I had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas. As I write this, it is the day after Christmas and it is a Sabbath Day for me, a day of rest. Today I have been basking in the glow of Christmas. I am glad that all the activities of Christmas are behind me. The past week was especially hectic, to say the least. But Christmas Eve and Christmas were special to me because the focus of the last week has been on the birth of Jesus. I emphasised over and over wherever I was that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Last Friday the students and staff of the St Fergus Primary School came down to St Fergus Parish Church for their Christmas program. This is the third year the school has been back to the church for that. After the kids did their Christmas program, I gave a short seven or eight minute talk to the kids and the adults. Two days later, on the Sunday before Christmas, there was an All Ages Family Christmas service at St Fergus Parish Church. This was the third time in three months that we have done an All Ages Family service at the church. That evening at St Andrews Church, I spoke about Advent as waiting and preparing for the coming of Jesus.
Christmas Eve was a busy day for me. At 6:15 pm children and their families from the village came to the church for a Family Carol Sing-Along, sponsored by the St Fergus Community Association. After a rousing time of singing carols, I spoke to the children about the birth of Jesus and led them in singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then we were visited by Santa Clause which created a lot of excitement. At 7:30, we had a good crowd at the church for the St Fergus Parish Church Christmas Eve Service. The service has grown over the last three years. At 11:00 pm I led a Candlelight Christmas Eve service at St Andrews Church. It was a beautiful service with a lot of music as we welcomed in Christmas and celebrated the birth of Jesus.
At the two later services on Christmas Eve I pointed out that Jesus was born a king unlike any other king throughout history. In a recent Christmas card to me, a friend had written the first stanza of what I used in my short talks. I do not know the source of that first line, but I developed it further and came up with three other stanzas. Below I write out my friend's stanza with the three that I made up. I also added the line That king is King Jesus.
A thousand times in history
a baby became a king;
but only once in history
did a king become a baby.
That king is King Jesus.
A thousand times in history
people served their king;
but only once in history
did a king serve his people.
That king is King Jesus.
A thousand times in history
people sacrificed their lives for their king;
but only once in history
did a king sacrifice his life for his people.
That king is King Jesus.
A thousand times in history
death conquered a king, even the mightiest of kings;
but only once in history
did a king conquer death
and bestow on his people life in all its fullness
and life eternal.
That king is King Jesus.
My strategy for these next two Sundays (28 December and 4 January) is to continue to sing Christmas carols and celebrate Christmas. You could say that I am following the Twelve Days of Christmas routine. I relish Christmas carols such as Joy to the World and Hark the Herald Angel Sing because they are so rich theologically. In the Sundays before Christmas I stressed Advent hymns. I only began to have us sing Christmas Carols seriously the Sunday before Christmas. Now with the stress of Christmas plans behind us, I figure we can linger for a bit longer on Christmas and Jesus Christ as the reason for the season. I will keep telling them of the wonderful Story, the true Story of Jesus Christ and His birth that Christmas long ago. I hope it is a ripe time to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim biblical truth that leads us to life in all its fullness.
I hope you had a very merry Christmas, and now may you have a very happy New Year.
Blessings to you and yours,
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