Pastor Darryl

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RENEWED HOPE

The message of Christmas

Christmas has come, and for many it has gone until next year -but has it? For the Christian, the incarnation of God coming to us in the form of Jesus Christ is but the beginning. Christmas is not Christmas without the death and resurrection of Christ. This was the message of Jesusʼ birth, the first Christmas night – “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save His
people from their sins.” The Christmas message says that Godʼs grace, His gift is greater than our sin. It says that the sin question was answered at the cross. Christmas says the cross was the cure – offered, paid for and administered by a loving God in His beloved Son. Yet is that how many people who you and I know celebrate and understand Christmas?
In 1969, which seems a long time ago, Billy Graham wrote a message which rings true and unchanged almost 50 years later. “Christmas means different things to different people. To some, Christmas is merely a means
to make more money. People vie with each other in their preparation for the celebration of the occasion. Some of them do not believe in Christ; they may even hate Him. But Christmas has become big business. People are more concerned to hear about their profit from Christmas, than to hear about the Prophet from Bethlehem. the clinking sound of money is sweeter to some than the announcement of Jesusʼ birth, by the angels to the shepherds. Many people cannot hear Christmas carols today because their ears and their eyes are focused on reports about the stock market going up or down. Pleasure-seeking consumes the time and the thoughts of many people. Some try to find a merry Christmas in what they call entertainment and fun. Instead of trying to imbibe the spirit of Christmas, they choose to imbibe spirits at Christmas. For many people the holiday is an opportunity to celebrate in the wrong way.” Today, materialism, money, artificial pleasure and a thousand other things are crowding Christ out of Christmas for multitudes. The message of the baby of Bethlehem is being pushed into the background. Yet, on that first Christmas 2000+ years ago, Jesus was the central theme. The star, the song, the gifts, the kneeling, the joy, the hope, the excitement, all were because of Him. However, in spite of everything going on in the world, the reality is that the Christmas message has not changed after 2000 years. Jesus Christ is alive. He is alive to conquer despair, to impart hope, to forgive sins and to take away or loneliness. He is alive to reconcile us to God. Christmas still reminds us that God is with us. At this Christmas season you can be assured that Jesus Christ is here. He is here to give us hope, to forgive our sins, to give us a new song, to impart faith and to heal our spiritual wounds, if only we will let Him.

Pastor Darryl

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Advent 4

Luke 1:39-55

Very few passages in the Bible express the joy that is experienced in this weekʼs gospel reading in Luke. The picture portrayed is vivid – as the unborn Jesus draws near to Elizabeth, Elizabeth and her own unborn child are overcome with joy. In thinking of this joyous occasion, I couldnʼt help but think of Elizabeth and Maryʼs attraction to be almost like a magnet. That is not a bad way to consider the way Jesus does indeed impact all that He seeks. In John 6, Jesus says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

God continues to work in the world. God continues to call His people to Himself. Like a magnet, God draws His people into His Kingdom. He extends an invitation and His people respond. And when they do, when WE do, we are overcome with joy as was Elizabeth and the unborn John. For we have been found! We are in literal good graces of God. We are part of Godʼs family, and like a very powerful magnet, Jesus will never let us go.

A blessed Christmas to all.

Pastor Darryl

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JOY AND PEACE

Philippians 4:4-7
In this season of Advent, the themes of “joy” and “peace” are continually encountered – on cards, holiday decorations and in music and stories streaming forth from shop displays and from churches. Yet “joy” and peace often seem elusive at this time of year. Loneliness, family tensions, inflated expectations, unexpected crises, grief and national events make them seem just beyond our grasp, except perhaps in the gloss of holiday movie films. The elusiveness of “joy” and “peace” invite us to pause and reflect on what  it is we are seeking when we speak of “joy” and “peace.” Is it an emotional high? A state of perpetual happiness? An absence of conflict? Or do “joy” and “peace” represent hopes that have become little more than a seasonal habit? This weekʼs Philippians text (4:4-7) offers a helpful framework for exploring “joy” and “peace” in relation to the life of faith. The suggestion is that joy and peace are found not so much in the emotions they evoke, as in the attitudes, behaviours and relationships in which they are grounded. To “rejoice in the Lord always” points to a “joy” that is not only enduring, but that sustains us even when we are worn down by life challenges. This requires something more than seasonal cheerfulness. It is a “joy” rooted in an ongoing relationship, built on trust, that is able to negotiate the moments of joylessness  in ways that ultimately work for good. What is critical is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but also our relationship in community. This does not necessarily mean that everyone always agrees or gets along. Rather, it reminds us that each of us has a role to play in creating the supportive relationships that are the foundation of “joy” and a cause for “rejoicing.”

Pastor Darryl

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WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THIS CHRISTMAS?


Malachi 3:1-4

Do you ever put things down only to return and find that they are not where you think you put them? Perhaps you chase around every corner of the house looking for your keys. Often it seems that you only find them after exhausting all hope of ever finding them.  What are you looking for this Christmas? Often times we have a picture in our heads of what Christmas should look like and feel like and we spend our lives trying to fit Christmas into that box. We judge the success or value of a particular Christmas season by how well it measured up to that expectation.  “Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire will come,” says the Lord Almighty. “Suddenly, not right now” or “just when you might have guessed” or even “doing exactly what you expected Him to.” You might feel like the perfect Christmas has been lost for years or maybe has never even come, but Christʼs work in our lives often presents itself in ways we donʼt expect and maybe even after weʼve exhausted all hope of ever finding it.  Through Godʼs grace we are promised that He is working in our hearts the entire time – forgiving, loving and restoring. 

Pastor Darryl

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THE SEASON OF ADVENT

(J Cooper, Christmas Traditions and Customs ) Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. Advent means ‘coming’ in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world – a time to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

There are three meanings of ʻcomingʼ that Christians describe in Advent –
• about 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby, to live as a man and die for us • Jesus coming into our lives now
• when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge No one is really sure when Advent was first celebrated but it dates back to at least 567 when monks were ordered to fast during December, leading up to Christmas.

Some Advent celebrations include:
• Advent carols, including ʻO Come, O Come, Emmanuel
• Advent calendars, where little windows are opened each day in December
• In the 19th century, German protestant Christians counted down to Christmas by marking 24 chalk lines on a door and rubbing one off every day
• Advent candles, 4 candles are lit –one each Sunday leading up to Christmas
• The Christ Child candle, which sits at the centre of the Advent wreath and is lit on Christmas Day. The Advent Season is a reminder to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

Pastor Darryl

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