by Rev. Daniel

Introduction
Christmas like any other celebration for the year 2020 is going to be different.  Every celebration has to be down-scaled in many ways.  There will be a lesser festive mood, lesser visitation, lesser exchange of greetings and the like.

As we come to the Christmas season, what can we learn or anticipate for the year 2020?

A PAUSE
If we were to look at the scenario today, with each celebration, there seems to be a spike in the COVID-19 cases, the last being Deepavali.  However, would that mean that the Christmas spirit be stolen by this pandemic?  Surely not.

Nevertheless, as we celebrate Christmas, it would be a pause.  A pause to see the hands of God in the midst of trials.  We go back to the first Christmas – there had been 400 years of silence from the Lord Jehovah.  There were no more prophets, no more miracles taking place in Israel.  It was simply a day-to-day routine causing a spirit of despondency that they have almost forgotten the promises of God.

It was a 400 years silence then – and it has been almost a year of crisis and uncertainty.  Is there anything left for us to celebrate?

At the end of November, my wife decided to decorate the house with some Christmas lights and decoration.  As I watched her and helped her, I told myself – “COVID-19 shall not rob us of the Christmas spirit”.  It may be different this year but the good news of hope, love, peace and joy shall continue to ring silently to others.  It may be a pause, but a pause of God’s working in our hearts and the hearts of others.

A PONDERING
Another element is a pondering in our hearts.  Even as I thought of this Christmas season and the pulpit, it was impressed upon my heart that it is going to be different but personal.  God is going to speak to our hearts and we must be set to ponder what God is saying.

As such, let us look forward to what God is doing and speaking to us.  A series of sermons has been planned to gear us towards listening to God.
 

Christmas Theme:  When Everything came to a pause
Dec 6	Mt 1:18-24	The Heart of Joseph – Is your heart right?
Dec 13	Lk 2:19	The Pondering of Mary – What are you up to God?
Dec 20	Lk 2:28-35	The Waiting of Simeon – Is this for real God?
Dec 25	Lk 2:10	The Countenance of Christmas – Fearful or Faithful?
Dec 27	Jn 1:14-18	Immanuel – Pause, what did God do?

 
I pray that all of us will hear the voice of God during this Christmas in a special but different way.

A PROCLAMATION
Lastly, there is still the proclamation, not forgetting that all that the Lord has done is for us to proclaim but again in a very different way.  To some of you, it may be a personal touch and telling to loved ones, to close friends, perhaps over a family dinner taking the opportunity to tell others why you are still celebrating Christmas but in a smaller scale.

To yet another using social media as a way to make Jesus known – share your story, write something about Christmas on your Facebook, make a short video telling others why you celebrate Christmas and in a quiet way, thousands can get to hear this news of hope and faith.

Yet to others like me – I find myself preaching the gospel more fervently than before, taking every opportunity for those who are tuned into the internet and the online service to have the opportunity to hear the gospel.

We have been saying that it is the last days we are living in.  Therefore, greater is the urgency than before.  May God bestowed upon you the wisdom, the boldness and the joy of Christmas.

Blessed Christmas to all of you.

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