Carol’s Blog

Carols

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There are no words more authoritative than the words in the Bible but at this time of year we have the chance to sing carols old and new, using words which for the most part are based on the Bible. King David loved to sing and even today we can read these songs in the form of the Psalms. There is something special about singing. It stimulates the realise of feel-good hormones , dopamine and serotonin, lowers stress levels, and blood pressure and remembering activates the brain. And most of all we enjoy it. Carol services are very popular, attended by people who have a faith as well as those who don’t.

Every part of the Christmas story is illustrated through carols.. The shepherds are well represented ‘While shepherds watched their flock by night, all seated on the ground, Tate. And ‘Hark, the herald-angels sing, glory to the new-born King,’ Charles Wesley. Children are not forgotten with the carol ‘Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.’ Martin Luther.

It’s a shame we only sing the carols at Christmas, the words are worthy of remembering all the year round and not just for a few days. The carol ‘Mary’s Boy Child tell us ‘Man can live for evermore because of Christmas Day.’

Cutting or Pruning

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However many times I read from the Bible I’m amazed at the new things I find. I’m either a sloppy reader in the first place or God illuminates passages to me when I’m ready or needing to hear them. John 15 is one example. I read this morning ‘He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. I had read that God would cut off branches in my life that were not fruitful and that was that. I now realise God does two different things, He cuts and He prunes, two different actions.

The branches in me that are rotten and deseased need to be cutout completely. Other branches can be saved by careful and loving pruning. If I have the branch of a spiteful tongue He will cut it out completely but replace with a loving, kind tongue which speaks His words of love and consideration. Should I suffer from laziness, that will have to go, but other branches He will be able to prune and shape. If I am mean with my money, He can prune to make me more generous. He can be severe or gentle just as I need it.

When I go round my small garden I snip, cut and re-shape as necessary. I don’t pull and burn any plant that is struggling. I need to show love in my garden. My e my garden my life can be beautiful through Christ.

There were shepherds

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‘There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby.’ Luke 2:8 These words hardly describe the conditions the men were living in, they were toughing it out in difficult circumstances. Having just experienced another storm in my country I have a glimpse of these harsh surroundings. We were advised to stay indoors because of the strong winds. So I was able to stay in the safety of my own home. Though I did give a thought to those who had to work out in the inclement weather. These shepherds had hardly any shelter. The nights were bitterly cold with the constant danger of wolves and wild animals. Huddled round the fire for warmth and safety, the language would have been spicy and the stories ribald. Shepherding wasn’t for wimps.

To add to their problems and discomfort there was suddenly a sky full of angels. Incredulity is too mild a word. Language silenced, stories forgotten, they had to go and see this phenomenon. No doubt they made provision for their sheep, which after all were their livelihood. They stomped down to the village and stood awkward and tongue-tied in front of the baby who was probably smaller than their lambs.

Then they walked out of the story and morphed into tea-towelled-headed children, but the shepherds lives would never be the same again. I wonder if they were still alive thirty-three years later . They would still remember. They had worshipped at the stable of the coming Messiah.

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love

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This is all we need for Christmas, the season which means so much for so many of us. If we are not careful we will be anxious about who to send cards and presents to and who will send to us. These gifts are important but not enough. Our Christmas faith is what is important. What to buy, what to cook, who has what allergies. Again important, but not central. Which services shall we attend or prepare? Church calendars are overflowing at this time. What or who is at the centre of our worship. God won’t mind if our choirs are under-rehearsed and out of tune; it’s peoples’ hearts He wants.

We need peace not as the world gives it. Whether it is the escalating wars round the world, or our increased suicide numbers, there is a distinct lack of peace. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. That baby in the manger is the much-needed Everlasting Peace.

Our idea of love can be distorted , sloppy, selfish, demanding or insincere. God’s love is the only true love as He sent His son on our behalf and atonement for our sins.

‘Joy to the world’, the carol tells us.Where is the joy in our family, our neighbourhood, country or the world? If there is joy in our hearts at this time, we need to show it. Not a grin on our faces but a deep-rooted sincere welling-up of happiness that only God can give.

Jesus is our Hope. Not a wishy-washy hope but a hope that transends everything, knowing God is in complete control. He will come again; He will take us to be with Him.

Lord, speak!

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At this Christmas time there are so many voices clamouring to be heard. The television screams the advert messages to us. (actually the adverts are streamed at a slightly higher volume, to get our attention). Buy this, get that. Your Christmas will not be complete without it or them. Shops are clogging our ears with carols, containing words and messages so important, but all we hear is blare. People shout, cars honk and the Advent season seems to be a hurdy-gurdy of noise.

It was no different when Jesus was born. There was the same noisy hustle and bustle. But amid all this angels were proclaiming their message. Mary’s heart was quiet enough to hear her heavenly visitor. Just suppose she hadn’t listened; she would have found herself pregnant without a reason. Joseph heard his angel instructing him not to divorce Mary and told him that the baby was the result of heavenly intervention. The shepherds on the hillside needed to hear the angels’ words, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all men,’ Luke 2:14. If the shepherds hadn’t heard and obeyed, the nativity scene would have been rather empty.

Angels still speak today if only we will slow down to listen. The wonderful story hasn’t changed, God still came down to earth to bring salvation to all mankind. This year I’ve resolved to not just sing the carols but to really savour each word. ‘Man can live for evermore because of Christmas Day,’ ‘Hush your noise men of strife and hear the angels sing,’ ‘Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns.’

Stardust

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In this run up to Christmas may we be able to spread some stardust – the Star who is our Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the Star of the universe and of this Christmas period, remembered and worshipped by the few, ignored by the many. But we have the task of distribution during December. May we pray for more opportunities to do our scattering.

Where can we be at work? Potentially anywhere, but particularly where the Holy Spirit sends us.

That conversation with neighbours about this being an expensive time of year is a perfect opening. ‘Do we spend our money on things which will end up in the rubbish bin, or can we spend on what will last though eternity?’ In the office we moan about the government, and while maybe agreeing, can give the chance to tell them about the only Person who has enough wisdom to rule the world. Why all this fuss about a baby in a manger, people complain, why can’t we worship any God we want to? We can tell them Jesus is the only way. Even if they don’t listen we have told them. The responsibility is then on them.

Every opportunity to witness will be different for each person. We can’t prepare our answers beforehand, we can only be led by the Spirit. God alone will know where a person’s heart is. Like John the Baptist, our task is to point the way to God. May our stardust be liberally sprinkled on those who will hear this Christmas.

Emmanuel

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Emmanuel, God with us. Our God is personal for us individually and corporately for us collectively. No other religion has a personal God. It is beyond wonder that He should have left heaven and come to live in our world for a season. It is incomprehensible that He should love us enough to die for our sins. And His giving doesn’t stop there. He has given us a wonderful world to live in, even if we do go about trying to destroy it! God is all things to all men, if only they would accept Him.

Our Emmanuel was there before the world began; He is Comforter to the brokenhearted, Teacher to the teachable, Companion to the lonely and a Saviour to the lost.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? He is present in the here and now. Our God will be there for all eternity. Our God is in Africa, Europe, Asia and every country you can name. For the young, the old and the in between He is there. We can’t lose Him; with the psalmist we can say ‘Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there. If I make my bed in the depths, You are there.’ Psalm 139:7-8

No Voice

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My friend, George, is an auctioneer in the farming world. Recently he had a bad chest infection and lost his voice. I imagine he was completely unable to do his job which would entail him projecting his voice over a noisy, boisterous crowd of men and women. Fortunately his cold is now entirely better. His voice has returned and he is able to do his job.

At this time of year we think of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist who was unable to speak for a period which I imagine was nine months. Fortunately, he had the ability to write but that would have been time-consuming. As a Jewish High Priest talking was a necessary requirement for his job. Life would have been difficult for Elizabeth as well, expecting a baby and having to take over all the speaking tasks needed in running a household.

Do we take for granted the gift of speech? Is it a gift we abuse? We know so well, and sometimes to our cost, that a word once spoken can never be retracted. We read in Proverbs 25:11 ‘A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.’ A lovely picture, though not for eating! James 3:9 tells us ‘With the tongue we praise our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s image.’

What we say, to whom we say it, when we say it and how we say it can be encouraging or damning.

Christmas!

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‘Christmas is only for children.’ It’s all a waste of money.’ ‘After Christmas Day things go so flat.’ These are some of the things that we can hear about at this time of year which to us is a special time of year. How can we cope with these negative statements when our thoughts are just the opposite?

‘Christmas is only for children.’ We might have a chance to meet with nephews, nieces or grandchildren over the festive season and we can explain that the baby in the manger is evidence of God’s love for us. He is the Son of God who came to save us from our sins. ‘It is all a waste of money.’ No, it’s a chance to show our love to others as we give them cards and presents. Our presents are a representation of God’s present (His Son) to us. ‘After Christmas Day life goes flat.’ Christmas is the beginning not the end (Well actually the beginning was before creation) His love and sacrifice will go on through eternity.

Without Christmas there would be

no crucifixion

no resurrection

no salvation

no purpose-filled life.

As the saying goes ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year.’

We don’t need to think –

‘only for children,’

‘needless expenditure,’

‘a boring llife.’

With Christina Rossetti we can say,

‘Yet what I can I give Him, Give my heart.’

The Other Boats

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Jesus was by the lake with His disciples and the crowd. He had been teaching them by telling parable after parable and was now tired and weary. He needed to ‘recharge His batteries’. ‘Let us go over to the other side,’ He said Matthew 4:35. As I re-read this story I noticed something I had failed to noticed before. There were other boats with Him, verse 36.

It was usual for boats to sail in groups. The only difference was Jesus was in one boat with His disciples, the other boats didn’t have Jesus sleeping in their boat. The disciples were frightened when the storm arose, imagine how frightened the other fishermen would have felt!

I expect you can see where I’m going. Firstly, do we have Jesus in our troubled sea of life? And if we do, what difference does it make? A life without Jesus is an uncharted life, with the person being tossed about by every chance wind and disaster. What a difference it should make if Jesus is with us. He won’t be asleep. He is awake and longing to be at the centre of our lives. We need to talk with Him and obey Him. He may ask us to ‘fish on the other side of the boat’ and ask us to uproot from our comfortable lives and go. He just says to us, ‘My child, do not be afraid. I am with you wherever I send you.’