Isaiah 58:6-12 A Place to Belong Fintry, 22/12/2002, am ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A place of freedom ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - Christmas isn't always easy for people: - many are lonely at such a family time; - for others, memories of the loss of loved ones are particularly hard to bear; - and for many the stresses of busyness or expense or intense time with people we don't otherwise see are difficult - But the first Christmas can be a source of joy and peace to us today: - even as it brought such joy to Mary and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the wise men! - It was the start of something amazing: - a vivid, concrete demonstration of how much God loves each one of us! - In Jesus' birth God says: Here I am - inviting each one of us to get to know him better - inviting each one of us to live in the freedom he came to earth to bring - He came to bring freedom to people trapped by sin and poverty and injustice that flow from it: - and he wants us, like him, to set people free; - people like Aguer and her brothers and sisters; - set them free so they can fulfil their potential and become all that God wants them to be - Christmas is the dawn of freedom! A place of welcome ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - Wise men and shepherds alike welcomed Jesus' arrival with what they had: - gold, frankincense, myrrh - themselves! - The inn-keeper let Mary and Joseph have the shelter he had: - even though he probably didn't think it was up to much! - It doesn't matter if we are rich or not so rich, we can share what we have to give people a warm welcome this Christmas: - whether they are refugees in Egypt; - or folk who have come to this city to study or work; - or our neighbours who are "outsiders" at Christmas - or even simply the folk who will be here at worship with us between now and Christmas... - In Isaiah 58 (the passage that has interspersed our service) God shows us how he wants us to worship him: - it's not just about coming to church; - he wants us to demonstrate his love to people in concrete, practical ways - Like the star shining over Jesus' birthplace, God promises that when we show this kind of love: - when we welcome poor or lonely people into our lives, sharing what we have - we'll bring light into the world - And so Christmas marks a place of welcome! A place to belong ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - In Isaiah 58 God speaks of the importance of building people up and restoring them into communities: - giving them a new start and a place to belong through life's ups and downs - That's why Jesus came to earth to be with us: - so we could have a new start, and be restored into God's community! - And so God invites us to help him restore and rebuild other people's shattered lives: - we can be involved in helping "repair" broken lives - Through Jesus we can find a place to belong: - when we feel broken by the hard things in life... - or when we're trying to get alongside someone who does - For God has given us that place to belong: in his family! - We've learned about some of the help that Tearfund's Christian partners are giving to families in great need in different parts of the world: - working with God to transform peoples lives; - We can stand alongside those partners by giving and praying - more information at the back, or speak to Helen or Sheila - but we also stand alongside them as we seek, in God's name, to work for people's freedom, to make them welcome, and give them a place to belong! - After all, that's what Christmas is all about!