Luke 2: 13 – 20

Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.

Picture

 Host of angels – artist unknown

Prayer

Our Advent journey together has reached its end.  As we have gathered on Zoom, listening to the voices of angel in Scripture, just maybe we have in some small way heard God’s voice speaking to us.

God of Advent, as we have heard again the voices of angels throughout the scriptures, and as we have travelled a metaphorical road towards Bethlehem, may we now, like the shepherds, discover the wonder and mystery of the god whose voice is heard in a baby’s newborn cry.  Amen

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.”

Picture

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.

Picture

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.