Scripture: ‘Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the days of Herod the King, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem asking ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him’.’ (Matthew 2,1-2)Reflection:In his famous poem ‘Journey of the Magi’ TS.Eliot describes the hard, exhausting journey of the wise men, the Magi, to find the newborn ‘King of the Jews’. They find the baby, but not where they had expected, in a palace in Jerusalem, surrounded by wealth and pomp, but in a very ordinary home in the small town of Bethlehem. They return home knowing life can never be the same for them. All their assumptions and expectations have been overturned.In a much less known poem, ‘Epiphany’, James Harpur describes only the return journey of the travellers and their relief at being back in their comfort zone. Back with their own sort. Forget about the baby. Nothing to do with them.To catch a glimpse of the reality of God’s presence among us, is just the beginning. We are free to ignore it, dismiss it, forget about it. Or we can allow ourselves to be changed by it. We have a choice. Revd Rosemary
Scripture: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2 15-19)Reflection:Imagine being those shepherds, out in the fields tending their sheep, minding their own business - when all of a sudden an angel appears to them from the heavens!! How would you have reacted? I don’t know about you, but I would have been totally awestruck and quite frightened of what I had just experienced.We get so used to hearing the Christmas story that we tend to forget that everything that happened was absolutely incredible!! The birth of the Christ child, the angels appearing, the Magi following the star are not things that happen on a daily basis!!And because we have heard the story so many times, we become anaesthetised to the true wonder and the pure gift of Jesus in our lives - perhaps we need to be more like Mary and ponder all these things in our hearts.Lyn Hayes
Scripture: ‘Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.’ (Matthew 1.18)Reflection:Mary, Jesus’ mother, plays a central part in the Christmas story, but what about her silent partner, Joseph? Imagine for a moment that your future partner is pregnant, the baby is not yours, and the child will save the world- all according to an angel who appears in a dream! This, the angel says, is God’s plan - go with it. And Joseph did - he stood by Mary, loved and supported her despite probable disgust and ridicule from those who knew him, quietly and patiently trusting God. Imagine what our lives would be like with that kind of trust. Imagine what the world would look like with that kind of love. God’s plans don’t always make sense, but they are always good and trustworthy - the first Christmas is our proof.Vicki Young
