Every year in Advent the
good folk of Barnard Castle United Reformed Church decorate their church with
an advent theme; this year the church was decorated with a fresco of stars. The
stars of the night sky reminded me of a Christmas card the Bishop of London
sent to his clergy and a colleague of mine in the London Diocese a couple of
years ago. At first sight the Christmas card looked like one of those wonderful
and spectacular star pictures from the Hubble Telescope, but on closer
inspection the Christmas card picture turned out to be of light, not from some
far-distant supernova exploded star, but the lights of London seen from the
International Space Station. Such breathtaking space pictures
of the Earth have taken Twitter by storm during the last couple of months; they
were posted by the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield aboard the International
Space Station. His astonishing pictures taken from 250 miles above the earth’s
surface included pictures of Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle. If we had a
giant magnifying glass to look as these astounding light pictures I am sure
somewhere in that luminous central spot in the North East we would find Crook.
The journey of Christmas
began 4 weeks ago here in chapel with Dorothy’s granddad, alias David Dixon,
feverishly looking into the night sky, waiting, longing, looking for a sign –
had he not taken his tablets we thought, had he not been to spec-savers.
Grandad Dixon had been like the watching and waiting sentinels, the sentry
guards on lookout high up on Jerusalem’s city walls taken from Isaiah’s reading
this morning, straining to see and hear, preparing to receive the good news of
this light coming into the world. We too have been on the look-out for God again
this year as we shared our Advent journey in Crook Churches Together, wisely
led by Robert (Revd Robert Fisher).
And our Advent
journey has brought us to today, to this morning’s worship, the birth of Christ
who is the luminous centre of Christmas; his light shining like a supernova
star in our darkness. We hear the familiar story again that seems to come to us
like the light of that star, from far away. Mary and Joseph travelling, a census,
a birth in an out-of- the way place, angels bringing good news, rough
irreligious shepherds brought in from the pitch darkness of the fields to see
and hear things that bring them light and a new vision; wonder and joy and
peace for all the world. We see, hear and feel the light of this familiar story
but we wonder where the source is. Is it close by or is it far away? Is it
light coming at us from a stable 2000 plus years ago or a light of new life
that burns intensely among us here and now on this Christmas morning; wonder
and joy perhaps emanating in this small town of Crook, wonder and joy in our
lives perhaps as we contemplate the great mystery of the Incarnation, for it is
indeed a mystery?
Today we in Crook and other small
congregations are illuminated by that light of the Christ child born among us
2000 years ago, revealing God to us, in his vulnerability, in his openness, his
humility and weakness – just where we are – perhaps to uncertain futures and
jobs, to vulnerable and fragile communities around our chapel, to hopes of
stable families and circumstances perhaps not yet fulfilled but longed for. The
good news of the gospel is that he is with us here in Crook to bring light and
love and healing, where love and freedom and healing, reconciliation and peace are
needed.
And because of this wonderful story
which we celebrate this morning, we have good news to tell and share with the
good folk of Crook. Good news in action which has brightened up our community
and the world outside Crook. Good news of light shining like the stars because
we are bringing in his kingdom......................
·
In
the innumerable acts of kindness and concern shared together in and amongst our
congregation and friends
·
in
the sheer goodness of people from Crook Churches Together who have given over 6
tons of foodstuffs to the poor, vulnerable and hungry of our community.
·
by
church members in their passion for justice and a voice for those who are
affected by government cuts, with the poorest and most vulnerable most at risk.
·
in
the love at a beautiful wedding here in chapel in May this year, the new Mr and
Mrs Dixon
·
in
the hundreds of pounds raised for local and national charities during our
August coffee mornings, our fund raising efforts, and the start of the
refurbishment of the URC Ministers Training College at Westminster, Cambridge
·
in
our world after a year when a number of natural disasters have swept people off
their feet, in the Philippines, and continuing war in Syria and now in the Southern
Sudan and other places that we know.
·
In
our pain and suffering, in the darkness and mystery of life, for we know even
in the darkness his light is not extinguished
We each have had lovely experiences this
last year where we have seen and known and heard God’s love. The good news we
receive today, of Christ come among us, touches our deepest yearnings for light
in darkness, for fulfilment of our hopes, for a different kind of world. It is
light that is real and alive.
Like the luminous centre of the earth’s
cities lights taken from the international space station the luminous heart of
the good news is our relationship with God who comes to be born in us, to bring
light to the centre of our lives. Like the shepherds he calls us from inside,
from the cold to the warmth of a real relationship with him. His love comes to birth
in that stable place of our lives.
Like Mary we treasure the experiences
of light and goodness we see reflected in the lives of those around us as we
ponder this beautiful awareness of Christ who comes to be born in us again this
Christmas-tide. Like the Shepherds who returned glorifying God for all that
they had heard and seen we cannot help becoming ourselves those messengers of
light sharing what we see and hear. For the town of Crook is never in darkness
because Christ has come to be born in us and it is his light which is the light
source at the centre of our lives, the centre of our town, the centre of our
world.
And that is:-
Good news of great
joy for all the people
Readings: Isaiah 52.7-10; Luke 2.1-20
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