Christmas Midnight Mass 2019

I was listening to a programme host on the radio recently talking about the meaning of Christmas. The real meaning of Christmas, he said, is ‘Goodwill to all men.’ And then he added - because he quickly realised that this sounded very sexist and politically incorrect - ‘and of course women and children and animals too.’

Well, I think the turkeys might have something to say about that; but then he added this. ‘For a week or so before Christmas we come over all fuzzy and altruistic; we come out of our mainly selfish shells and try to be nice to each other. But by Boxing Day the peace is at an end and war has once more broken out.’

Now I think there are three very important things to say about what he said on a programme heard by possibly tens of thousands of people or more.

The first is this. I don’t agree with him that all people are largely selfish for 51 weeks of the year, thinking only of themselves and no other: l know for a fact, as I am sure you do too, that very many people make not only small but often very great sacrifices for other people - and not just their immediate families - for many if not most days of the year. I can only assume that he has a very unfortunate circle of friends and acquaintances, and that life with the BBC has made him rather cynical.

Secondly – and I am afraid that he is quite wrong here - is his understanding of the phrase ‘Good will to all men’, which is a wishful thinking misunderstanding of the Gospel Reading we have just heard. What he has done - as many have before him and still do today - is to take the offer God made in Jesus to you and to me, and sentimentalise it into something we offer to each other - if only, as he claims, for a few days over Christmas.

You see, this is yet another instance of reading into the bible meanings that simply aren’t there but which suit agendas in which people can happily rule out God - because of course leaving him in leads to some very awkward and embarrassing questions – mainly about ourselves!

But Christmas is all about God; that in one of his forms of being God he chose, because he loves us, to come to us in human form so that we could understand him and believe in him.

Now if you look at what it actually says in the reading, at verse 14, you will see that not we but God is the author, the giver, of the offer; and that that offer is not just a wishful thinking ‘let’s all try to be nice to each other through our own efforts for a few days over Christmas’, but I, God, in the person of this vulnerable little baby, am offering all ‘on whom my favour rests’ to know real peace; a peace the world can never give. And my favour will rest on those who believe in this baby, in who he is, in why he came, and who then change their lives where necessary to accord with what he taught about humanity, and about our hopelessness without him.

The peace he offers, as he will explain to you when he is a full grown man and starts teaching you my ways, is the peace you will have when you know for sure the answers to your deepest questions about this life: it’s meaning, it’s purpose, and what will happen to you when this life ends for you. But above all it is the peace which comes from knowing for sure that you and I have been reconciled, that I have forgiven you for every unloving thing you have ever done, that because of him I have wiped your slate is clean - however dirty it may be or you may think it is, and that we are once more able to be in relationship. And it’s not because of you or anything that you are or that you’ve achieved, but because of everything he, Jesus, is and has achieved for you.

The mistake the radio host made was to make us the givers rather than the receivers: it is God’s offer and it is to be found in Jesus. And the fact is that when we truly believe that Jesus is exactly whom he claimed to be and put our faith in him as the unique and universal Saviour of the world, God’s chosen instrument of forgiveness and reconciliation, then we will find that he is in us helping us to bring the Good News of him, all that he is and all that he offers, to those who do not know him and who do not know what they are missing; in short, his personal ambassadors of his ‘good news’ for all – if only they will receive it.

No wonder the radio host – even with his ridiculously large BBC salary – sounded so cynical: he had misunderstood the ‘Good will’ offer entirely. Let’s not make the same mistake; but with humble and joyful hearts welcome his wonderful message, his unique and universal offer, welcome him personally as Saviour, Friend, and King. Accept and unwrap this present and you will never know a better one because you will have received the very best present anyone could ever receive.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2019

A man was walking along a cliff path one day when he tripped and fell over the edge. Reaching out he grabbed a tree root on the side and clung to it for dear life. He looked down but could not see the bottom. The tree root began to loosen. He looked up to the sky above and in desperation shouted, ‘Is anybody there? Save me!’ Almost immediately a voice from the heavens replied, ‘Have faith; let go.’ The man looked down, and then back up, and said, ‘Is anybody else there?’

Now you may be asking yourselves what on earth that little story has to do with Christmas. Well, unlike my joke at this service last year about the three-legged turkey, this little story has far more to do with the real message of Christmas than at first sight. Why? Well because it illustrates two very important truths.

The first truth is this. The coming of Jesus into the world that very first Christmas in order to reveal to us in human form - that is to say, in a way that we could understand – God Himself who created us, and also not only to teach us how He wants us to live and to love but also, he said, to ‘save’ us, prompts us to ask if we will ‘have faith’ in him; to have faith that he, Jesus, and he alone, provides the answers to life’s deepest and most pressing questions - Who created us? Why are we here? How are we supposed to live? What will happen to us when this life ends?

Now to the person who has not studied closely and with an open mind the person of Jesus - his wonderful life, his amazing claims about himself, and the most compelling evidence for his resurrection three days after he had been killed, asking that person to ‘have faith’ in Jesus to ‘save’ him or her – from avoidable ignorance and unavoidable death - is very much like the situation of the man clinging on to the tree root on the side of the cliff. He or she has no firm grounds on which to trust Jesus’ offer; his offer not only to ‘save’ him or her but also to give them a new life, a fresh start, a new way of living. To such a person there will seem no reason whatsoever to ‘have faith’ in him and ‘let go’.

Or again, if a person believes in the foundation of so much of modern and popular scientific faith (because faith is exactly what is needed to believe it), a miracle far greater, far more improbable – or so Nobel Prize-winning mathematicians tell us - than the miracle of Jesus’s resurrection with all the hugely compelling evidence attesting to its historical fact – and what I am referring to here of course is the theory of the miraculous so-called ‘Big Bang’ with its creating of something (our universe) out of nothing (yes, nothing); a belief system in which, so scientists admit, we are asked to believe that human life, your life and mine, has absolutely no meaning; that we humans are simply the outcomes of blind evolutionary processes with no goal, no purpose, no hope – then, again, that person will want to pay no attention to Jesus’ call to ‘have faith’ in him and ‘let go’.

Or if a person is so absorbed by the pursuit of power, wealth, success – or even just personal happiness and the enjoyment of this life, then he or she too will see no reason, no benefit, to ‘have faith’ and ‘let go’.

But here is the second truth that story illustrates, and it is this: the truth that we are more afraid of ‘letting go’ of the many ideas and things that not only blind us to the truth of Jesus but also let us down time and time and time again: we prefer to put our faith in these rather than take him at his word - that he came to ‘save’ us and to offer us ‘life; life, he said, in all its fulness’.

He came that first Christmas because he loves us more than we could ever conceive of or imagine; he came because our heavenly Father does not want us to make choices that will only separate us from him; he came because each one of us, flawed and fickle as we all of us are, are very precious in his sight, made in his image, created to live in love with him and with each other.

But to the person who has genuinely considered the evidence for Jesus and is willing to let go of all those things – personal, material, philosophical, political – which blind or prevent us from trusting him, such letting go and putting their faith in Jesus is quite simply the most reasonable, rational, and realistic thing they could ever do. Or, as the Christmas carol so aptly puts it, ‘Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.’



The true message of Christmas, the original one that is, not only reminds us of God’s saving love in coming to the earth he created for you, for me, for everyone, it also challenges those who either have not heard it or have previously rejected it to consider and examine it very carefully indeed. What greater gift could we accept than his offer of forgiveness for the past, new life for the present, and a sure hope for the future – whatever that future holds. Will you welcome him, or perhaps welcome him back this Christmas into your life as Saviour, Friend, and King? All you have to do is humbly ask him: he has promised that he will do so.

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Luke 1; 26 to 38

So once again we’re in the season of Advent and another Christmas approaches. And this can leave us in a reflective mood, especially as we get older and we see the years passing by and we see our families also getting older and starting to raise the next generation.

Maybe that’s partly why you’ve come to church this morning. But whatever your reason for coming, I hope that you will find something to help and encourage you in today’s gospel reading about Mary.

You see I think that much of what is true for Mary is also true for us and that actually Mary isn’t as unlike us as we may think. And this is what I’d like to talk about this morning.

The first thing about Mary is that God knows her intimately. He knows everything about her. He knows all her thoughts and all her actions. He knows how many hairs she has on her head. He knows her hopes and fears and dreams.

And He has watched over her from the moment of her conception all through her childhood years and he loves her.

And the same is true of us. God sees you now and knows what you’re thinking. Perhaps its – ‘oh goodness I hope he doesn’t go on for too long cos I’ve got to get to the supermarket.’ Don’t worry, I won’t.

He knows what is going on in your life – your problems and anxieties. He knows all about your relationships. He has watched over you all your life since you were born, and he knew you’d come to church this morning. And most importantly He loves you and wants the very best for you.

The second thing about Mary that is also true of us is that God has been preparing her for the role in life he has chosen for her. In her case it’s as the mother of his son Jesus – the Messiah, God made flesh.

And this preparation is two-fold. Initially when God created Mary, he created her expressly for this purpose. He gave her the character, the abilities and talents to be the very best mother for Jesus. He fashioned her expressly to be the mother of his son.

And secondly as she grew up, he enabled her to experience and learn things that would be useful for her in later life. We’re not told in the gospels – but I suspect Mary had experienced older women around her who taught her about motherhood and childcare – and I suspect it was something she loved because God had built it into her DNA.  

Our roles will of course be different to Mary’s – but God has also created each one of us for a purpose and role in life.

He has fashioned us just as carefully as he fashioned Mary. He has imbued us with gifts and talents and has given us innate likings for doing various things – things we’re good at and enjoy doing.

And he has given us these gifts and talents and likings expressly for the role he has for us.

However old we are, he has a plan for each of our lives – something he wants us to be doing for him. We’re not a random assortment of abilities but tailor-made individuals with a God-given purpose ahead of us.

God says in the book of Jeremiah – “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And like Mary, our life experiences will be part of our preparation for God’s plan for us.

We may have gone through difficult times – but these can give us an empathy and understanding for others. Often the best people to help those struggling with life are those who themselves have experienced similar struggles, whether that be an addiction or illness or depression or a bereavement or financial problems.

I don’t know what you’ve experienced in life but maybe you can use your life experience to help others in some way.

The most important part of Mary’s story however, is where she says yes to God. “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

All God ‘s preparation – all his watching over her – all his love for her – would have come to nothing if she’d said “no, sorry Lord, I’m not ready for this whole child thing yet. I mean, think how embarrassing it will be. Come back next year and I’ll think about it.”

And the same is true for us. Everything God has prepared us for; everything he has invested in us and taught us in life will come to nothing if we say “no” to his plan and purpose for our lives.

You see God has given us free will and he will never force us to do anything. He works in us and through us as we co-operate with him.

Jesus has given all Christians the great Co-Mission. It’s a mission in partnership with God – as we say yes to him.

Now of course it can take us a while to reach the stage where we believe that God exists and that he has a purpose for our lives – but at some point – like Mary - we all need to make a decision.

And that decision is whether we want God’s plan and purpose for our lives or we want our own. Whether we say yes to God – “let it be with me according to your word” or no – sorry God I want to go my own way in life.

And this is a decision we can make when we’re eight or eighty. Its never too late to say yes to God’s plan.

And this is really what repentance means. It’s reaching a stage or point in our lives where we realise our desperate need for God and are prepared to say yes to his plan for our life.

Repentance is a bit like changing the points on a railway line and deciding that from now on we want to follow God’s track rather than our own.

We’ve tried living life independently of God but it hasn’t brought us fulfilment and despite what we may have achieved, we sense an emptiness within ourselves; a realisation of the pointlessness of life without God; perhaps our need for forgiveness; perhaps a yearning for meaning and purpose and genuine hope beyond this life.

So’ we take a step of faith and make the decision to say yes to God. 

Maybe for some of you here this morning - this is how you feel and although perhaps you weren’t aware of it there is a prayer that is bubbling up from deep within you.

“Lord I’ve tried living my life my own way but deep within I feel empty and I want your plan and purpose for my life. I want to know why you created me.

If you’re there God, please make yourself known to me. Come into my life. Be real to me. Show me that you’re alive and that you love me.”

Saying yes to God is the most important decision any of us will ever have to make because our eternal destinies hinge on the answer we give. 

God will always respect the decision we make. As I’ve said he won’t force himself upon us.

He’ll keep loving us and knocking on the door of our lives, hoping that we may change our mind but if we keep pushing God away and saying no to him – there’s very little he can do about it.

The next thing about Mary is that as she says ‘yes’ to God – the Holy Spirit comes upon her and Jesus is birthed within her. In Mary’s case of course it’s a physical pregnancy.

However, it is similar for us. As we say ‘yes’ to God’s plan for our life, Jesus is birthed in us.

The Holy Spirit – the spirit of Jesus comes to live within us and we become spiritually alive. God becomes real to us and we know for sure that Jesus is risen from the dead because we can sense and feel his presence with us.

One of my favourite Christmas Carols, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ puts it like this: “No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”

And he comes to live within us so that we – like Mary - can start to fulfil the plan he has for us. So that we can enjoy a relationship with him.

He comes to guide us in life and to empower us to serve him. He comes to help us reach out to others, to prompt us and encourage us to show those around us his love.

He comes to help us to use our talents and abilities to extend his kingdom and to make himself known.

We’ve been running the Talking Jesus course in church recently to help and encourage us to share our faith with those around us because it’s not always easy to talk about our faith.

But it is critical that we do because Jesus loves each one of us; because he died to save each one of us by taking our sin - which is what separates us from God - upon himself, and because has a plan for each one of us. 

Mary’s purpose was absolutely central and vital to God’s plan to come into the world in the person of Jesus to make salvation possible for all people; but our purpose is also extremely important to God.

You see every person is of immense value to God; and like Mary he has placed us in a unique position in the centre of the circle of our family and friends and work colleagues - the people we meet each day – and it is through us that he wants to try and reach out to these people. 

We also each have unique positions and roles to play within our local churches – using our talents and abilities to help create a healthy local body of Christ - whether that’s a role in catering and hospitality; or a caring role; or a role in helping with children and young people’s work; or an administrative or technical role or an upfront role.

God’s church here at Brenchley will only be truly healthy and function as he desires as we each play our part in supporting and serving it.

So, to tie up what I want to say this morning – I think in many ways we are not so unlike Mary.

God knows us and loves us. He has created us for a specific role and purpose.

He has a plan for each of us and if like May we will only say yes to Him – He will also be birthed in us. Jesus will come by his spirit to live in our hearts and lives.

And then we can each start with God’s help to fulfil the plan he has for us, to play our part in his overall plan to bring salvation to everyone in the world who will accept him.

I’m going to close in a moment with a time of quiet prayer and reflection where we can each share what is on our hearts with God.

Perhaps you’re already a Christian but you’re unsure of what God wants you to do; how he wants you to use your gifts and talents and what role he wants you to play. Why not offer yourself to him now in service – like Mary did - and ask him to guide you as you seek to serve him.

Or perhaps you’d like to say to God’s plan for your life and to know him. If that’s you, in your own words share whatever is on your heart with God. Tell him you want to fulfil the plan he has for you and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life and to make himself known to you.

Jesus is present among us now by his spirit and looking at each of us with love in his yes. So, let’s all pray quietly for a few moments and share the cry of our hearts with him.

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