What's your favourite feel-good Christmas movie? Let us know in the comments! Here's Rev. Andy Humm with our latest blog post, sharing the truth about Christmas...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Or at least that’s what the movies would have us think...
The Christmas movie channel is alive and well, with movie after movie of schmaltzy (is that even a word!) 'boy meets girl at Christmas' or 'mistaken-identity,' or' wrong-presents,' or 'snow is falling just as things come together, to create the best feel good moment ever!' The truth is that Christmas was never easy! We tend to overthink or rest in tradition when it comes to the Christmas story. We seem happy to now say that there were not three wise men, as the bible does not tell us (it could have been more or less!). In the same breath, there is no evidence that Mary and Joseph had a donkey – for all we know she may have had to walk the three day journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem! And the truth is that ‘the inn’ that is referred to in the story probably doesn’t refer to a hotel but the part of the house where people put up their guests. People in those days, often had part of their house where the animals were kept and it was probably there that the baby Jesus was placed. The manger was an animal feeding trough – it would have been horrible and the last place that any of us would have liked to have put a newborn baby! The lowliness of the manger is important because what it shows us is that God sent the Saviour of the world to be born – not in comfort and security – but in a very ordinary way that showed that he had come for everyone! The Christmas movies are far removed from the reality of our everyday Christmas’s. Yet Jesus longs to meet us in the everyday reality of our lives. And it is in the midst of that, that he makes a difference, everyday of the year, not just Christmas. Our Guest speaker Gavin Calver will be speaking this week on Jesus, Saviour of the world, and inviting us into relationship with King Jesus! The Angels in the Christmas story told the truth to all who might hear. ‘...a Saviour has been born to you...’ the angel said, in the town of Bethlehem and the sign will be a baby lying in a manger. Then 'suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all people on whom his favour rests."' [Luke 2] The birth of Jesus means that evil and oppression has had its day and it’s on the run. That’s the very good news that the angels announced! This isn’t cosy, sentimental tosh! It’s all about the God who made this world, stepping down into it in lowliness and humility, in order to defeat the power of evil and make both his people and his world into what he made them to be! It’s the most radical and life changing story there is! Therefore we can safely say, this Christmas it IS the most wonderful time of the year, as Jesus comes in the midst of the ordinary, for you and for me. Have a great Christmas Andy (Vicar)
Take part in our Carols Coffee & Cake Service with guest speaker Gavin Calver, this Sunday 11th December, 10:45 at St Paul's. In person at St Paul's or online via www.bit.ly/tivertonchurch