Tag Archive for: Christmas

Sihle Mooi
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Christmas is about reconciliation

Christmas

As we prepare to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth at Christmas, we reflect on the lengths that God went to in order to be reconciled to an estranged humanity.

Scripture tells us, ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor 5:19)

As those who have been reconciled to God through Christ, we have in turn been given a ministry of reconciliation, to be bridge-builders not only between God and man, but also between estranged peoples.

The ministry of Rays of Hope is like the Grayston Drive bridge connecting Sandton and Alex, a bridge between ‘the pot of gold’, Sandton, and ‘the pot of tin’, Alex. These two communities are the perfect symbols of the disparities and divisions in our country: divisions between suburbs and townships, rich and poor, black and white. Divisions which experts tell us are simply unsustainable; a ticking time bomb.

Rays of Hope, as that bridge, has been partnering with the community of Alex to create lasting change for 26 years. We run nine programmes in three focus areas: orphaned and vulnerable children, education and work readiness. Our work directly impacts 2 660 members of the Alex community.

We would love you, the community of Rosebank Union Church, to join us in this ministry of reconciliation and building bridges, throughout the year.

As Christmas approaches, we are excited to be participating in the Santa Shoe Box project. This is an initiative where members of the public place gifts of toiletries, stationery, clothing, sweets and a toy in shoe boxes, which are dropped off at Rays of Hope and distributed to all the children in our children’s programmes, as well as our partners in Alex: Alex Kidz Clinic, Takalani Day Care, Dinoko Day Care, Mercy House and Ikusasa Lisakhanya Reading Club.

This Christmas, let’s build bridges and be reconciled to one another, reaching out in love!

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Leigh Robinson

Let’s not sentimentalize Christmas!

Imagine the ‘time’ in eternity past when the Triune God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) was planning creation, specifically the creation of mankind…

They planned to make mankind in their own image. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . .’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27. The Triune God created man the way he is knowing that “when the time had fully come” God the Father would send his Son to be “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), to be “made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7), to be “found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:8), to “share in their humanity” (Hebrews 2:14) . . . to be like us, except for sin (Hebrews 4:15)!

The Triune God decided to reveal himself to humans by becoming human! He “appeared in a body” (1 Timothy 3:16)! “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth . . . No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:14, 18).

God the Son came into our world by being born of the Virgin Mary. He lived in a body, fully obeying the Law we have all broken. He died on the cross in our place for our sins. He defeated sin, Satan, and death in his body on the cross (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15). He was buried in the tomb, and on the third day he was raised from the dead in a body—a “glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). He ascended bodily into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father . . . in a body! We have man in glory who understands us, who is able to sympathize with us and help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). And he is coming again in a body (Acts 1:10-11)! For all eternity the Son of God will be “in a body.” This is amazing! This is what Christmas celebrates. Let’s not sentimentalize it. Let’s not turn it into something trivial. Let’s not rob it of its wonder. Let us think on these things . . . and adore!

Thanks for your prayers, love, and faithful service during 2012.

Irene, and all the Rosebank pastors and staff team, join me in wishing you a safe and restful holiday, and a Christmas filled with wonder.
Your friend and pastor,

Leigh

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Leigh Robinson

Christmas….again!

Yes, it will soon be Christmas . . . again! Another year has flown by, and once again many of us find ourselves tired, weary, worn out, stressed out, and badly in need of a break. As we think of Christmas, ‘rest’ is uppermost in our minds. We look forward to taking a break, getting away, chilling out, pulling out of the fast lane for a few days or weeks. We hope that Christmas will mean the recharging of batteries that are just about flat. I pray that this Christmas season God will give you the gift of rest.

But more than that I pray that for all of us Christmas will be a time of reflection. Most of us know the Christmas story very well. We can sing the carols by heart and we can just about recite from memory the Scripture passages about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. It’s all so familiar that another Christmas season can pass by without us going any deeper into the meaning of this wonder of the ages. So I urge you this Christmas to reflect. Go back to those familiar Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to some fresh facet of this amazing event—some new insight that will leave you breathless with wonder and on your face in worship.

When the apostle Paul wanted to challenge the believers in Corinth to sacrificial giving to the poor, he used the Christmas story to motivate them. He hadn’t written many words before he said, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9), and he concluded his exhortation by exclaiming, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Sacrificial living and giving as disciples of Jesus arises from a fresh apprehension of the extraordinary grace of God shown us in the incarnation of Jesus. This apprehension is the result of Spirit-guided reflection. Do some of that while you are resting this Christmas. It will change the level of your discipleship in 2012.

Irene joins me in thanking you for your love and service to God and RUC in 2011, and in wishing you God’s rich grace in 2012.

Your friend and pastor,

Leigh

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