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Christmas Message
for 2003
from Rev. Rob White
Senior Minister of Poynton Baptist Church
“…and hear the angels sing.”
You may remember that line from a well-known Christmas carol. What did the angels sing? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.” What a great promise for those who heard it 2000 years ago, but what a great promise for us today!
However, there’s one thing that stands in the way. What comes before the part of the line that forms the title of this message? It’s this – “Hush your noise you men of strife and hear the angels sing”. Yes, that’s it – so many of us don’t hear the message because there’s too much noise from other things around us. I know a little of this, so let me be honest. My wife tells me I’m getting deafer! Now whether it’s some hearing loss or a highly-tuned selective hearing skill I couldn’t possibly comment! But I suppose I grudgingly have to admit that I find it more difficult to hear something clearly if there is a fair bit of background noise.
This nation, along with many others, has been through a time of war which has invaded our front rooms with its images. War is never very far from us and the world has known very few years of peace. The angels’ message 2000 years ago speaks right to the heart of our world today. Simply put, it’s this – ‘Stop the noise of fighting long enough to let the promise of peace be heard!’ And this peace is being offered as something which can grow in each person’s life through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in us. In other words it’s not something to which we can never attain because the effort’s too great.
But it’s not only that. It is also the noise of all the many things that clamour for our selfish interest – the physical, material pleasures that knock incessantly on our door and begin to occupy too much space in our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a good time, fun, laughter & pleasure, but I’m as aware as anybody else how quickly those things drown out the message of love & peace through Jesus Christ.
So will you stop for a while this Christmas time, quieten the noises & distractions and let God speak to you? You’ll hear something that will change your life – not just for 2004, but for ever!
Have a very Happy Christmas!
Rev. Rob White
20-Dec-03
