Radio Stoke and Staffordshire posted a little video which included a few seconds of us in Railway Town - see it on their Facebook page here.  From life long locals, to Windrush migrants, returning visitors and even an incomer Christmas elf!

Luke 2: 8 - 12

There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born - Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

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Unknown artist

Prayer

Throughout the scriptures, angels tell people not to be afraid – which is probably code for ‘be afraid, be very afraid’…

God of the Shepherds, we thank you that gospel writer recorded how scared they were when the angel messengers brought them the news of Jesus’ birth.  All too often, it seems that your messengers arrive with news that is terrifying – a call to take a huge risk, to do something crazy or to risk rejection by those we know best.  When walking in the footsteps of Jesus scares us, when the call to be part of a different world order seems impossible, please give us the courage to hear your Good News of peace, hope, joy and love.  Amen.

This morning we took part in the Radio Stoke Coffee Morning, and one of their reporters came by to chat to us.  Two of our folk spoke, and spoke really well... L a long term church member who had never been to coffee before, and D a relative of a church member who comes quite regularly... and then I also spoke, and ended up saying it was 'good craic'.

When the recording was played out on air, the show host said, 'and you thought it was just tea and coffee...'

Hmm, does no-one in this part of the world say 'craic'?!

Anyway, it was a good morning, well attended, people appreciated their little goody bags, and it gave us a little bit of useful publicity!

Matthew 1: 18 - 25

This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”

Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”).

So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to. But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son.

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Icon by Claude Lane

Prayer

Joseph wanted to ‘do the right thing’ – but what was that?

God of Joseph, an ordinary, decent man who wanted to do the right thing in what seems to have been an impossible situation, please help us in our own deliberations on complex and confusing matters, especially where we find ourselves torn between conflicting ideas and ideals.  And when we make our choices, however imperfect they may be, walk with us into the future of their outworking.  Amen.  

Luke 1: 26 – 38

God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”

Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. For there is nothing that God cannot do.”

“I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

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Annunciation, Fra Angelico

Prayer

In a sermon, I once spoke a loud a wondering as to whether Mary was the only person visited by Gabriel, or whether rothers had already sad ‘no.’  Maybe that was heresy, but it was certainly a question to stir thoughts…

God of Mary, a young woman whose tentative ‘yes’ changed the course of world history, we pause for a few moments to wonder when you might have sent an angel to us with news that might have changed the course of our own lives, and how we then replied… whatever our answer, the consequences continue to unfold in out own lives… help us today to listen again for your voice, and to weigh our answers in the light of your love for us and for all creation.  Amen.