Our displays reached a climax this evening, in Flat 2a where we began this ADVENTure! And tonight, thanks to Sebastian (aged just 2 weeks and 6 days!) we were graced with a real, live baby. What a beautiful little boy, accompanied by Mum Fiona and Gran Lynn (who kindly agreed to don a beard for the occasion, acting as Joseph).
Somehow, having baby Sebastian with us provided a new dimension to this whole ADVENTure. After all, the aim had always been to tell out the true meaning of Christmas. It was fitting that we should return to the garage where we began, where on Day 1 a simple candle shone in the darkness - reminding us of the words of John 1:1-4 - the light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.
Thus, the Christ-child was REVEALED. But we cannot forget the lessons of some of the other displays, especially the one that showed a sign over the Bethlehem Inn showing: "No Room". That reminds us that the one who was REVEALED was also REJECTED. Again, John1 declares that Christ came to his own people, but they rejected him. We are challenged during Advent, in this busy, modern, crowded world, to make room for Jesus Christ. By and large, he has been crowded out and rejected.
But the same gospel message reminds us that some, at least, RECEIVED him. And to those who believed in him was given the right to become "Children of God". That brings all the blessings and privileges of enjoying "God with us":
- peace with God, so that there is no distance between God and humankind;
- justification before God, so that we are cleansed and acquitted of the guilt of our wrongdoing and sin;
- access to God - the privilege of being able to talk with God through prayer;
- hope of glory - God's presence with us in the here and now, as well; as the sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life to come;
- God's love - spread throughout our changed lives through God's Holy Spirit.
We hope you have enjoyed taking this ADVENTure with us. It has been a pleasure meeting so many new people and enjoying new company. The good news is that, for those who RECEIVE the Christ-child, the real adventure has only just begun. For the same Christ who was born a baby in Bethlehem promises to change our lives, our church and our community.
Yes - the ADVENTure has only just begun! Happy Christmas!!
May God grant us all the light of Christmas, which is faith;
The warmth of Christmas, which is purity;
The righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
The belief of Christmas, which is truth;
...And the ALL of Christmas, which is Christ himself!
Today at the Farm Fields Scout Hut we were treated to a vivid and very beautiful scene depicting the wise men who came to the infant Christ bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Celebrating the joy of the wise men was clearly inspirational and I can certainly see the significance of gold, to honour a King, frankincense to call to mind the prayers of the saints, and myrrh reminding us that here was a baby who was born...to die.
But there was something else special about tonight. For as we gathered in front of the Scout Hut, it was striking to observe that this had become a celebration that cut across all boundaries. Representatives from different churches in Sanderstead has met together in front of the scout hut, with one aim in view, and that was to celebrate the coming of Christ and His reigning our lives.
It was a joy, too, to celebrate that one little family have come to all of the displays Well done to them - they are now literally about to fly off to Iceland, but not without being awarded a prize for attending so many garages. Well done Haruka and Makoto and the family!
The intention tonight had been to display "The Angel Gabriel from heaven came". All the props were ready, and once again our trusty standard lamp was prepared to be transformed into an angel.
But no-one could have imagined what happened next... First, the garage door in Beechwood Road developed a fault which meant it could not be opened. So "Plan B" was hurriedly dusted off, and another garage, almost opposite, was commissioned. All should have been well, except that this door, too, developed a fault and was put out of action!
Ever resourceful, the indefatigable duo of Richard and Penny Bird immediately came up with a Plan C. This involved setting up a display in the back of their van - and the display worked wonderfully, despite a howling gale and pouring rain!
It wasn't quite as we had planned it, but thanks to Richard and Penny, the show continued. What lesson can we draw from this? Well, ultimately, God has the last word - and he never gives up! In a way, the message was profound. We had been locked out, not just once but twice! And that reminds me of the reason for the season - for we are celebrating the birth of one for whom there was "no room", yet God in his grace never gave up.
The full breadth of God's love was revealed in tonight's display in All Saints' Drive, with the words "Love came down at Christmas" stretching from end to end of a double-width garage.
What a vivid reminder of the reason why we are doing these displays! We are doing it to share the message of God's love for all in the sending of his Son Jesus Christ. We began, at the start of the Advent season, with a simple display of light shining in darkness. Tonight, the image was slightly different - it showed a word being surrounded, drenched, overwhelmed with God's love. But the message remains the same: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) and if there's one verse in the Bible that explains what we are about, this is it!
We rightly tend to focus on the nativity stories in Matthew and Luke, but John 3:16 provides a most eloquent summary of the reason for our celebration and gratitude at Christmas. More in my sermon at All Saints on Christmas morning...!
We had a wonderful Carol Service tonight, with 260 folk singing God's praise in a candle service. There is something truly inspirational about so many people gathering together to worship like that!
In the new porch as we arrived and left the church we were treated to a magnificent starry display, and greeted by two lanterns. The foyer provided our "garage" for the evening. And as you will see from the pictures, it provided a graphic reminder of the stars "singing together". For the shepherds, that must have been an awesome, even terrifying, sight. But the angels were singing glad tidings of great joy - which is the joy we were expressing in our carols.
I always think that the wonderful thing about carol services is that everyone can join in. Even those who think they can't sing are able to participate - and that, in itself, reminds us of the joy of the glad tidings revealed to the shepherds. It's good news for all, and all are welcome to join in! That's very much our philosophy at All Saints - we are committed to extending God's welcome to all, and to grow in discipleship, service and numbers!
Tonight we took a break from garages and were joined by the All Saints choir, under the expert hand of John Jones, our Director of Music, to sing carols at the Lychgate. There can be few more atmospheric scenes tonight in Sanderstead than the glorious singing of carols in such ancient and frankly inspiring surroundings!
It was very much question of "follow that star" in order to find the location of tonight's garage in Sanderstead Court - although the beautiful recorded music of a Salvation Army band playing familiar Christmas carols also provided a pretty good guide!
When we arrived we were treated to an amazing display of treasures, reminding us of the gifts which wise men brought to the infant Christ.
The story of the Magi is peculiar to Matthew's gospel, although there's a similar story in the Old Testament in 1 Kings 10: 1-13 which records the visit, homage and gifts of a foreign dignitary to the Son if David, King of the Jews. Magi are generally believed to have had their origin in the name of an ancient Persian priestly caste, but the name also came to be used for magicians and astrologers - practitioners of sophisticated science among the Gentiles in Babylonia and Palestine. If this group originated in Babylonia, their journey was quite a long one of some 4 months duration. They were on a journey of faith. Interestingly, instead of following the star directly to Bethlehem, they appear to have taken a diversion bias Jerusalem and remained there for a while, stopping to ask directions of...King Herod, of all people!
We are familiar with the gifts they brought - Gold,Frankincense and Myrrh. Each had its own special significance, full of symbolism and prophetic meaning. Gold was only ever fit for a King, signifying royalty; Frankincense was an expensive resin that burned in the temple at the time of prayer. And Myrrh, another expensive resin, was used for embalming, signifying the death that Jesus would, in time, have to face.
They came, bringing their gifts to the side of the manger - precious gifts of immense value and symbolism, which provides a challenge through the ages for all of us. What is the best we can give to Jesus? Are we willing to bring to him the very best of everything we have, and lay it down in homage at his feet?
