At Christmas, one of the things that should distinguish a follower of the teachings of Jesus is a love that reaches out to the marginalized and the forgotten – these are the people of our neighbourhoods, our schools, our cities, and around the world, and sometimes it’s us. Jesus was born into a poor but loving family, and we see him lavishly loving the poor, the hurting, the lonely. We are called to serve in humble, generous ways and we can spread God’s love through the way we choose to celebrate Christmas. When we show up and love in Jesus’s name, God shows up.
We love because He first loved us – 1 John 4:19
From our Ministry Team
- We are part of a conspiracy to do Christmas differently. We want to worship fully Jesus, spend less on us, and give more to our loved ones
- This week’s aim is to love all
- Jesus came for all people. If we are to faithfully follow Jesus we will love and serve all people, as a reminder of how much God loves us
Activity: Create some special Christmas cards for people like teachers, shopkeepers, or neighbours you don’t yet know well. Write them an encouraging note and draw a picture. Thank them for how they help your community and wish them a Merry Christmas
Bible Readings
Prayer
Lord, may we accept with gratitude that you work in mysterious ways
Help us to follow you willingly and find your ways in ourselves and others as we are open and intentional in ‘loving all’ this Advent season
Reflection
Matthew opens his gospel with a detailed genealogy of Jesus – a complex ancestral account of flawed people, trial, moments of connection with God, blessings, beseeching, recrimination and amazing promise and revelation. That ancestry has dealt with the good, the bad and the ugly across the ages and still God prevails
This Advent we are called to embrace the good, the bad and the ugly in ourselves and in others with love, compassion and an acceptance of our God being present in our lives and in the lives of others, often regardless of us
Some ideas to help us Love all (from the website)
- Donate the money you saved from spending less
- Invite someone to church with you this week. Share a meal together after
- Be the person with an extra dose of patience this week. Listen well to others, offer grace
- Read Matthew 25. Notice how much Jesus cares about the way we love and serve others
- Ask your local church what serving opportunities there are and how you can get involved
- Pray for families around the world that are in need: single mums, refugees, villages without clean water, the homeless in your city
- Find a local organization to volunteer at. Go with your family, friends, or small group. Then talk about the experience and see what you learned