“Good News of great joy”

[Betty]

To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:11)

Amid all the wonderful busyness of preparing for Christmas time, the words of Luke, from the early church perspective of the birth of Jesus enter our hearts and minds.
And Luke’s words were such that they can ring in our modern day ears as easily as they would have in the ears of those early Christians, nearly 2,000 years ago.
“To you is born this day ….”     Even though Jesus’ birth occurred so long ago, the birth of Jesus’ spirit and being, and the love that he spread throughout that mideastern part of our world, continues to be born again and again within us.  That seems to me, to best express what Christmas is about.

Each year, it seems, debate surrounds us about how the Christian aspect of people’s lives is lived out.  We hear of desires and attempts to rename certain rituals of the season and to exclude the name ‘Christmas’ from much of the areas of religious festival in our society.

I bring you back to Luke’s words from an angel, “to you is born ….”
Luke is emphasizing Jesus’ birth occurring in some way within you.  May you embrace that birth this season. My prayer is that this Advent and Christmas time will shower God’s blessings and love on you, through gathered celebration, gift giving and receiving, song, music, reading, hearing, praying… through thinking once again, or maybe for the first time, about this “Good News of great joy” from the angel of the Lord.

The United Churches of Hastings and Roseneath joyfully invite you to a time of worship, where we will offer our praise to God and for Jesus’ birth.

Peace and Blessings to you and yours,

Rev. Jamie York

                                    Advent--Christmas Schedule

Friday November 28       Potluck Supper & Movie night     Roseneath  6:00 pm
Sunday November 30      Advent 1 Worship           Hastings 9:15, Roseneath 11:00
Sunday December 7      Advent 2 White Gift Sunday     Hastings 9:15, Roseneath 11:00
Sunday December 14      Advent 3 Worship Special Music     Hastings 9:15, Roseneath 11:00
Sunday December 21      Advent 4 Holy Communion             Hastings 9:15, Roseneath 11:00
Wednesday Dec. 24      Christmas Eve Service             Hastings 6:30pm Roseneath 8:00pm
Sunday December 28      1st of Christmas Worship             Hastings 9:15, Roseneath 11:00