A Chocolate Christmas
Christmas Day 2015 – Family Service – a chocolate Christmas
THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Many years ago, a girl called Mary heard a WISPA from an angel who told her that she would be the Mother of God’s son. Mary was both amazed and afraid. How could this be? To have a baby now would be a TOPIC of conversation in the village.
When Joseph heard about this he thought to himself, ‘I don’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace. I will send her away quietly’ But then, an angel appeared to Joseph in a DREAM and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins’ Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife.
Before Jesus was born,a census was to be taken. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and travelled to Bethlehem. It was a very long journey, and of course there were no AEROplanes in those days so they couldn’t take a flight and there were no cars or TAXIS so they couldn’t get a lift so they had to walk all the way.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, Joseph tried to find somewhere for himself and Mary to stay but everywhere was full. Eventually they were offered a stable and it was there that the little baby was born. He was named Jesus.
That night, some shepherds, heard a noise from above. Whey they looked up they saw a multitude of angels praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the shepherds heard the good news of the birth of Jesus, they decided to take a break (KIT KAT) from looking after their sheep. ‘Let’s go and see what is happening in Bethlehem’. They travelled to Bethlehem and there they found, in a stable, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, who was lying in a manger. The shepherds REVELled at the thought that this child was so special. ‘Could this be just as the prophets had foretold? Is this the LION of Judah?’
It was getting late, AFTER EIGHT in fact, so the shepherds returned to the hills and to their sheep. Meanwhile, in a far country, some wise men, some SMARTIES, were busily scanning the GALAXY when they saw a star near the MILKY WAY. ‘Is that MARS?’ ‘No, that is a special STAR signalling the birth of a King.
The wise men set off travelling and eventually reached Herod’s Palace – they were not embarrassed to HOBNOB with royalty. ‘Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage’ When Herod heard this he was very interested ‘A King has been born?’ At first he didn’t believe them and called the M ALL TEASERS. But he had to make sure and so he tried to FUDGE the issue.
The wise men travelled until they found Jesus and they offered their BOUNTY, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Then God warned them in a dream that Herod was up to his old TWIX What he really wanted to do was kill the baby Jesus. So the wise men took TIME OUT to return by another route.
And so we have the chocolate version of the Christmas story. But whatever way this story is told the message is still the same. That God sent His Son into the world to be our Saviour, to set us free from the things that hold us back from being what he wants us to be. In Jesus Christ we have someone who believes in us and who wants us to make a difference for Him in the world around us. And God has promised that Jesus His Son will always be with us not just now during this Christmas season. No matter where we are or what we are doing, He is there helping us to become the people He wants us to be. God’s gift of His Son is for everyone, all we have to do is to be open to receive Him into our hearts and into our lives. And that is good news for all of us here this Christmas morning. The Christmas story really is cause for CELEBRATION, Jesus is no MINATURE HERO!