HAPPY CHRISTMAS

"Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness" is a line from a song by Tim Hughes. At Oundle Road Baptist Church, we sing it throughout the year, but those words sum up what we, as Christians, know to be the real meaning of Christmas.Jesus described himself as the "Light of the world", and at Christmas we celebrate that time in history when he was miraculously born to bring light into a world that knew only too well the darkness of poverty, slavery, child abuse, of war.

Here we are at Christmas 2009. What's different? The battle still rages, each generation needing to realise for itself that, without light, the darkness will continue.It never ceases to amaze me that God chose an unknown Jewish girl to give birth to the human Jesus. What an impact he has made in the last two millennia. For us at Oundle Road, his teaching, found in the Bible, has not only helped us understand the underlying failures of human nature that perpetuate darkness, but gives us hope that his light will guide and sustain us when problems and difficulties occur.I love Christmas, being with the family, including five boisterous grandchildren, but I know that, for many, Christmas will not be happy.

In fact, it may well be very unhappy, and I can understand how being wished "happy Christmas" can be like having salt rubbed into a wound.But God's message of hope to the world at the first Christmas was: "Peace on earth, goodwill to men on whom his favour rests". It's still the same. God's love is still the same and he calls us to persevere in seeking it.We have been privileged to be able to build a fantastic new annexe. It is our prayer that somehow it will be used in practical ways to bring light into darkness by sharing the good news of the Saviour, Jesus.

On behalf of the folks at Oundle Road, may I wish you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with hope.