Christmas and the URC
May the God who came to us as a baby, bless you with peace and hope.
We live in the Northern part of the world, and when the days are short and the nights long, when our spirits are low and it’s cold, there is a deep need to find hope for a new year and for life itself.
So, we light the lights, we set the table and fill our glasses, and celebrate with friends and family,
in defiance of pain and darkness, because we are alive, and love and joy are real.
The church chose this time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the story that’s passed down to us through the years continues to echo with our stories and our hope today.
A child was born in difficult times when the world was ruled by mighty powers not hearing the protests of the poor.
And, this child was, according to Christian faith:
God with us, the light of the world.
The Christmas Story
(in about 20 seconds)
A young woman called Mary becomes pregnant and a messenger tells her that the baby will be a holy one. She decides to go with it, to have the baby, and to trust in God.
The now-pregnant Mary travels to Bethlehem because the government has ordered that everyone should be registered.
Bethlehem is super-busy and with no Airbnb in those days, she ends up in a part of a house where the animal feed is kept.
There she gives birth to the baby Jesus – in a manger.
The first to hear about it are some shepherds.
How do we know that?
The four gospels in the Bible, tell the story of Jesus, his life and death. Only two of those gospels tell of his birth. Matthew offers some account of it, but Luke gives us the longer version.
But what about the Three Kings/Wise Men/Magi
A lot of imagery, several films and so many nativity plays have ‘the three’ present at the birth of Jesus. But they probably weren’t. In Matthew’s account of these events, he has an unknown number of magi turn up after Jesus was born, days after he was born. They get numbered as three because there were three gifts, but the number of people who carried the gifts is unknown and the names of them are unknown. They may have been wise, they may have been kings, we just don’t know. We do know they came from the East!
I want to know more
Good. We’re delighted to hear that.
We have a page on this website detailing what the URC believes, including what we believe about Jesus, that is a good starting point.
You could also open a Bible, or visit one of the many online Bibles and have a look at the beginning of Luke.
Or you could download our Christmas gift to you…
- URC Christmas Gift (PDF | 8mb)
A Christmas Message
The Revd Fiona Bennett, reads from Luke 2, The Message version, to contrast the depiction of what Christmas is like according to TV adverts with how reality doesn’t always measure up to those expectations. Fiona shares with us how the true joy of Christmas runs much deeper than the the tinsel and turkey.
Do you want to find out a little more?
Attending a church
If the Christmas story has you a little curious and you wanted to visit a United Reformed Church over the Christmas period, you’d be warmly welcomed and the people there would be delighted to see you.
There’s no need to dress up, just come as you are. At the church you might find:
- a carol service – readings and songs that tell the story of Christmas
- a communion service – where bread and wine is shared in the ‘feast’ at the heart of Christian worship, a reminder that the baby who was laid in a manger is truly present with us still.
- an informal service on Christmas day – with laughter and celebration.
The holiday season is, understandably, a time when people might think of what Christmas is all about. People might be looking for calm before the chaos, or they might be yearning for something deeper than cake, lights and a seasonal episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys!
If you find yourself one of those curious types, or you were thinking of visiting a United Reformed Church, then you can find your nearest one at…
More thought
Whether you have a faith or not, Christmas can be a time for reflection, review and reaffirmation.
Maybe something you read or saw over the festive period hit a note or piqued some curiosity. Maybe you attended a church service and thought “That can’t be right, can it?“. Maybe you had a long-forgotten faith rekindled from a conversation over a turkey dinner. Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution to find out a little more about Jesus.
Whatever caused the spark, you may be sitting there now asking yourself how do I keep this little flame burning?
You could try attending a church (you can find your nearest from the link above) but you might not be ready for that kind of step yet.
You could sign up for the URC’s Daily Devotions and receive an email each morning from us containing a reading, a reflection and a prayer. It only takes a couple of minutes to read, though it might take all day to reflect upon!
To receive the email, sign up at…
More resources
URC story advent calendar
This festive season, be inspired by our Advent stories featuring local URCs helping their communities and reminding us all of the true meaning of Christmas.
Step into the Story
The URC’s 2024 Advent Pack, invites everyone to recognise that they too are part of God’s big story; Jesus came for each individual person.
Reform magazine: December 2024
As we enter the Christmas season, Reform editor Stephen Tomkins and United Church of Christ minister Leah Robberts-Mosser consider different aspects of the nativity stories.