Home   Shorter Papers & Church Services, etc

Celebrating Christmas 

Toronto Uniting Church, New South Wales, Australia    Dec. 27th.  2020.

Acknowledgement of the original owners of this land.

Leader.     As we gaze out upon Lake Macquarie, we ponder the fact that over 60,000 years ago our ancient brothers and sisters walked on this land. 

Congregation.     We acknowledge that our Awabakal brothers and sisters cared for and lived on this land for aeons of time.

Leader.     As we ponder the injustices the first peoples have endured, we pledge to try a different way.

Congregation.     As disciples of Jesus, may we always work for justice and equality, especially for the members of our first nation.

Jesus is present, as always, so let us remember him.  His candle is lit.

Christmas has passed but is still present.  We stand in the presence of the mystery of the birth of Jesus.  It just happened a few days ago. 

We also stand in the presence of the mystery and miracle of every human birth.  It happens every day.  It is so common, but each birth is special, memorable and unique.  We try to describe and explore this miraculous mystery in words and images.  It has been said and I quote: -

My suggestion is that you separate mystery from history and then enter and enjoy the mystery of the season.  Dream of Peace on Earth and good will among men and women and then dedicate yourself to bringing that vision into being.

So let us enjoy this journey, both with words and images from the past as well as with words and images of our present human experience.

From the imaginations of past poets and song writers we sing:-

Hark the herald angels sing   Tune - Mendelssohn

Hark!  The herald angels sing

Glory to the new-born king,

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful, all you nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With the angelic host proclaim

‘Christ is born in Bethlehem’.

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born king.

Christ by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of a virgin’s womb:

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail the incarnate deity,

Pleased in human flesh to dwell.

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born king.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of righteousness.

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings;

Mild he lays his glory by;

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born king. 

Charles Wesley  1707 - 1788

To try to capture some of this miraculous mystery, Charles Wesley, and many of his contemporary hymn writers, used the images of Jesus coming to earth from heaven, God becoming human, the birth of Jesus, being the beginning of a world changing life, with all the positive difference that it would make to human beings for centuries.

Quiet reflection.

Leader.     We are thankful for the joyful words and images of past believers that can inspire us to joy and prompt us to bring that joy to the world.  Familiar words and images can help us revisit and reflect on challenges which bring Jesus and his teachings to life with a force we cannot ignore.

Congregation.     We are thankful for Jesus.  We are thankful that he brings abundance to life and love.  We are thankful that we can share in his life and love.  We are thankful that this life and love is freely available to us all for ever.

 Leader.     We are thankful for the endeavours of past believers, to image the unity of the divine and human in Jesus and thus with all humanity.  Familiar words and images can help us accept our one-ness with God and with each other.  They can present us with a bond that cannot be broken; a bond of love that does not die. 

Congregation.     We are thankful for Jesus.  We are thankful that he is an ever-present influence in our lives and that he shared with us God’s dream for this world.  We are thankful that he shows us what the Kingdom of God can be, in the here and now.

From more imaginations of past poets and song writers we sing: - 

Away in the manger   Tune - Cradle Song

Away in the manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes,

I love you Lord Jesus; look down from on high,

And stay be my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay

Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in your tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with you there. 

Anonymous.  About 1890

A carol we probably remember from our own childhood.  We hear these traditional carols at the supermarkets and at events like ‘Carols in the Domain’ and many love to sing along.  They speak to us of the festive season still celebrated in much of the world.

However, continuing in the legacy that, Peter Botha, our beloved minister, left us, “I struggle with questions about some of the ideas presented in the words of these carols?”  Many of these questions present an awkward challenge.  I particularly struggle with the last line; - ‘And fit us for heaven to live with you there.’  I struggle to know how to retain the magic of Christmas if I question too seriously

At the celebration of Peter’s life, we were told about the time when, in hospital, a nurse commented something about Peter, being a minister of religion, was secure in the knowledge that he would be with God in heaven after his death.  I think we were told that Peter then engaged with her, at some length, about his ideas of heaven.  I don’t know whether the nurse went away bewildered, disillusioned, confused or thankful for the challenge Peter had given her, to think differently and thus maybe grow in her understandings of the mysteries of life and death. 

This question – about heaven being a different place to the Earth on which we all live, has been the cause of great turmoil for many years in my journey as a disciple of Jesus.   I wonder what Peter would have said to the nurse.  

I think my response would have been something like: -

For me, heaven is a state of mind, not a place.

When I am connected, when I know I am loved, I am in heaven.

Heaven... I'm in heaven,

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.

And I seem to find the happiness I seek,

When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek.

When I know I have done something really worthwhile, I am delighted, in heaven.

When I see others giving themselves in service, when I hear that society is caring for the homeless, the disadvantaged, those in slavery and poverty, I am thankful, in heaven. 

It all happens here, on earth; here and now.  Thank goodness I don’t have to wait until I die.

However, I need to remind myself that the carol poets and gospel writers had a very different view of reality, the universe and the way things work in the world.

Rudolf Bultmann, a German theologian/biblical historian, helps me understand this better.  He says: -

The cosmology of the New Testament is essentially mythical in character.  The world is viewed as a three‑storied structure, with the earth in the centre, the heaven above, and the abode of God and of celestial beings ‑ the angels.  The underworld is hell, the place of torment.  

Even the earth is more than the scene of the natural, everyday events, of the trivial round and the common task.  It is the scene of supernatural activity of God and his angels on the one hand and of Satan and his demons on the other.  These supernatural forces intervene in the course of nature and in all that men think and will and do. 

That’s how the gospel writers thought and believed.  I think that is similar to the way that many of the writers of our traditional Christmas carol poets thought.

How then, did the adult Jesus respond to infants and children?

Bible reading   From the New English Bible.  Matthew 18:1-6 & 19:13-14.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?”  He called a child, set him in front of them, and said, “I tell you this; unless you turn around and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.  Let a man humble himself till he is like this child, and he will be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.  Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.  But if a man is the cause of stumbling to one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 

They brought children for Jesus to lay his hands on them with prayer.  The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.’  And he laid his hands on the children and went his way. 

Jesus certainly had a soft spot for children.  They revealed something significant and even sacred to him.  He loved them and he wanted them to be with him.

Experiences and imaginations of today.

Now let us try to ‘earth’ the story of Jesus’ birth.  What can our present experiences of life, own current imaginations give to us, regarding the birth of Jesus?

I realize we have all been born; we have all experienced the birth process.  However, some women who have wanted to be a mother, have not had that experience.  It has passed them by.  If you are one such person, I ask you to bear with us as we do some exploration. 

I cannot tell you much about human childbirth.  I have read a lot about it.  But, reading about something and personally experiencing it, are two completely different things.  However, there are two things I can tell you about my birth.  I was born at home but when my mother saw me we were both rushed to hospital. Thankfully she recovered!  The other is that I was born in Victoria, in a small town called Hopetoun.  After I was born, they changed the name to ‘No Hopetoun’. 

Also, I can tell you very little about the birth of any of Wendy and my 4 daughters. 

I can’t remember but I am told by Wendy that near the birth of Cathy, our eldest, Wendy’s mother and I were staying at the hospital with her, but Wendy was pleased when she could wave us goodbye and get down to do to the business of what needed to be done. 

I was not allowed to be at the births of our other 3 daughters.   There must be something lacking in me, because I’m not sure I wanted to be there anyway.

So I have asked some mothers of the congregation to share their experiences.   Sue Merrilees, Jean Newton and Sandra Graham have kindly said they were willing to share their experiences.  I have also asked Greg to share his experiences as he was present for all his children’s births.

Thanks to you all.  To Sue, Jean and Sandra.  Also to Greg. 

Would anyone else like to share their experiences?

In this exercise I have asked for help to try to ‘earth’ the story of Jesus’ birth.  I don’t think the church has been very good at doing this.  Not sure that it has tried.

From the gospel stories we can presume that Mary was about 18 years old or less and was found to be pregnant with her first child, before she was married.  We know nothing, from the Bible, of her parents. 

We presume from the stories that Mary gave birth to Jesus far away from her usual surroundings and her home.  She was certainly not in a hospital and she was without medical care.  In her time, 1 in 75 mothers died giving birth and ¼ of all children born then, died before the age of 1.

So, it was probably the case, that everyone knew of someone else who had died in the process of giving birth, and most would have known of an infant dying very early in life. 

Childbirth could have been considered a dangerous business.  This is still the case and very much more dangerous in some parts of the world than others.  These days 300,000 mothers die in childbirth each year. 

We know little about her partner, Joseph.  He seems to be the only one there who could lend Mary support.  He seems to be an honourable man.  All seems to go well but we have no idea how much apprehension Mary experienced and how much pain she may have endured.  We have no idea how long she was in labour.  It nearly seems to me that the gospel writers were not interested in Mary of Joseph.  They were only interested in the birth of Jesus, the heavenly born child.

So, to some more present experiences and imaginations.

 The birth of a baby   Tune - The Ash Grove 

The birth of a baby

Can kindle just maybe

A spark of compassion from all humankind.

At Christmas we wonder,

Amazed as we ponder

The sight that stirs love in our heart and our mind.

A babe is dependent.

Each human descendant

Is fragile and helpless yet prompts us to care.

The eyes of all infants

Beam love in abundance

So heaven is here and not only out there.

The birth of our Jesus

At each, every Christmas

Is wondrous, yet common to all humankind.

For birth can bring joy

When each new girl and boy

Bring a challenge to all to have strength to be kind.

So sacred - this mystery,

Yet part of our history,

Gives to us an insight that love is supreme.

The newness of birth

Gives potential and worth

To our efforts to make this world live out God’s dream.

Each story enduring

Of love re-assuring

Gives rise in our hearts what we know to be good.

It urges a question

And prompts the suggestion  

To make this world gentle. If only we could!

Yes!  Christmas is telling

With hope overwhelming

That each birth is wondrous!  We all wish to sing!

For babies, so priceless

Give flesh to the promise

That love is eternal.  Let Christmas bells ring!     

George Stuart  1935…

Quiet reflection.

Leader.     We stand in awe at the miracle of human birth; indeed, at the newness of all life which continually confronts us.  Can we see God in the familiar and commonplace?  Can we see God in the familiarity but uniqueness of all life? 

Congregation.     May we be open to the Divine Energising Force all around us.  May we be open to God beyond us and God within us.  May we be open to God being part of everything we are, all we plan to do and all we hope to be. 

Leader.     We see God dance with the breeze in the trees and struggle against the fury of the hurricane.  We hear God in the song of the birds and in thunder.  We smell God in the perfume of flowers and the stench of rotting vegetables.  We taste God in the sweetness of chocolate and the sourness of lemons.  We touch God in the kiss of love and the pain of a heart attack.  We live in God and we die into God.

Congregation.     In God we live and move and have our being.  In God is our destiny.  In God is the ‘special’ and the ‘mundane’, for there is one God and Father of all humankind who is Lord of all, works through all and is in us all.

Offering and prayer. 

Prayers of the people.

Congregation.  In God we live and move and have our being.  In God is our destiny.  In God is the ‘special’ and the ‘mundane’, for there is one God and Father of all humankind who is Lord of all, works through all and is in us all.

God is mystery    Tune - Lasst Uns Erfreuen  

God in all galaxies beyond,

Yet in our hearts and we respond;

God of mystery shares our history;

God is the gentle breeze that blows;

In every creature as it grows;

God gives glory to our story;

God of mystery shares our history;

Alleluia.

God is beyond our wildest dreams,

Quite out of reach it almost seems;

God of mystery shares our history;

Yet we all know of God within,

Facing each day as we begin;

God in hiding, yet abiding;

God of mystery shares our history;

Alleluia.

God is the sacredness of life;

Meets us in all our peace and strife;

God of mystery shares our history;

God shares with us our human mess,

Feeling each joy and every stress;

God of trying; God in crying;

God of mystery shares our history;

Alleluia.

In God we live and move and be;

In God we find our destiny;

God of mystery shares our history;

God is the love that fills our soul:

God is the love that makes us whole;

God gives glory to our story;

God of mystery shares our history;

Alleluia.  

George Stuart  1935…

Let us go in God, out to the world around us.  May we find God’s face in friend and stranger as well as in the marginalised and the rejected.  May we find God in the starry sky and in the worms that wriggle in the ground below.  May we find God in our present struggles and joy, in the future unknown and in the past that is accepted.  May we always find God in the ‘special’ and the ‘mundane’.

So we celebrate again the birth of Jesus and the birth of all children as being sacred. This is a time of joy and love given and received.  It is a time to imagine God’s dream for the world and work to make that dream come true.

May the feet of God   Tune - Aubrey

May the feet of God walk with you;

And his hand hold you tight.

May the eye of God rest on you,

And his ear hear your cry.

May the smile of God be for you,

And his breath give you life.

May the child of God grow in you,

And his love bring you home.

Robin Mann  1949...