Just wanted to sneak in a quick ‘Happy Christmas’ to all FNC members!

It’s so easy to become tired and cynical at this time of the year – especially if you are involved in keeping ministry stuff happening right up to and through the holiday period.

But let’s not forget what a momentous occasion we are celebrating!
God becoming man!
What an extraordinary and marvellous thing for Him to do, and all for the purpose of saving us human beings.

Please don’t let this season pass without pausing and remembering God’s amazing love for us.

At FNC tonight, I’ll be speaking about the very first Christmas Carol. Probably taking a bit of poetic license, but if the angels did sing thse words, then it’s a reasonable claim:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men,
on whom his favour rests.”

Two things:

1. The thing of first importance to the angels was to glorify God. What about for us? I suspect that for many of us, glorifying and honouring God is often down the list of ‘things to do’ at this time of year.
2. The second thing the angels acknowledge is that peace is available to people on whom his favour rests.
   In our self sufficiency and our domestication of Christmas, we think somehow that with enough Christmas Spirit we can bring about peace on our own. And that somehow as the first step, we just have to be nice to each other.
   But we’re lucky if our ‘peace’ actually lasts until Christmas lunch!
   Do you notice, this first Christmas carol is about peace between God and men.
   Which has got to be the starting point for any other kind of peace.

On that note, every blessing this Christmas (especially to all you Beach Missioners and camp leaders!), and I’m very much looking forward to being part of great things at FNC in 2008.