Treasured Truths

During our services over the Christmas period we are following the series 'Treasured Truths', thinking through the key phrases in John 1.

A special offering for the Presbyterian Children's Society will be collected at the Carol Service and a special offering for the PCI World Development Appeal will be collected on Christmas Day.

We are approaching the end of another calendar year, and looking towards our annual celebrations of the birth of the Lord Jesus. In the Gospel according to Luke, we read of the first Christmas, and of the shepherds living out in the fields near Bethlehem.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Luke 2:9

Many of us think immediately of the language of the King James Version, which describes the shepherds as "sore afraid." The composer of the paraphrase wrote that "sudden dread had seized their troubled mind." Whatever the wording, the report is the same. When the angels appeared, the shepherds feared And rightly so.

Suddenly, visibly and irrefutably, a massive truth presented itself to the shepherds in the field. They were handed the answer to a question that would come to be asked in modern times, for they saw that there is so much more than town and country, sheep and shepherds, mud and stars. That night, in the Judean hill country, the shepherds beheld angels from the realms of glory, and heard their message and song. They were confronted with the reality of God.

All through history, the God of heaven has made His presence known to people in this world. At various times He sent an angel or worked a mighty sign to speak for Him (see Judges 5:45 or Judges 6:10-11, for example). Moreover, all of creation continuously proclaims the message of its Maker and Sustainer (see Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:20). No one on earth ever is left without reminders of God's presence and power. Indeed, as we come to the end of the year, we may look back and see how much we have been blessed by God's faithful provision. So, while people may want to deny Him, and try to live and die as though there were no God above, every Christmas announces to the world that He is there, just as the angels told the shepherds long ago.

God also reveals His presence through His people, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The PCI-wide "Present" initiative picks up on this truth. The initiative was launched at the Church's 2024 General Assembly and is focussing in its first year on how we are called to be present before God as His people. We pray that each time we gather we may know the Lord's presence among us, that His message to us will be heard clearly from the Scriptures and that His glory will be manifest to all. If you are able, do come and be present with us Sunday morning by Sunday morning, In the month of December we also plan (God willing) to have our Church Family Carol Service on Sunday 22nd December at 4.00pm and a Christmas Day Service on Wednesday 25th at 10.30am.

We pray that each time we gather we may know the Lord's presence among us. Indeed, we pray that God the Holy Spirit will be actively present not only in our worship services, but in all that we do as a local church, in our fellowship and activities, our outreach and witness. Please continue to pray earnestly that the Lord may do a mighty work in our area. Pray that God's Word may go forth in His power, that people will be awakened to the things of eternity, be brought to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then live new and holy lives in Him. Pray for God's kingdom to come, and His kingdom of grace advance. Pray that, as 2024 ends and 2025 begins, we may find people in a hurry - running, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, to find the Saviour who is Christ the Lord.

If the Lord spares us into the new year, each of the 19 presbyteries of PCI (the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) prayerfully will prepare a plan for a reconfiguration of ministry and mission in its area. Like the Christmas angels, the Church is to point to God's presence, praise His glory and proclaim the Saviour. The times are such that the Church needs to refocus on its calling, and to bring good news of great joy into a world filled with bad news and woe. Our own Kirk Session has considered what a reconfiguration of ministry and mission should mean in our own context, and has pledged to work towards a revitalising of the congregation. We also will continue to work in partnership with other churches locally. Events will be held under the "Donacloney Together" banner throughout the incoming year, and planning has begun for a united time of mission in May 2026. Please join us in praying for God's blessing on these efforts.

The appearance of the angels to the shepherds is perhaps one of the best loved details of the Christmas story. It has inspired some of our favourite carols (think, "Hark! The herald angels sing" for one) and has enabled countless teachers to include their whole class in a Nativity play ("Mummy, I'm an angel!"). But one nuance to what happened often is overlooked. When the angels appeared, the shepherds feared.

It had been normal; just another night. And then in a moment, at a time when they did not expect it, the angel appeared to say that Christ had come. The Bible does not only tell us of the Lord's first advent; it tells us that He will come again, with His Father's glory and all the holy angels, at a time when people do not expect. In one moment for the shepherds, the curtain between time and eternity was pulled back; they thought they were sent for, and they were terrified. We may not know the moment when the Lord will come again, but it certainly is nearer now than ever. Have you wondered about this: what will it be like for us - for all this world - suddenly to be confronted with the reality of the presence of God?

At the first Christmas, the angels could say, "Fear not" - "Do not be afraid." The shepherds heard of the One born to be Saviour, Christ the Lord. The good news of great joy is that Jesus came to bring a peace that goes far beyond any political settlement or welfare programme. The Lord gives a peace from God that is peace with God, and which will continue throughout eternity. He bestows a peace that turns dread into delight. May you know that joy and peace in Him this Christmastime. Be just like the shepherds; heed the good news God has sent, and find the Saviour He has given. Then, be not like the shepherds. Be ready.

We are approaching the end of another year and another Christmas season. As the days pass swiftly by, we are being brought ever nearer to the time when the voice of the archangel will announce that the Lord has come. May you know His presence even now, and await that Day with all the anticipation and eager expectation that has people looking forward in this season.

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