Monday 25^th December, Christmas Day

Psalm 98       Isaiah 52.7-10    Hebrews1.1-12    John 1.1-14

Psaumes 98   Esaie 52.7-10     Hebreux 1.1-12    Jean 1.1-14

The Long Wait Over…

Waiting is not easy. Waiting is something we don’t do well. Instant gratification suits us better. Why wait? Grab your tablet. Order now…. and be annoyed when it does not arrive the next day. What does it mean to wait? What does it mean to wait for centuries?

Grey waiting. Mundane labour on the margins. Shepherds’ dull routine. Light piercing darkness. Fear and joy flooding in. ‘Behold, I am doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it?’. The God of all Ages hidden, utterly dependable and steadfast in love and faithfulness, also the God of surprises. Your wait is over! Age-long promises of life, hope, kingship and salvation, each and every one of them, fulfilled in the flesh, in a frail baby boy - Jesus, bringer of Good News.

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, rejoice!!’. ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’. Darkness was not able to hold on to him. He has done it! (Réjouissez-vous toujours dans le Seigneur. Je le répète, réjouis-toi    !! 'Le Verbe s'est fait chair et a habité parmi nous'. Les ténèbres ne pouvaient pas le retenir. Il l'a fait !)

Lord, disturb our grey waiting. May Your perfect love and burning joy flood our dull routine. (Seigneur, dérange notre attente grise. Que Ton amour parfait et ta joie brûlante inondent notre routine terne.)

Paul Vrolijk

The mystery, why did God wait?/ Le mystère, pourquoi Dieu attend-il ?

Sunday 24^th December, Fourth Sunday of Advent (Christmas Eve)

Luke 1.46b-55   2 Samuel 7.1-11, 16     Romans 16.25-27    Luke 1.26-38

(The Magnificat)

Luc 1.46b-55     2 Samuel 7.1-16    Romains 16.25-27     Luc 1.26-38

We do not know why God waited as long as he did to reveal his plan of redemption. But we do know that his timing is always perfect (Psalm 18.30).

Since the beginning of time, God has longed for, and made a way for, the faithful to come to him. Sacrifices reconciled the people to God (at least temporarily) in the old testament. Although the whole truth of the gospel wasn’t yet revealed, by faith many came to the knowledge of God (Hebrews 11).

But only when God knew that the time was exactly right did he send his only son to earth and allow the gospel in all its power to unfold.

How the holy spirit impregnates Mary is one of the Bible's great mysteries. But Jesus is the fulfilment of God's promises to David of a king forever on the throne (2 Samuel 7.13) and of rest from his enemies (2 Samuel 7.11).

As we wait patiently for the fulfilment of his promises may we find favour in his sight just as Mary did. (Alors que nous attendons patiemment l'accomplissement de ses promesses, nous recevons sa faveur, tout comme Marie.)

Grace West 

Saturday 23^rd December

Psalm 130       Zephaniah 3.14-20     Jude    Matthew 18.21-35

Psaumes 130   Sophonie 3.14-20    Jude   Matthieu 18.21-35

Forgiveness/ Le Pardon

As we look towards Christmas, a time of excitement and celebration, forgiveness might not be the first thing on our minds. And yet, what we’re celebrating is the arrival of Jesus and the beginning of the greatest story of forgiveness on which our faith is founded. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son … for us all, for all that we've done and continue to do. 

At Christmas, we are looking at the beginning of a journey of forgiveness. The beginning of our own story as Christians. 

The psalmist in Psalm 130 goes on their own journey, from desperation, to presence with God, to a forward-looking hope for all of Israel. 

Out of the depths of his own personal darkness, the Psalmist cries to the Lord, begging to be heard, begging to be listened to and granted mercy. 

How often have we felt powerless in our own situations of darkness and how often have we pleaded for forgiveness, but perhaps forgetting to seek that forgiveness.

Perhaps we are carrying the weight of anger and shame with us. God has forgiven all of that already. God knows all of our weaknesses, our darkest imperfections and wiped them away. 

As the Psalmist realises this in verses three through four, they realise the magnitude of God’s mercy, and the writer comes into the present and out of desperation. As we wait on the Lord, we wait with the Lord.

The Psalmist becomes aware of God’s presence and looks outward, from themselves and the forgiveness they have been granted and calls on others to do the same. 

Sometimes it might feel like we are trapped and waiting for others to forgive us, or for us to forgive ourselves. But in the waiting, when we wait with God, we can see how He has already released us from that weight and invites us to release ourselves.

But the experience is not a passive one. We must take a step on that journey with God… because as Matthew writes, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you.”

This Advent, give thanks for Gods unending grace and forgiveness, release yourself and know that you are forgiven, and consider where you might need to forgive others. (Cet Avent, rends grâce pour la grâce et le pardon sans fin de Dieu, libère-toi et sache que tu es pardonné, et considère où tu aurais besoin de pardonner les autres).

Laurel Henning

Like Jesus ~~ Comme Jésus

Friday 22^nd December

2 Thessalonians 3       Psalm 124        Zephaniah 3.1-13    Matthew 18.1-20

2 Thessaloniciens 3    Psaumes 124    Sophonie 3.1-13       Matthieu 18.1-20

God is worthy to be honoured. Jesus is worthy to be followed. The life Jesus lived should be the most important thing for us to strive after. We should never tire of it. When Paul urges the Thessalonians to ‘never tire of doing good,’ he gives some very practical examples on keeping our lives useful and honourable to the Lord. It is easy to waste our hours away, online, on useless scrolling or worrying about things going in our lives; it is easy to spend a week without thinking about Jesus. But that does not mean we should. Every minute is precious, and every minute can be used to honour our Living Saviour in one way or another. 

As Christians, we are called to live like Jesus. Jesus was without sin; we are sinful – this is no easy task. But it is not impossible, because we do everything with God at our side. He is there to give us confidence; He is always there to strengthen us; to comfort us. He is faithful, even if we lose faith in Him. Whenever we mess up, He is always ready to give us a new chance. We have God on our side. Let us never stop striving to live like He lived. Let us never tire of doing good!

Naomi Pitts

In the silence…Dans le silence

Thursday 21^st December

Zephaniah 1.1-2.3    Psalm 121        2 Thessalonians 2     Matthew 17.22-27

Sophonie 1.1-2.3      Psaumes 121    2 Thessaloniciens 2   Matthieu 17.22-27

This is not a very pleasant read, one of the bits of the Bible that I would prefer not to be there. To put it mildly God is annoyed with how the people who purport to follow him are behaving.

God is angry with his people because outwardly they worship him. They pay their tithes and follow the rules, they stand sit and kneel at the correct time. The money markets are important, they help to pay for a bigger and better house, but this is not what the Lord wants. He wants silence, he wants humility. One of my current hobby horses is that Jesus commended the Samaritan, not the worshipping Jew. He ate with the tax collectors and took on the role of a foot-washing servant. Moses was a murderer and a divorcee. And I will not start on King David. Who is it that God uses? Not necessarily the goody two shoes of life. Yes, I do believe that Jesus died to redeem me. But whatever our shortfalls God wants us to seek Him, to be humble, to do what he commands, to be silent. And in the silence…

The word of the Lord came to Zephaniah. Sometimes a thought comes into one’s head. Perhaps something would be a good idea, do this or do not do that, say this or don’t say anything. Sometimes you have the courage to listen to the prompt and act upon it. Sometimes it can have a life-changing effect.

Jane Brown

Ultimate wealth ~~ Richesse ultime

Wednesday 20^th December 

Isaiah39    Psalm 46         2 Thessalonians 1     Matthew 17.14-21

Esaie 39    Psaumes 46    2 Thessaloniciens 1    Mattieu 17.14-21 

The portrayal of Hezekiah in this passage is not very flattering from a Christian perspective. He has been healed of illness, and the King of Babylon’s son’s envoys come with a gift to recognise the recovery. But no humility and thankfulness from Hezekiah! He takes the envoys round to see the full extent of his wealth and influence instead. The prophet Isaiah arrives on the scene and promptly issues a stark warning: a time will come when all his wealth will be carted off to the self-same Babylon, and his descendants will become subservient to this new power. But in his double whammy of well-being (health and riches), he is complacent and dismissive. Ah ha, this will not happen in my lifetime then......

Is this what power does to people? Yes, apparently so, and we see it still today. It is for others to take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions, but what does the passage have to say to us/to me?

Isaiah gets to the core of the issue of course. Riches and even good health are ephemeral. We need to take a sober look at our own good fortune, and place it in context. There are people poorer than us and there are people richer than us. We are to be thankful for all that we do have, steward it wisely, and wait patiently to be finally with God in heaven. We know this very well, but it is good to be reminded - ultimate wealth lies beyond this world, and not in Hezekiah’s.

Sue Bird

“Faith comes by hearing.” Rom 10.17 ~~ La foi naît du message que l’on entend

Tuesday 19^th December 

Matthew17:1-9    Psalm 146         Isaiah 38.9-20   1 Thessalonians 5.12-28

Matthieu 17.1-9    Psaumes 146    Esaie 38.9-20     1 Thessaloniciens 5.12-28

Three men went up a mountain and saw the Incarnate Lord in His glory, heard a voice say, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am delighted!”, and then fell on their faces, overwhelmed. ^v.1-6 Touched, they looked up and saw Him again, but this time He was alone. ^v.7-8 “Don’t tell anyone,” they were told, not just yet.^v.9 But later they were told they should tell people, and they did. In the face of growing doubts, they assured others of how genuine this glory really was, ^{2 Pet 1:16} so that “the Morning Star” would arise in their hearts. ^v.19

Years earlier, three men, perhaps more, had seen this Morning Star arise from lands afar ^{Mt 2:2} with His glory meekly laid aside.^{Phil 2:7} Overjoyed, ^{Mt 2:10 NIV} rejoicing with exceedingly great joy, ^{AV, NKJV, ESV} they too had fallen on their faces, and they worshipped Him – truly, genuinely, the one Almighty God.^v.11 No doubt, like the shepherds who had heard the “good tidings of great joy” ^{Lk 2:10} from angels singing “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, they too had gone off to “spread the word”. ^v.17 Christ is born, Christ is born, “veiled in flesh, the Godhead see!” ^{Hark the Herald, v.2}

Who knows what lights were lit in hearts by what the shepherds then told in Israel and the wise men in lands afar…? Who knows when and how the Morning Star might arise in hearts today, by words spoken, messages sent, carols sung…?

Faith is born of hearing. « La foi naît du message que l’on entend. » ^BDS “Zo is dan het geloof uit het gehoor.” ^HSV „Der Glaube kommt aus dem Hören der Botschaft.“ ^HOF “Faith comes by hearing.” ^{Rom 10:17}

James Pitts

A good meal and lots of presents or Jesus born to die that so we can live ~~ Un bon repas et beaucoup de cadeaux ou Jésus né pour mourir afin que nous puissions vivre

Monday 18^th December

Matthew16.13-28    Psalms 40      Isaiah 38.1-8, 21-22   1 Thessalonians 5.1-11   

Matthieu 16.13-28    Psaumes 40   Esaie 38.1-8, 21-22   1 Thessaloniciens 5.1-11  

White fairy lights, deep-filled mince pies, opening presents around a log fire… How easy it is to sanitise Christmas. Even for Christians who find themselves worshipping the baby Jesus on Christmas morning, I wonder how easily we fall into the trap of sanitising the Christmas message.

“Who do you say I am?”, Jesus asks his disciples (v15). The temptation at Christmas is to see Jesus solely in his infant form: we say that he is a sign of God being with His people. Or, we look ahead to Jesus’ familiar adult life: we say that he is a great moral teacher. They are relatively easy tenets to accept, even in our increasingly pluralistic and politically correct society, when we often “have in mind...human concerns” (v23). How much harder though is it to contemplate Jesus’ death when we are celebrating his birth? Like Peter (v22), are we sometimes guilty of not wanting to believe that Jesus had to die? For the Christian claim that Jesus was born in a manger in order that he would die on a cross forces us to face up to the very reason for his death: the human problem of sin and the necessity of a saviour sent by God. This is the raw and naked truth of Christianity - but not such an easy version of Christmas to commercialise.

When we find ourselves gathered around the crib at Christmas, I pray that we “have in mind the concerns of God” (v23). An impoverished birth heralded by angels and shepherds is not the main event. Our worship of the baby Jesus only makes sense because of what comes later, when this tiny individual once again finds himself helpless and scorned by society, with arms wide open in vulnerability and love, and nailed to a cross. Christmas is the opportunity for Christians to be bold in their faith and shun the sanitised depiction of Jesus. For this little baby whom we worship is the most precious gift of love from the Father to His children: Jesus born to die so that we might live.

Laura Bispham

Jesus is with us in our weakness ~~ Jésus est avec nous dans notre faiblesse

Sunday 17^th December, Third Sunday of Advent 

Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-11    Psalm 126     1 Thessalonians 5.16-24  John 1.6-8, 19-28

Esaie 61.1-4, 8-11     Psaumes 126    1 Thessaloniciens 5. 16-24  Jean 1.6-8, 19- 28

God is always interested in us, but, it seems to me, all the more when our soul is in trouble. It’s in our oppression and heartbreak that he directs these words towards us. Jesus is clearly the Messiah of people in crisis.

A year ago I had an almost-burnout experience. I stopped sleeping at night and became totally exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. Basically everything caused me stress, not only my work but also watching TV-shows, which used to distract me and help me relax. The only thing I could do was to lie on the couch either in total silence or listening to very soft music without any crescendos what so ever. At that vulnerable state of mind prayer wasn’t anything I could formulate in words. It was just a deep yearning and longing to find rest in the Lord. And yes, in that unspoken prayer he felt closer than ever, and the encounter with him in those quiet prayer moments helped me slowly recover from my state of depression and stress.

When we are in a crisis of any kind, as we look at ourselves we are easily disappointed, because we only see weakness and failure. However, when the Lord sees us there, he sees how we through him working in us can grow strong as oaks, yes, even become society-builders (v. 3).

Sara Gabrielsson

Immanuel

Saturday 16^th December

Psalm 145       Isaiah 35    1 Thessalonians 4.13-18       Matthew 16.1-12

Psaumes 145   Esaie 35     1 Thessaloniciens 4. 13-18   Matthieu 16.1-12

This time of year is so full. There are distractions everywhere. The chaos makes you look away from what matters, forces you to focus on the insignificant or the urgent and miss out on the truly important. Today, take a few minutes to step back from the malaise of working in Brussels in December. From trying to finish up projects, get that last paper in, manage a final marketing push, planning Christmas for the family, buying presents - the list goes on. Those things are big, and they will be there at the end of this moment too.

I’m reflecting today on the God we’re preparing for in Advent. The God the Psalmists built toward was big. I can’t think of a better way to describe it - they took us on an emotional journey of finding God in the heights and depths of human experience. In this psalm, we’re nearing the end of how the collection was put together, and the psalmist is simply singing about who God is. Great. Mighty. Gracious and compassionate. A just king. A loving Lord. Glorious.

The Psalms all together are a bit like a symphony. Sound on sound, deed on deed, attribute on attribute, the psalmists weave together the symphony of the Lord, building on one another and getting louder and louder. At this point in the book of Psalms, the writers have built to a crescendo about the greatness of God, the wonder of the mighty one who loves us and saves us.

Then, the God we thought we’d prepared for arrives. Immanuel. God with us.

Someone once told me that the most powerful tool a composer can use in creating music is silence. In the symphony of God, we come to Christmas, a moment of silence, where the most important thing about God isn’t bigness, but smallness. Easily overlooked, though the heavens themselves cried out “Come and see! Stop what you’re doing; come and see.” Not as we were expecting, and yet, still the one we were singing about all along.

May we stop what we’re doing in this season. Not forever. Just long enough to come and see.

Natalie Jones

Help me O God, I want to walk with you.~~ Aide-moi O Dieu, je veux marcher avec toi.

Friday 15^th December

Psalm 86        Isaiah 33.1-22   1 Thessalonians 4.1- 12    Matthew 15.29-39

Psaumes 86   Esaie 33.1-22     1 Thessaloniciens 4.1-12   Matthieu 15.29-39

A huge proportion of the psalm is spent asking God for His help, and describing how wonderful such help would be. God’s intervention would lead to living a Godly life full of thanks, praise, and worship. It is interesting to note what the psalm asks God to do: hear the prayer, preserve the soul, give mercy, comfort and strength, teach His way, and ask for a token to combat those risen against His worshippers.

What a lot of jobs! And yet, He found an effective way to address them all, in sending us His Son. Belief in Jesus is salvation for the soul and assurance of mercy if we humbly repent of sins. Knowledge of his teachings imparts comfort in times of distress and tells us how to live our lives in a way pleasing to God. Being a follower of Christ is a powerful token protecting us from the void of a godless life, and visible to others in the way we think and act.

Perhaps this then would be an appropriate point to ponder in Advent. Sending God’s Son to earth answered the prayers and needs of His people and displayed His awesome love and mercy. It should therefore be a time to uphold our end of the agreement: let us rededicate ourselves to walking in His ways, and giving thanks and praise for all of His blessings.

Amelie Lecoeuche

God so loved ~~ Oui, Dieu a tant aimé le monde

Thursday 14^th December

1 Thessalonians 3       Psalm 54       Isaiah 32    Matthew 15.21-28

1 Thessaloniciens 3    Psaumes 54   Esaie 32     Matthieu 15.21-28

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son’. The gift of Christ draws us into God’s love. Paul shared this love with the Thessalonians.  He asks 

God to give them yet more of the gift of love, both for one another and for those outside their circle. What might such divine love be like? What would happen if 2018 was marked by God increasing our love so that it overflows? Are we willing as individuals and as a church, to ask for and to accept this gift?

« Oui, Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu’il a donné son Fils. » Le don du Christ nous rapproche de l'amour de Dieu.

Ann Milton

Put your trust in the Lord/ Faites confiance au Seigneur

Wednesday 13^th December

Psalm62          Isaiah 31    1 Thessalonians 2.13-20    Matthew 15.1-20

Psaumes 62     Esaie 31    1 Thessaloniciens 2.13-20   Matthieu 15.1-20

This is one of the Psalms one turns to when one needs reassurance.  It is full of confidence that the only safe refuge to be found is in the hands of God.  Although the evil ones of the world, who place their trust in their own resources, seem to be able to carry on and on assaulting God’s people, their worldling’s threats are just that: threats; they are incapable of harming God’s people.  Those who truly trust in God will receive their reward.

Although each of these meditations is supposed only to cover one of the day’s readings, it’s worth noting that the Old Testament reading for today, Isaiah 31, makes a similar point about the dangers of relying on Earthly power.

Carol de Lusignan

Learn to trust the Lord to provide, and to trust the Lord to keep us safe Apprenez à faire confiance au Seigneur, et à faire confiance au Seigneur pour nous garder en sécurité

Tuesday 12^th December

Matthew 14.13-36    Psalm 56       Isaiah 30.19-33    1 Thessalonians 2.1-12

Matthieu 14.13-36   Psaumes 56   Esaie 30.19-33    1 Thessaloniciens 2.1-12

These very well-known stories both bring a challenge. In the first one we learn to trust the Lord to provide, and in the second one to trust the Lord to keep us safe.

The Lord can take whatever little we can offer and bless it to bear great fruit. And even in the darkest and most perilous of times, may we learn to trust, to take His hand and believe that He will guide us well. And if we fall, may we see that the hand is still there, to be grabbed, to cling on to, to pull us out and lead us home.

Sara T