Helensburgh Parish Church - Meditative Reflections

Submitted by Graham Philips When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among others, To make music in the heart.                                                Howard Thurman Father, thank you for providing salvation through the gift of Your Son. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to those I can serve for Jesus' sake

Christmas in a Time of Conflict .  In 1914, on a cold Christmas eve in Belgium the sound of singing floated from the trenches where the soldiers were dug in and ready to do battle with the enemy. Strains of the carol "Silent Night" rang out, in German and then English. Soldiers who, earlier in the day, had shooting at each other, laid down their weapons and emerged from the trenches to shake hands in the 'no mans' land' area between them and to exchange Christmas greetings and to share their rations with each other. The ceasefire continued through the next day as the soldiers talked, laughed and even had a football match. The Christmas Truce of 1914 that occurred along the Western Front offered a brief glimpse of the peace the angels proclaimed on the first Christmas Eve so many years ago. An angel spoke to terrified shepherds with the reassuring words of "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town

4 Rejoice in the Lord, always: again, I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. T he Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let y our requests be made known to  God.   7 And the peace of God, which  surpasses all understanding, will guard your  hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                                                                            Philipians (4: 4-7)   May we find the courage to point to the hope, comfort and peace that You offer. Especially in times of difficulty and sorrow. May we witness Your goodness, Your presence and Your compassion.                                                          Amen

In the season of Advent we learn to wait for the Lord to be made flesh. We wait in hope, love and faith.   And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory: the glory of a father's only son, full of grace and truth (John 1:14)   That first Christmas, God moved towards humanity. Through His Son, Jesus, God came to earth, becoming fully human and divine.   God moved towards humanity. As we wait in this advent season, how can we move closer to God?   We can move closer to Him through prayer.   Lord, we long to draw close to You. To know You deeper. Help us to recognise the ways You move within our lives. To be aware, to see, to hear and feel You. Amen.

On his first mission, Space Shuttle astronaut Charles Frank Bolden Jr. commented that it "fundamentally changed his view of the world". From 400 miles above the earth, all looked peaceful and beautiful. Yet Bolden later recalled that, as he passed over the Middle East, he was "shaken into reality" when he considered the conflict that made that area such a dangerous place. During an interview with film producer Jared Leto, Bolden spoke of that moment when he saw the earth with a sense of how it ought to be – and then sensed a challenge to do all he could to make it better. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the world was not the way God intended. Into this moral and spiritual darkness, Jesus came bringing "life and light to all" (John 1:4). Even though the world didn't recognise Him, "to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to be children of God" (v 12). When life is not the way it oug