Vicar’s Page

December 2007

AWAY IN A MANGER

 “The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes: the little
Lord Jesus no crying he makes.”

Rubbish.

Utter rubbish, isn't it?

 Now, don't get me wrong, I'm quite fond of 'Away in a manger' and it's likely that we'll be singing it at several carol services this year. But I'm guessing that anyone who has been a parent or an aunt or uncle – or shopped in a supermarket or sat on a bus or been anywhere that small children are found – will sing those lines with eyebrows raised.

You see I believe that when God chose to reveal himself in Jesus, his Son, he did so as a fully human being – which means that he was born a fully human baby. And, from my own experience, unless they are suffering from a serious medical condition, most human babies cry.

It's normal.

It's natural.

It's not wrong.

Those words from “Away in a Manger” are symptomatic of the way in which we often make Christmas too safe, too nice, even too religious We take the wonder of God himself being born as flesh and blood, bedded down in a feeding trough – because there was no room elsewhere - visited by a bunch of “unclean peasants” (that's how shepherds were sometimes seen in those days), and we turn it into a pretty tableau  bathed in a radioactive glow.

You see, from my experience of speaking with people who go to church services, those who used to go and and those who have never been, with friends, work colleagues, ordinary people, I'm convinced that there are many who are looking for an encounter with a real God who is interested in real lives lived in a real world. The God who made himself known in Jesus and who still makes himself known today.

This Christmas why not make it your goal to encounter the real Jesus? (He's no longer a baby, that's for sure.) If you are interested in exploring the reality of who Jesus is, I'd fully recommend the new Alpha course which starts with a taster evening on Tuesday 15^th January (phone John and Liz on 07792126856 or myself on 621961 for more details).

 For older folk there are a couple of daytime “small groups” which are perfect for meeting new people and finding out more about the Bible in a relaxed and informal way. Contact Doris Swinbank (636947) for the one based at St Peter's; for St Mark's, phone Pat and Brian Rose (674830).

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