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Rev Graeme - Feb 2011

There is something that has been going through my head quite a lot recently. I have not been able to shift it! It is something that our local Methodist minister, the Rev Janet Tanner preached about on Boxing Day in St Mary's Church. Let me tell you what struck me.

The Rev Janet quoted something that I have heard many, many times before "we need to put the Christ back into Christmas"! She alluded to the thought that many Christians complain that Jesus Christ becomes marginalised during this festive season whilst other things take precedence (holiday, alcohol, presents, busyness, serious calorie intake)! But then, she said something different and very unexpected to me.

She referred to the occurrence in the Bible whereby Herod tries to kill Jesus by ordering that all male children up to the age of two years old in the Bethlehem area be put to death. Then she said (also by using another modern-day example) that we need to put the Herod back into Christmas! I found this quite shocking, and then she explained more. Let me try to do my best to convey the same message.

There is a sense at Christmas time that everything should be better, everything should be nicer, we should celebrate. In one way that is all well and good and I enjoy it along with everyone else. In another way it can become disconnected from real life, and in that respect can seem more escapist and almost fictional! We can try to escape from the harsh realities and frustrations of our own lives for a while whilst we partake in Christmas festivities. The problem is that we all return to real life, sometimes with a bump!

We need to remember that Immanuel means "God with us". When Jesus Christ was born, divinity came to share the harsh realities and frustrations of human life, as well as the joys. Jesus Christ came to share our humanity, He came and experienced Himself what it meant to be cold at times, to be treated unfairly, to be tempted, to be physically beaten, and then finally to die a horrific and degrading death.

I want you all to know that Jesus Christ loves you enormously. He cares for you and about you. He wants to be with you, as much as you and I will let Him. If you are going through a torrid time; or experiencing unfair treatment; or struggling with physical pain; or trying to cope with the pain of loneliness. Let me tell you that Jesus Christ wants to be with you. He wants us to celebrate his birth, of course that is true. But, he wants to be close to us in the realities of our everyday lives and bring the benefits of his presence into the harshness of the situations which we can face. So, in that respect, the Rev Janet's sermon has been of great help to me, and I hope you as well.

Finally, we were never meant to work out our life and Christian faith within our own individual lives. That is why those who go to church find more opportunities to both give and receive practical, spiritual and emotional help. Let me take this opportunity to extend once again my warmest invitation to everyone to come along.

Always with love,

Rev Graeme.