Our Christmas Message 2003
When Jesus was
born in Bethlehem, visitors came from different places to visit him. There
were shepherds and people who travelled from far away places on camels
bringing gifts. They all shared the same conviction that Jesus was the
special gift of God who would bring healing to the problems of our world and
our lives.
As Jesus grew up and lived out his short life of about 30 years, he spoke
words which have continued to make sense to every generation since. He told
people that it was important to love and care for other people. He
understood that it was only by thinking of the needs of others that we would
ever be able to find real happiness ourselves. Jesus also said that unless
we made a place for God in our lives, then we would be empty and unhappy
inside our souls, in spite of how many ‘things’ we might possess.
We know this message to be true today as people find Jesus to be God’s
answer to our deepest needs and those of all humankind. Sadly, Christmas is
not a time for peace for many people in our world, or perhaps even in our
own families. Each day we seem to be surrounded by stories and experiences
of real pain and suffering. Yet in the midst of whatever problems we face
the message is still true, that following Jesus is the best discovery which
we can make.
We encourage you to come and join us this Christmas at St Mark’s Church. It
can take a bit of an effort to come along to church if you have not been for
a while, but Christmas and the New Year is a great time to make a start. We
are sure that you will be glad you did and we look forward very much to
offering you a warm welcome .
The Ministers and congregation of St Mark’s Church