Journey of a Lifetime

Wherever we have come from, however we got here,
This is the journey of our lifetime
In meeting the Christ Child, in knowing Christ the Man
And Jesus as our Saviour we are all changed.
We cannot possibly make this journey and remain the same.

Some of us have only come across the yard.
Brought up in Christian homes, taught by our parents,
Regular worshippers, Jesus has been our constant companion.
Beware, those of us from across the yard
That we do not take our faith for granted,
Or cease to explore or journey deeper into God.
God’s love has been our blessing all our lives,
But we still need to search and research.
The Innkeeper may not be part of the Bible story –
But we can assume that the birth in his animal shed
Must have changed him…

Some of us have not moved very far to find Jesus.
Our church is our comfort, our seat is reserved.
But we need to remember the shepherds who took a great risk
By leaving their flocks and running (coming with haste) down to town
To see the wonders told by the angels.
They might have lost their jobs; the wolves might have eaten the sheep!
Sometimes it is necessary to take a risk for God;
To move from what is comfortable and comforting
And listen for the angels.
In the bustle of our busy world, where will the angels sing for us
As they sang for those shepherds?

Some of us have travelled a long way.
From unbelief, from no church or rejecting church,
We have wandered looking for meaning in our lives,
Looking for God in unfamiliar and far off places.
As the Magi searched the skies for a sign,
And then followed the star for many days,
So too, we need to look for signs of Emmanuel: God with us.
We need to find meaning and hope for our time and place,
And journeying with God to risk and to find our home in Christ,

Pure love came to earth at Christmas, was nurtured and nurtures us still,
So that we too may make our journeys,
and become God’s love, alive and hopeful in our world today.

Revd Barbara Bennett