AS THE region prepares to celebrate Christmas, Horsham Christian Ministers Association representatives take the opportunity to share their messages for the festive season with Wimmera Mail-Times readers.
Pastor Gus Schutz, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Horsham
CHRISTMAS is meant to be a good time and a happy time. A time of celebration. And for many it is.
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But for some the coming of Christmas is dreaded. It is the most difficult time of the year.
Farmers have been through a devastating harvest. That affects the wider community.
Incidents of domestic abuse spike at this time of year – and maybe some other abuses as well.
Some are faced with real health issues and the future is uncertain.
Perhaps death is the only thing to look forward to.
Others are dealing with unemployment and a loss of self worth and dignity.
Many just continue to live with the same old battles – it’s their journey in life.
It is into this that God sends the gift of Christmas – his Son, Jesus.
He was born in an animal shelter. His early childhood was as a refugee.
He was misunderstood by some, ridiculed and abused by others.
Finally he was strung up on a cross. Jesus himself walks the pathway of human suffering.
What an amazing God.
This was all a part of God’s rescue plan. “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (Jesus).” (John 3:17)
Does God enjoy human suffering?
No way. He abhors it.
He has come to rescue us from it. He has come to free us from being held captive to sin and guilt.
He even welcomes us to be his children. And he promises to be the father we all seek – the Father who loves us with a passion.
Jesus is God’s gift to the world at this time – and for all time.
Will your heart have room for him this year?
Jesus gives hope where there is only despair.
Jesus brings peace where there is conflict and hostility. Jesus fills saddened and broken hearts with joy. Jesus turns hatred into love.
What a gift.
This is the gift our world really needs. It is the free gift that God offers in love to all the world.
For those who will have a good Christmas, be thankful for that – and why not spread some Christmas cheer and love to someone you know who is doing it tough?
Christmas is rarely what we want it to be. That’s life in the world.
God has something bigger and better in mind for the world.
Will you receive Jesus – God’s gift to you at Christmas?
He would love it if you would.
Father Peter Hudson, Ss Michael and John’s Catholic Parish, Horsham
AS CHRISTMAS dawns upon us, we read that the famous MCG is to be surrounded by a huge security fence, as a protection to those who enter there for the Boxing Day Test, from the fear of terrorism that has gripped our world at this time.
All around us here in our city and homes and churches, are signs of the opposite, the true spirit of Christmas.
Lights, decorations, nativity scenes – all decked out – with expectancy and waiting for the celebration of the birthday of Jesus, giver of peace, source of our hope and joy, our God in whom we can all hold firm, take heart and rejoice in God’s presence with us.
We can build fences around ourselves, to protect us from hurts, but which can also shut us in from the good that is more around us.
Jesus came to break down those barriers, to restore life and hope to all peoples, and to lift us up out of darkness into the light and peace that reflects God’s presence with us.
Jesus came to lift us all out of the darkness that sin brought into the world.
Jesus came to restore our union with God.
Such union – in mind and heart, soul and spirit – takes away our fear and uncertainty, for God unites himself to us, so that in all our choices in life, we seek that way of life that is ‘conducive to the end for which we were created’.
In our searching for meaning in life, no one can take from us the power to choose our attitude to how we live life.
At this time of the year we make contact with family and friends, some of whom we may not have seen or heard from since last Christmas, yet there is a lifeblood in what these contacts mean to us, and we can easily take up from where we left off last Christmas.
Such links bring light and hope into our lives and accompany us in the good and hard times of life ahead.
May the life of loving, peace, goodwill and hope fill your lives this Christmas.
God is with us is the message of Christmas.
May what you say and do in your daily life show the face of God to others – a face of joy, hope, peace, mercy, forgiveness. May God’s light shine upon you always.
Reverend Linley Liersch, Horsham, Natimuk and Goroke District Uniting churches
A LONG, long, long time ago. In a galaxy far, far away God, reached out to the people whom he loved.
He tenderly created them, he gifted them with the power to be creative and inventive just as God is.
God freed his people from slavery and oppression.
God gave them laws to live by so that they would understand right from wrong.
But still the people failed to love and trust their heavenly Father.
So God sent the people love poems, so that they may begin to understand how much he loved them (Song of Songs).
God also sent story tellers to the people of every generation with the same story of his love for them.
God sent another story teller, Luke, to write the love story between God and his people down.
Mary, a young girl is confronted by the angel Gabriel who tells her she will be the mother of God’s son.
Mary replies: “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” No that was John Green from The Fault in Our Stars. But true nonetheless.
Some possibilities are bigger than we can ever understand.
Now back to Luke, Mary says: ‘May it happen to me as you have said!’
Mary is blessed because she will bear the Son of God and because she has been a willing participant in the divine initiative. She is a willing participant in the saving history of God’s love.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
Oops! That’s Jane Austin and not Luke!
And I am almost positive Austin was not specifically talking about Joseph of Nazareth. But then again, the rules here do seem to apply.
Joseph was a single man, with a good paying carpentry job, and he is betrothed to Mary.
The unexpected turn of events is that Mary conceives a child, she believes is by the Holy Spirit. This child will be the Son of God. Poor Joseph he is debating what to do, and the ‘quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven...’
No, that was Shakespeare, but you can apply Shakespeare to anything.
So Joseph, exhibiting such mercy unrestrained, thinks to divorce Mary in private rather than a public stoning. Mercy from heaven sent in the form of an angel, tells him in a dream to take Mary as his bride, for it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.
She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus — because he will save his people.
Mercy does indeed come as a blessing down from heaven, it falls upon Mary a faithful girl, and upon Joseph a God-fearing man. And indeed it falls upon all people for whom this child comes to save.
The greatest love story of all time was not written by Shakespeare or Austin. The greatest love story was written by God’s storytellers.
They tell of God’s love for all people: of how God’s own son was born flesh and blood to Mary in the little town of Bethlehem.
This great love story shows how hope comes through Jesus. What comes is not what is expected, but far more: The love of God in the flesh!
Reverend Luke Isham, Horsham Presbyterian Church
THE good news of Christmas only makes sense if we understand the bad news first.
The bad news is that we live in the shadow of darkness.
We see news of the darkness in Paris or Syria or read about corruption and murder in the newspaper.
It’s not just on the news, many of us have experienced this darkness as pain or loss in our own lives.
But it’s not just out there, there’s darkness in our own hearts as well.
Martin Luther King Jr said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” We need a light in the darkness.
Remember the Chilean miners stuck at the bottom of the copper mine in 2010, trapped 700 meters below ground but discovered alive after 17 days?
Imagine their despair at being trapped in the darkness and then imagine their joy the moment the first torchlight burst through!
Jesus is a light bursting through the darkness of this world and even rescuing us from the darkness of our own hearts.
This is the good news of Christmas and why it’s such a celebration.
Jesus is the light that has come into the world.
Major Carolyn Wright, The Salvation Army, Horsham
WE WISH all of our community a very blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Wise men Came seeking Jesus at the very first Christmas – wise men still seek him today.
Pastor Darryl Schwarz, Spirit Song Church, Horsham
IN THE second chapter of Matthew we see the wise men in the Bible Christmas story come to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
These strangers fell on their knees before the Saviour of the world, and as part of their worship, they offered Him precious gifts.
Within the hustle and bustle of today’s society we don’t seem to have time set aside for the ‘worship’ of the Saviour of the world, in the form of a babe. Instead, all we seem to have taken hold of is the gift giving that these men brought, which was in fact part of their worship for Him.
If our need had been gifts, God would have sent to us a marketing expert along with toy makers.
Instead He sent a Saviour in the form of the babe who is Christ the Lord. Set time aside to worship Jesus and thank God that He sent to us a Saviour who we can worship with all our hearts.
Wishing you a happy, blessed and worshipful Christmas.
Pastor Derek Bodycote, Harvest Christian Church, Horsham
GROWING up as a young child there was a song that everyone seemed to know: "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so". You’re probably singing the rest of the song now.
The birth of Christ is the the greatest love gift of all time. As we approach Christmas we cross paths again with the message that God loves humanity.
If it were not for Christmas we might never know the intensity of the love of God has for each one of us.
Who would have know that in a remote town called Bethlehem in Judea, much like Dimboola or Natimuk, that God would send His love message to us on earth in a baby called Jesus.
This was the night when God and humanity were joined together and, as the baby grew into a young man, we would start to understand more each day how much God loves us.
God is not concerned about position let alone status in life. If He were I'm sure Jesus would not have been born in a remote small village.
Jesus love doesn't demand perfection from us. In fact even if we reject Him, He still will love us. Christmas again speaks to me of the living promise that we are not alone no matter what condition we find ourselves in.
God bless each of you and I pray today that you recognise His crossing of your path this Christmas.
Simon Risson, ministry team leader, Horsham Church of Christ
CHRISTMAS is messy. It always has been.
Birth can do that to people. It’s full of expectation, wonder, surprise, celebration. For some, birth and Christmas, brings disappointment, and sadness.
The Christmas story, that is, the birth of Jesus, is often told as a story of tranquillity and ease.
I am not sure the scriptures tell the story that way. And did Jesus really not cry when he was born?
The birth of Jesus is one full of messiness. It has moving houses, threats of death, uncertainty and confusion.
It’s too easy to read a few sentences on a page and think it was all smooth sailing. Maybe. Or maybe the story is God coming amongst us, breaking into the messiness, experiencing the messy parts of our lives.
In this we encounter God amongst us whose greatest desire is that creation knows a relationship full of hope, meaning, purpose and rest.
We would love the opportunity to continue the conversation with you. We gather on Sundays, 10am at the Lutheran School hall in Trinity Drive, Horsham. Or you can check us out at horsham.org.au.
On behalf of family and friends of the Horsham Church of Christ, we pray that you will be reminded that God is with you this Christmas. May you encounter the beauty, wonder and hope of God.