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Preaching Notes for Nov. 30 to Jan 4
Advent to Christmas 2
Christmas Day
Lectionary
John 1 : 1 -14
The WORD became flesh. The ultimate promise of God made visible in human form.
The Gospel of John begins with the declaration that Jesus is the revelation of God
John is the forerunner for the LIGHT
The Logos[WORD] is the light offering new life and a new birth.
Psalm 98
A psalm of rejoicing
a promise of equality before God
Isaiah 52: 7 -10
Good news beautifies the bearer.
God reigns! Hear the joy!
Start singing you ruins
God has rolled up his sleeves!
Hebrews 1: 1-4
Long ago God spoke but now the Son of
God reflects the very nature of God's being
Call to Worship
Sing songs of joy to the Lord:
sing your sweetest praise;
join the chorus of angels and saints;
Sing praise at the manger side for our saviour is born.
Prayer of approach
Wonderful are your ways, O God, remarkable are your dealings
with us, gentle is your discipline but powerful is your leading.
With the unexpected and the powerless you confront us and with your
powerful love you sweep away all resistance with a flood of grace.
In the Bethlehem stable we meet our King wrapped in the swaddlings of a
poor family and in his presence our view of others is turned around. Power
and wealth come to nothing in the face of your love. Wonderful are your
ways, O God.
We have looked for strength and power and influence;
we have sought comfort and security;
we have wanted to be known and recognised yet you took the form of a dependant child to show us our folly.
Wonderful are your ways, O God.
In the light of the Bethlehem story forgive the foolishness of our
desires and the extravagance of our self interest; set aside our past
failures and renew within us such holy humility that we may glimpse your
incarnation in each other and stand in the light of the beaconing star.
Restore us to life in love, Lord. Amen
Prayer for others
With lightened hearts and cheered minds we turn with the shepherds
to go back to the world, hear our prayers for the world about us Lord.
We pray for Christians everywhere as they celebrate with joy. Give them
loving hearts and willing hands to make the meaning of this day real.
We pray for those who do not know or understand the reason for our joy;
show us how to live the story of your love so that all may rejoice.
We pray for those whose lives have been shattered by the frailty of life
and the cruelty of others; for those whose sadness clouds the day and whose
memories are of better times.
We pray for those whose present crisis presses so hard that there is no
room or time to rejoice and no spirit or energy to sing; show us how to
gently care that healing may begin,
We remember today those who, while close to our hearts, are separated by
distance and whose isolation denies them the fulfilment of sharing with others.
God of shepherds and angels show us how to live and love for you that
the joy of this day may be for all your children. Amen
Suggested hymns
Infant Holy
Child in a manger
All poor men and humble
Joy to the world
Love came down at Christmas
Sermon suggestions
The anticipation that captures every heart and supports us even when things are not unfolding as we would wish is now realised. For us, in this part of the history of humanity, it is hard to imagine the impact of the promise realised of which John speaks.
The people of Israel had dreamed of the day when Messiah would come.
That day would be a time for singing, dancing and feasting. Their expectation was that he might come on a war horse to overwhelm all their enemies with the power of his sword.
Looking back to the life and ministry of Jesus John recognises that the expectations had been met in a totally different way. God did not sweep away all their problems but showed them a new way to overcome the root of their need. John sees in Jesus the unfolding of the new way. A way not of confrontation but compassion; not of judgement but of forgiveness; not of authority but humility. His confession of the significance of Jesus in these first verses of his Gospel record need to be read at the end of the Gospel for it is in the light of what Jesus revealed about God that Johnıs confession makes sense. It is what Jesus reveals about the nature of God that makes his feet beautiful (Isaiah 52) The coming of the Messiah is not an instant cure for the world's ills, or for the pain that Israel felt (feels) but it offers the prescription that if taken seriously and rigourously applied overcomes hate, hurt, enmity, anger, and all the other illness of humankind. The message of the manger is that love can overcome.