We approached the leaders of churches in the Glen Innes region and asked them to provide a Christmas message – here they are
‘God, I don’t get it … I don’t get You …’
Ever felt like that? Asked God that? I have.
Facing another heartbreaking drought … Standing at an open grave … Stunned at the specialist results … a phone call that changes everything …
Mary and Joseph must have asked those questions. A week’s travel to Bethlehem. And Mary was 9 months. A donkey for Mary? The Bible doesn’t say. No room in the inn. And no one took them in. A midwife? The Bible doesn’t say. Birth in a warm stable? The Bible doesn’t say that either. Perhaps outside.
An ordinary birth? With pain us blokes don’t understand? Yes. Blood and … skip the details. It wasn’t like most paintings.
But when it was all over, Jesus was lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes and cradled in a feed trough, a manger.
And I can imagine, then, Mary resting, exhausted. And Joseph asking: ‘God, I don’t get it … You said to Mary and Me that this baby was special, God’s Son. God, I don’t get You!
But … just then some wild-eyed shepherds burst in, talking about a light and an angel, and choir of angels …
And perhaps then Joseph and Mary began to realise that God’s ways are not our ways. But they are the best ways. In time they came to know and trust God, as we can, this Christmas.
May you know, whatever your doubts and questions, God’s presence and blessing this Christmas.
Rev. Andrew Campbell
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
During a conversation about the familiar Christmas story, a friend once asked me, “Talk of peace and joy is nice. But how does that help the grieving widow, single parent or someone who is suffering? It’s all a bit distant and removed, isn’t it?”
It’s a fair question. After all, we speak of peace in a world ravaged by war. We sing of joy while weighed down by the worries of life. The ideals of Christmas and the world we experience can be poles apart. But this is actually why Christmas is great news!
No mere international birthday party, Christmas is the celebration that, in Jesus, God himself came into a broken world in order to bring hope. The eternal God has taken on human flesh, suffering pain, rejection, temptation, frustration and ultimately death itself, that he might win something better for us than we so often experience in this life.
The good news of Christmas is that God is not distant or removed from us or our troubles. He has drawn near to us so that we might draw near to him to receive forgiveness for our sins, strength in our weakness, peace in our times of turmoil and joy in our deepest sadnesses.
I pray that as you celebrate Jesus’s birth, you might draw nearer to him and find the joy and peace that he offers.
David Robinson
Glen Innes Anglican Church
In times of uncertainty, adversity, and hardship, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lose heart. Many of us face challenges such as job loss, health issues, family separation, or the painful loss of a loved one. The weight of these struggles can be crushing, leaving us feeling helpless, alone, and divested.
However, in the midst of our pain and grief, may this message of consolation and hope from Prophet Isaiah find space in our hearts: “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'” (Is. 35:4)
This verse reminds us that our comfort and strength come not from human sources but from God Himself. While the condolences and sympathies of those around us may provide temporary solace, it is God’s presence and promise that bring lasting peace and reassurance.
In this time of grief and struggle, God is saying to you, “Be strong and do not fear.” He is reminding you that He is your Rock, your Refuge, and your Saviour. He will come to save you, to deliver you from the depths of your pain and sorrow. Just believe and trust Him.
Fr. Thaddeus Ike
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
