followers is the one who was from the beginning, one with the Father. That’s mind-boggling. But not so mind-boggling if you have a view of God who is distant from us, who is removed from us. But if he is close to us, with us, even in us, that gives a different perspective. What is proclaimed is an eternal mystery, not just a fanciful, wishful-thinking thing. As wondrous as it is, it is something seen and heard (verse 3).
This eternal Jesus, who is one with the God of the universe, is with you. Little old you, little old me. We are connected, and we are in fellowship (verse 3). Be humbled and be glad.
Jesus, I acknowledge who you are, and I am in awe. I am overawed when I think about how you took on the form of a baby, entering my world, for me and for all. Thank you. Amen.
Jim is a retired pastor who lives with his wife, Ruth, on the north side of Brisbane. He is a proud and not very humble Brisbane Lions supporter. Jim likes to read, listen to music and play golf. He and Ruth love being with their young grandchildren and watching them grow. For Jim, grace is everything, and he will share that however and whenever possible.
Good King Wenceslas 26th December
Read: Titus 3:4-8, 14 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21 (NIV) On the 26th December (Saint Stephen’s Day), a Bohemian king (modern day Czech Republic) went on a journey through the snowy and harsh winter to provide for (give alms to) poor peasants. With his servant the king struggles against the cold weather, and the servant is about to give up, but the king tells him to place his feet into his footsteps and so together they go step by step through the deep snow.
Wenceslaus l (the original spelling), 907-935, was not a king but rather a much-loved Duke of Bohemia in the 10th century. He was a kind man who had compassion to all, even earning the nickname ‘the father of all the wretched’. Wenceslaus l was eventually sainted by the church after he suffered a martyr’s death. The Holy Roman Emperor Otto l also declared Wenceslaus a king posthumously and made him the patron saint to the Czech Republic. (This is not the same person who actually held the title King Wenceslas l of Bohemia who reigned 3 centuries later.) In Prague there is a statue of Saint Wenceslas on horseback which can be found in Wenceslas Square. John Mason Neale wrote about this story in his lyrics to this beautiful Christmas carol in 1853.
Even though this carol does not tell of the story of Jesus, nevertheless it does share the story of a person who made himself lowly, being a monarch, to help those less fortunate than he. He stepped out into the cold of the world to bring comfort, not just in words but in his actions, giving food, help and money to help those less fortunate. This truly is the essence of Jesus coming to earth as a lowly baby. God sent His Son to earth not as a king to rule, but as a man to help, heal and comfort those in need. As the servant stepped in the King’s footprints so we also step in Christ’s example. This Christmas season remember how blessed we have been and find some time to also bless others in need. Sing or listen to Good King Wenceslas.
PRAYER V5: In his master’s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted; Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed. Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing. Amen.
by Pastor Jim Strelan
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So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger (Luke 2:16).
Read Luke 2:(1–7), 8–20
Do you sometimes feel that your life is so ordinary? Nothing special about it, nothing anyone would write about in a magazine or report on TV news. Just a day-to-day struggle, trying to keep our heads above water. When we think about God, especially at Christmastime, we can easily think about majesty, glory, shining light, accompanied by choirs of angels – other-worldly, nothing at all like your life or mine. And God is in all those things. After all, God is God.
But see what we have when God comes to our earth. He comes as a baby, covered in gunk, bawling his eyes out, desperately seeking his mother’s breast. Not in the most prestigious hospital in the land, but in a cow shed, in a feed box for the animals, with no reporters and cameras and bright lights as witnesses, just some shepherds tired from a night out in the fields. A manger baby. Very, very ordinary if you ask me.
But that’s the magic of God. He loves to be in the ordinary, in muck, the inglorious – where we are. It’s interesting that the Christmas story, as we have it in the Gospel of Luke, consists of both the awesome and the ordinary at the same time. A bit like my experience of life with God. I am in awe of him, worship him, lift up his name, and I know that he is with me in all my ordinariness and brokenness. A traditional image of the baby Jesus in the manger is with his hands open and reaching out as best as a baby can. Reaching out to you and me as if to say, ‘This is for you; this is how I want to be involved with you. Come to the manger with me, and we will journey together. I am born for you. I enter your ordinariness and show you God’.
That’s worth doing what the shepherds did: glorifying and praising God (verse 20). May your Christmas celebration of the manger child bring you great joy.
Thank you, God of all, for choosing to enter our world in the ordinary. Be in the ordinariness of my life. Bless me today as I celebrate the birth of the Saviour. Amen.
Jim is a retired pastor who lives with his wife, Ruth, on the north side of Brisbane. He is a proud and not very humble Brisbane Lions supporter. Jim likes to read, listen to music and play golf. He and Ruth love being with their young grandchildren and watching them grow. For Jim, grace is everything, and he will share that however and whenever possible.
Away in a Manger Christmas Day
Read: Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7 (NIV) The nativity play was going as planned and Joseph and Mary were going from house to house knocking on the doors and asking if there was any room for them. As they continued to get “no room” answers a little voice called from the back “YOU SHOULD HAVE BOOKED!” The hymn, ‘Away in a Manger’ is sung at every carol’s evening or nativity play that I have ever been to. Did you sing it last night for Christmas Eve? Or this morning celebrating the birth of our Lord?
This hymn points to the manger as the source of our adoration and joy. God’s Son being born in a manger – an animal’s feeding trough – highlights the way that God uses our deepest pain, our humiliation, the things that we wish were different, the despised and the forgotten, to bring Him the greatest glory. Jesus was not laid in a manger by accident. Animals go to the manger for physical food, but with Jesus lying on the hay, we can go to the manger for spiritual food. Jesus has peace and love, patience and hope available for all. We can come to Him at any time and never go hungry with His infinite storehouse of nourishment available to any who ask. The hymn has long been attributed to Martin Luther, as it appeared in publications from 1882 as ‘Luther’s Cradle Song’ saying that he composed it to sing to his children.
But more likely it was written to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Luther’s birth, as there is nothing in Luther’s writings which refer to or correspond to this carol. No matter who claims authorship, the beauty of this hymn is the beauty of Christmas as it speaks of the miracle of Jesus’ birth. It is a beautiful petition to grow closer to the Lord Jesus and for blessings upon all our little ones. Sing or listen to: Away in a Manger
PRAYER V3: Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there. Amen. 2
Silent Night Christmas Eve
Read: Isaiah 9:2-7 “This is how God showed his love among us: he sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10 (NIV) At every Christmas Eve service since I can remember I think that the beautiful hymn ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ ends the night and people quietly walk out of church and to their homes. The song is so well-known, and I don’t think any carols evening is complete without it – secular or sacred. Both the words and tune blend into a feeling that Christ is truly present, and we are singing Him a lullaby. This popular Christmas carol was composed in 1818 by Joseph Mohr, a Roman Catholic priest of Austria. Joseph Mohr began his life in very humble circumstances. In 1792 he was born in Salzburg, Austria to a poor spinster knitter. His father, Franz Joseph Mohr deserted the family when Joseph was quite young. As a child, Joseph developed a friendship with the local cathedral organ master who taught him music, art and history.
This organ master, Johann Hiernle recognized Joseph’s musical talents and enrolled him in the famous grammar school in Kremsmunster, Upper Austria. He finally completed his education at the seminary in Salzburg and was ordained as priest in 1815. He was 23 years old. Joseph’s first parish was in the mountains of Austria where one morning he sat and wrote the poem: ‘Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!’ (‘Silent Night! Holy Night!’) Several years later Joseph met and became friends with Franz Xaver Gruber, who was the schoolmaster and organist of St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria.
On the evening of 24 December 1818 – history itself is not clear, but it is said that the organ of St. Nicholas was broken and could not be repaired in time for Christmas so Joseph came up with the idea of putting his poem to music so it could be sung by the choir. Franz Gruber wrote the melody and Joseph Mohr transcribed the words to one of the most popular Christmas carols, Christmas Eve 1818. That night ‘Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!’ was heard and sung for the first time in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. Reflect on the words as you sing it this Christmas and pray that all may recognise this beautiful gift from God. Sing or listen to: Silent Night, Holy Night
PRAYER V1: Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Amen.