Christmas has come... and is still coming...




Rebekah, some guy in a red suit, Tara Lynn and Simon

  I know its already 2011... so "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

The build-up to Christmas was a little "busy", as was the week-end (what with five services)... but what a blessed Christmas it was... sharing the celebration with my immediate family... and my Church Family here at Trinity. And I got a really cool t-shirt and CD for Christmas... as well as a whole lot of other neat stuff (spoilt rotten, I am!).

Once again Christmas was a time of quite serious reflection for me. Struck afresh, as I am every year, I suppose, by God's incredible love and the stupendous way that that Love was given to us. Oh so creative!



Nativity set from Old St Paul's Church, Wellington, New Zealand
A gift from my friend Maurice :-))

 
Struck this year by the response of the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). having seen the Christ-child they:
~ worship - the only honest response to Jesus, I suppose. How can I make this more of a focus in my life... in every aspect of my life... this year?
~ witness - they can't help but tell others. And yet at times I seem so reticent to share my faith-experience with others... a major challenge for 2011.
~ wonder - they leave the stable filled with wonder and awe. How easily I lose that as the pressures and "things" of each day tumble in.

And so, time to get showered and shaved before Church this morning. I must admit to really looking forward to sharing in worship today (I'm leading the worship at the 9.00am, Cecil is preaching; and I'm doing both at the 10:30am. I'm also doing communion in the evening service: Dayne is preaching, and Audience of One is playing - generally a fun day... I really do have the best job in the world... except maybe a pro racing driver).

2011... here I come! Well, actually... here we come (Matthew 28:20)!