Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Readings
Isaiah 11:1-9
Psalm 150
Titus 3:4-8
Reflection
When Charles Wesley wrote that Jesus came to give us second birth, he describes the greatest gift we could ever receive. We have the ability to live a life that includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Christ's coming and sacrifice meant that we all have this gift available to us. With this understanding of Jesus' birth, we are able fully to celebrate what Jesus was born to do. God was not responding to us because we had achieved a goodness that needed reward. From the heart of God comes an action that is motivated by compassion for a race that has gone very wrong and has lost its way badly. God had come among us to enable us to live in a very different way. To our shame, sin sometimes takes us by the hand and controls us in a completely destructive way. We are now to seek the things of God as a priority. We are now to become a people for God, and because of that, as the apostle Paul tells us, to “have no ambition except to do good”. We are put back on track.
Prayer
Lord Jesus light of the world
Born in David’s city of Bethlehem
Born like David to be a King
Be born in our hearts
Be king of our lives today. Amen
Further Prayers
We pray for the fruit of God’s spirit to be evident in our lives and the life of the church.
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