December '11 & January '12 Letter
Dear friends,
What roles have you played in a nativity play? My earliest memory of a nativity play was when I was in the Reception Class at infant school. The whole school was involved, so there must have been scores of shepherds, angels and wise men but my class of 4 and 5 year olds had only a tiny walk-on part at the end of the play, bringing a favourite toy to give to the infant Jesus.
Christmas is often a time for nostalgia and in our culture this means that it’s associated with childhood and children. “Christmas is for the children”, it’s sometimes said and it’s wonderful to see children enjoying themselves and great for us adults to be reminded of that sense of excitement and wonder which children feel and express so readily. It’s important, though, that we recognise the message of Christmas as something which is meant to challenge us and affect us in our adult, 21st century lives. God, in Jesus, came to dwell among us and reveal his great love, by dealing with the sin which mars our lives and the life of the whole world and by calling us to become his people, continuing his mission of reconciliation and re-creation. This is the ”true”, the bigger, Christmas story.
Children’s nativity plays are great, I think, because they remind us of this truth: that when God wants to do something in the world he chooses to call ordinary people to work with him. Each character in the nativity stories is invited to play his or her part in God’s bigger story. Mary has to say “yes” before Jesus can be born. Joseph has to say “yes” to taking Mary as his wife and becoming the protector of the new-born Jesus. The innkeeper has to respond to the request for accommodation. The shepherds have to respond to the angels’ direction to find a new born baby in Bethlehem… The wise men have to set out to follow the star…
And so, every time a nativity play is performed, we’re given the opportunity to see again the good news of God’s love, demonstrated in the birth of Jesus, but we’re also challenged to see how it’s necessary for each of us to respond to this amazing event. God invites each one of us to play our role in his bigger story and his invitation comes with a RSVP. As we prepare for our Christmas celebrations, God has a role for us to play, so that his love is made known and is experienced in our families, workplaces and neighbourhoods - in Rochdale and in the wider world.
What role is God offering you in his Christmas story this year and how will you respond?
Carolyn