Northwich Church - faith matters

HOME

"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands. My times are in your hands."

Psalm 31: 14,15a

1 CORINTHIANS 13 - THE CHRISTMAS VERSION

Author unknown

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas puddings,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata,
but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the children to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Computer games will break, cashmere jumpers will wear out, golf clubs will get lost.
But giving the gift of love will endure.
Happy Christmas!

It's a Wonderful Life?

One of today's most popular Christmas films is It's a Wonderful Life. The film was directed in 1946 by Frank Capra and stars James Stewart and Donna Reid. It concerns the life of George Bailey, the unsung hero of Bedford Falls. Every attempt he makes to leave his humdrum existence in this small community is constantly thwarted. 

Although it ends up being a great 'feel-good' movie, in the first part of the film George faces mounting personal and financial problems. Together these bring him to the brink of ruin, despair and suicide, so that he looks back on his life as little more than wasted potential. This really is a story about broken dreams!

So why is this black and white film from the 1940s still so powerful with audiences? Christmas is an obvious time for us to reflect on how things have gone over the past year. For some it marks the close of a year full of great memories, while others remember only sadness and disappointment. We often look back on a year of broken dreams.

It's also a good time to ask ourselves 'Do I have a Wonderful Life?' I wonder how we find ourselves responding to this question. Christmas also raises some important questions for our culture about the things that we consider necessary to live a wonderful life, especially in these difficult economic times.

The good news of Christmas concerns a man, born in a stable in Bethlehem, who came to offer everybody the gift of a truly wonderful life. As Jesus said, 'I came so that they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.' (John 10:10, The Message). It is a life which enables us to grasp the purpose for which God created us; a life in relationship with our creator, in which eternity begins today!

Christmas is a time for us to see how valuable we are as individuals in this world. Without spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it, this is the point at which it ends. With the help of an angel named Clarence (!), George sees that he really has made a different to other people's lives in a way that he never fully appreciated. Like George Bailey, let's make this Christmas is a time of recognising what is important in life and how we too can make a difference!

Christine Bowmaker: - 'God is in control'

Christine Bowmaker, the UK sprinter, has spent a lifetime in athletics - as athlete, coach, mentor and minister. "At present I am a coach and mentor to some athletes, just encouraging them. I make sure that they have a shoulder to cry on and someone to motivate them, as well as to calm them in a stressful situation".

Jeremiah 29:11 is a favourite Scripture of Christine's. It reads, 'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'

Christine explains its significance to her: "There have been so many incidents that to some people would be co-incidences, but I know that God has been with me every step of the way. I have had some hard times but God has used them to mould me to be the person I am. I have a great sense that God has always been in control. No matter what has happened God has been there.

In 2000 she faced circumstances, which might have made her question whether God really was in control. After an excellent 1999, which included a world championship relay final, she was confident of selection for the Olympics. It didn't quite work out - she got chicken pox five weeks before the Olympic trials and was not selected.

But eight years on, Christine sees missing Sydney as a blessing. "It gave me an insight into disappointment, and helped me to prepare athletes, and find just the right words to help them. I am able from my experience to show them that they can bounce back at I bounced back."

Christine believes that running is part of God's plan for her life. " God made me the person that I am and he gave me the ability to run. It's a talent I want to use to honour him. In my athletics I don't just pray that God will help me to run fast. I pray that I will have an influence on people's lives

She has also developed a unique way of offering encouragement to athletes by giving them cards. Any time she goes to an athletic meeting, she will have cards for 10-20 athletes with just the right words for each in view of the situation and their particular needs and pressures.