Dear Friends,

Towards the end of a challenging year we extend greetings and love to all of you our church family members and associates as the commemoration of the Birthday of our Lord draws near. There have been particular and various challenges that we have faced in the past months, but how grateful we are to have been brought through them. But one of the greatest challenges in the months ahead will continue to be in distinguishing the things that are true from the the things that are false, and following those that are true. God grant every one of us the grace of His strong direction in the months ahead and the courage to hold to the truth in every matter.

The Collect for The Nativity of Our Lord, or the Birth-Day of our Lord commonly called Christmas Day is

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Christmas Collect immediately punches into our minds the unassailable truth that the Son of God, uniquely and eternally “begotten” by God (no less), in the processes of being conceived in the womb and then “born of a pure Virgin”, was given to us in order to “take our nature upon him”. I have the impression that there are those who see the human person of Jesus as one who by the perfections of his life advanced as a human being into the perfections of the Godhead. But No: the Collect rightly and clearly teaches that the One who was Son of God from all eternity came to our human family to  "take our nature upon him”. That is to say, the Divine Son came down to take up our human nature upon His own eternal Divinity. And it is “through the same our Lord Jesus Christ” who as Divine took upon Himself our humanity that the petition may be realised, that we in the frailty of our humanity may yet be “regenerate” and made God’s children by adoption and grace. 

The cost to Him of this work of the Son of God in taking our nature upon him was revealed throughout His earthly ministry, and finally displayed, for all to contemplate, in the manner of His dying upon a Cross at Calvary.

The service of the Holy Eucharist on Sunday, Christmas Day will be held in the National Trust Clubhouse, Dart Family Park, S. Church Street, beginning at 10 a.m.

In faith in the holy Name of our Lord Jesus, who will continue to provide guidance and joy by the Holy Spirit to all His people.

+ Nicholas