St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
Midweek Devotion 22nd December 2022
Led by Rev Sigrid Marten
Welcome to our Midweek Devotion on Thursday the 22nd of December.
The gospel of John reminds us that,
“The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
(John 1:14,16)
Our lesson today is written in the gospel of Luke, chapter 2 (verses 1-20).
Reflection
“Christmas is really for the children” – I hear that a lot at this time of year. And many of us work very hard to make sure that Christmas is special for the children in our circle of family and friends. At the same time there are many adults, especially older people, who decide they won’t bother with a tree, or with cards, or about seeing anyone at Christmas. For too many life is just too hard, too sad, too lonely – what is there to celebrate?!
There’s two things I would want to say to that:
Firstly, we might be in danger of romanticising childhood as a time of innocence. And yet, we know that there are thousands of children – millions, even – for whom life is incredibly tough: children in war zones, refugees; victims of natural disasters; children experiencing domestic violence or homelessness; those whose families struggle to heat their homes and put food on the table this year, and many more. These children may know very little about the ‘magic’ of Christmas.
Secondly, the Good News is that the story of the Incarnation, of God coming alongside mortals in the birth of Jesus Christ, is not a nice wee fairy tale that we tell the weans, to make them and us feel better, at least temporarily. In the Christian community we believe that the story of the child in the manger is a story about all of humankind, a story for people of all ages; a story that takes us all back to the important truth that we will find God in the dark and dangerous places of this world, the sad and lonely ones too. In the midst of the complexities of politics, in the lives of ordinary people, in the wonder and vulnerability of new life, that’s where God is. That’s where the Word became flesh, became real.
We believe that ‘Love came down at Christmas’, as the carol says, that in Jesus Christ God is with us. Emmanuel is his name: God with us. We mark Christmas as a time to remember that through the love of God life has changed for good, and hope is born again.
In a world with too many broken hearts, too many lost dreams, where all creation longs for reconciliation and healing, we trust that in Jesus Christ we are offered new life. In him we find faith, hope and love. So, we remember that Christmas is for us, all of us!
Prayer
Come, God-with-us:
who braves our rejection and hurt,
who holds us in acceptance and love.
Come, God-for-us:
who whispers in our ears that we -
each of us – are beloved children.
Come, God-under-us:
who cradles us in arms
that never grow weary;
whose lap has room enough for all.
Come, God-over-us:
who watches
in the long silence of the night,
that we might rest in peace.
Come, God-beside-us:
who steadies us when we falter,
who lifts us up when we fall.
Come, God-behind-us:
who picks up all the faded dreams
we drop along the way
and patchworks them into hope.
O come, o come, Emmanuel:
and we will rejoice forever!
All our prayers we sum up in the words
that Jesus taught us to pray together:
Our Father which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power,
and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen
Blessing
The blessing of light be upon you,
light without and light within,
the blessing of a gentle flame,
the blessing of the sparkling stars,
the blessing of angels’ song,
of peace and hope and new life,
and the light of the world in your hearts,
shared with friend and stranger.
Amen
Organ Music
Dieterich Buxtehude Vater unser im Himmelreich