Today, angels and stars, shepherds and travellers, and a new born child tell a love story full of danger, promise and intrigue laying bare the beauty and compassion of an amazing God! Our God! Jesus Christ, God with us!
Jesus is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can ever put out.

Luke 2: 1 – 20
The Birth of Jesus
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.  2  This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3  All went to their own towns to be registered.  4  Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.  5  He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.  6  While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.  7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8  In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night.  9  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  11  to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,  the Lord.  12  This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’  13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,  praising God and saying,
14  ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’ 
15  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’  16  So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.  17  When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;  18  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.  19  But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.  20  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Prayer
Wake up baby God! We want to gaze into your eyes
those eyes full of light and life and love.
Let us see your baby hands,
feel your tiny grip around a finger.
Your grip, a grip that can hold both us and the world you made.

Wake up baby God, even now you speak volumes to
us in a gasp of life-giving air and the cry of new life.
Let us hold you and feel your weight,
both fragile and immense.
Lord God, let us take stock of all that you are,
in this brand-new body,
the one you chose to come among us.
Thank you, Lord for letting us see you and examine you dealing with human life and struggle.
Thank you for the pattern you showed us for our lives,
if we will only wake up and open our eyes to see your light, and love, and life, and glory.
Forgive us when we have slept, baby like, oblivious to the world around us.
Awaken us to all that you see, even in your infancy, from the borrowed manger where you lay.
Baby God – God with us as we cry to you and marvel at you
help us to embrace you, not only as a child,
but to embrace all the grace and glory that your human frame exemplified in life,
death and resurrection.
God with us, today you stand at our stable door,
bearing the unwrapped, open gift of unrelenting love,
and you invite us to take it,
to relish it, to be joyful with it and to share it!
Waken us up Baby God, again, and again, and again. Amen
Today, remember that in Jesus God has blessed us with the love and the light
that brought all life into being.
You are God with us – God Immanuel
So, stay with us Lord, always and everywhere,
as we take the good news and joy of your coming among us onwards and outwards.
as those shepherds did, so long ago
And may the smile of God warm us, may the light of Jesus lead us
and may the Holy Spirit blaze in our lives and fill us with love,
not only today, not only this Christmas-time, but throughout our lives Amen
May the peace of Christ Jesus, the love of God, the joy of new birth and the hope of eternal light
and love be yours this Christmas Day.

Mike, Gwen and I wish you a blessed Christmas, filled with the Peace, Hope, Joy and Love of God, through Jesus – God, in human flesh and blood, with us and for us!

Rev Janine