Christmas is a good excuse for exercising our vocal chords. Some Christmas songs have nothing to do with what we shall be celebrating in our church services and we won’t be singing jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

  We shall have a number of favourite songs called carols which particularly celebrate Jesus being born in Bethlehem, Palestine round about 2000 years ago. Here is one that you have probably heard sung somewhere perhaps in your local supermarket tempting you to get into “Christmas spirit” and buy one more box of chocolate!

• Hark! The herald-angels sing
• Glory to the new-born king,
• Peace on earth and mercy mild,
• God and sinners reconciled.
• Joyful all ye nations rise,
• Join the triumph of the skies;
• With the angelic host proclaim
• “Christ is born in Bethlehem”
• Hark the herald-angels sing
• Glory to the new-born King.

This is the first verse of a carol written in the 18th century. It describes Jesus as the new born king whose birth is proclaimed by angels. But a stable in a strange town was a strange place for a king to be born, a very humble beginning. This carol speaks of the purpose for the king’s birth, to bring reconciliation between God and sinners (that is all of us who live on this earth). We can’t earn God’s forgiveness for the way we neglect him. There is nothing we can do. So God, the Father, sent his only Son to live among us. He did not have the appearance of a king but the angels gave him a wonderful reception and filled the skies as they praised God.

The fact that Jesus was born in this way so many years ago is not just an interesting bit of ancient history; it is a fact that has a bearing on all of us. If we dismiss Jesus as the king who came to bring peace between God and man then we will never know this peace, we will never know forgiveness, and we will never know the joy that the angels shared at this special birth. In churches throughout the world, in the run up to Christmas many people will sing thanks to God that he sent his Son to the earth so that we can be reconciled to him. Our own carol service is on Sunday 17th December 6.00 pm, and we would love to have you raising your voice with ours.

Susan Pattison