“‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”  (Matthew 1:23)
 
Dear friends and families,

Every Christmas, I can’t think of a time of year when it’s easier to lose God than at Christmastime. 

In many of the Christmas, programs, decorations, and lots of other things related to Christmas specials we watch on television and the songs people perform, there’s no mention of Jesus.

It’s possible to lose God in this season. Of course, we can’t really lose God, but we can lose sight of God’s real plan. However, God never loses sight of us. He’s constantly thinking about us. We see this exemplified in the blessing God gave the priests to pronounce over the people of Israel:

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
 
In the original language, the phrase “the Lord lift up His countenance upon you” means “to look, see, and pay full attention.”

GOD PAYS FULL ATTENTION TO US.
DO WE GIVE ATTENTION TO GOD?

Never mind God friends, we even don’t pay as much attention to each other as we used to. The reason for this is the existence of smartphones, and many other electronic gadgets. People go out to dinner and spend most of their time staring at their devices. Or they’re out walking their dogs and looking at their phones.
 
Researchers have found that we have a generation of people who prefer texting to talking. Thus, many of these people might not understand social cues, such as making eye contact or nodding in affirmation when someone’s speaking to them.
 
That’s not true of God. When we’re talking, God’s listening. He’s taking in every word that we say. God is very interested. The essential message of Christmas is Immanuel, God with us. We may lose sight of God, but He never loses sight of us.
 
Have a great time with your God, family, and friends, and may we don’t lose the real sight of God and the real meaning of Christmas. There will no Midweek Musing till January 2023. So, may this Christmas will be blessed and peaceful for you and your loved ones.
 
So, may “the Lord bless us and keep us; the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious to us;  the Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace” Amen and Amen. 
 
Rev Kathreen Shabaz

Dear Friends 

This morning's prayers started with the words of Psalm 121, including the following verses:
   He will not suffer your foot to stumble; ︎
   he who watches over you will not sleep.
   Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel ︎
   shall neither slumber nor sleep.    (Psalm 121 v3-4)

Whilst it might appear to be a slightly irreverent way of viewing God as one who might have the propensity to fall asleep on the job, in this Psalm of Ascents: claiming the protection of God, I personally find it highly reassuring.

Today the church remembers the life of John of the Cross, a poet and teacher of the faith, who was not afraid to challenge the religious authorities of the day, even if this would lead to his own persecution and imprisonment. It was when experiencing one of these darker times, he famously writes of the experience as one of the ‘dark nights of the soul’ as he has no-one but God to fall back on. I find his personal experience an encouragement when I too in the middle of the night, find it hard to sleep, stressing over whatever concern it is that is keeping me awake.

Rejoice then, that we have a God who is there for us, whatever (and more importantly whenever) our greatest need!

I look forward to seeing many of you at our annual Community Carol Service, this coming Sunday @6pm; a further opportunity to rejoice, and catch up with one another.

Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.

Simon

Dear friends and families, 

Yesterday's celebration was the wonderful St Nicholas, in many respects a key foundation for 'Father Christmas' or “Santa Claus”. Before I share about my reflection on St Nicholas’ day let’s see little bit history about St Nicholas.

Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (Southern Turkey), but very little is known about the historical figure behind the legends. His reputation as a worker of wonders was enhanced by the ninth century and is now better known through these stories than otherwise: St Nicholas' love and care for children, how he fed the hungry, healed the sick and cared for the oppressed. He saved three girls from a life of prostitution by providing them with dowries and so developed the tradition of bearing gifts to children on his feast day – a practice appropriated by later Christmas celebrations. The manner of Nicholas’ death is not known but is not thought to have been martyrdom. 
  
Now we are in Christmas season where we are thinking of lots of present to buy and to give too, but think of poor old Nicholas – I’m sure he would be appalled at what he has become – this caricature of a figure bringing presents – and often to those who have too much anyway. And the sickening commercialisation of the time – used to sell things. Instead, he was a man who gave quietly to the poor and destitute, to the struggling and the needy. What made me think of him the story I have heard is simply the arrival of parcels at the door of a house with no preliminaries and no expectations simply the meeting of a need. 
  
So, in this Christmas lets learn from St Nicholas how to help, and who to give present to feel the real joy of Christmas. 
  
Let’s finish with the special prayer for St Nicholas, 
  
Almighty Father, lover of souls, 
who chose your servant Nicholas 
to be a bishop in the Church, 
that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace: 
make us mindful of the needs of others 
and, as we have received, so teach us also to give. 
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, 
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. 
All Amen. 
  
Have a blessed day. 
  
Rev Kathreen Shahbaz