Weycroft Reunited Christmas Party

If Christmas were about Jesus...

At the start of December we enjoyed the last of 2009's "Weycroft Reunited" events. It was more or less in the usual format, but with a Christmas party theme, so we had decorations, a tree, lots of tasty treats & Christmas music. We had lots of party games, a meaning-of-Christmas play, involving everyone, followed by a Christmas pub-quiz. Lots of fun... and at the end of the party we had a visit from Father Steve Christmas - a priest from Birmingham with a flowing white beard who, oddly enough, will only wear red (must be tricky at funerals!) He kindly brought lots of presents to all those in attendance under the age of 18, which he distributed having reminded everyone of the greatest gift of all, ever.

In case you were wondering, the greatest gift ever was Jesus, the eternal Son of God, whom God gave to us all, so that we could know Him & have eternal life (for ever & ever!) & why was Fr. Christmas mentioning Jesus, do we suppose, at a Christmas Party, of all things?? Ah, well that will be because Jesus is "The Reason for the Season"!! Christmas is all about Jesus - or so I've heard.

I gave the children of our local secondary school - almost the whole of year 7 - the chance to say what Christmas is all about, and they had to choose between 5 options:

A. Family & friends
B. Presents & shopping
C. Jesus & Christianity
D. Decorations & lights
E. Food & chocolate

Out of about 100 pupils, how many do you think said that Christmas was first and foremost about Jesus? One. That's right - just one. 1% of 11-12 year olds. There were a few others who named option C as their second or third choice, but many more said that as far as they were concerned it had nothing to do with Jesus at all!

And I think they may be right. Of course, lots of young people at Weycroft Reunited said quite quickly, when asked what Christmas was all about for them, "Jesus" - or something similar. But is it true? I can't judge. What I can tell you is that looking around me, I would have to say that Christmas has very little indeed to do with Jesus... even if the thing is named after Him, & that's what I told the young people at W. Reunited.OK, Christmas is a party to celebrate the birth of Jesus... fine. But in most people's case, it is an excuse - not a reason. This is true even of many of those who call themselves Christians. Let's be honest. Christmas is about excesses, about extravagence, about family & friends, food and drink, shopping & debt, lights and festive cheer. If Christmas really were about Jesus, then people who believe in Jesus would spend time with Him. If Christmas were about Jesus, people would stop doing the things that He hates and start doing the things that please Him. If Christmas were about Jesus, people would show Him love. People would open their hearts to Him. They would listen to His voice. They would obey His words. If Christmas were about Jesus it would be a truly wonderful thing. But people celebrate, their hearts far from Jesus, their lives empty, or nearly empty, of His love. Do you suppose He is pleased by all these festivities, supposedly in His honour? Do you think Jesus likes Chirstmas? Really?

Well, we have a chance to make Christmas about Jesus in our own lives. So let's do it. Let's get close to Jesus, spend time with Him, listen to His voice, hear His words, obey His commands & be filled with His love - His life. That is the festive cheer to beat all festive cheer - and it's not just for Christmas - it's for every single day of our lives. Make Jesus happy this Christmas. All he wants is you.

OMG Jesus was a Jew!!

During the last couple of weeks of term I have been teaching R.E. lessons about Christmas in Secondary School to classes in years 7, 9, 10, 11 & 13. It was a lot of fun: there were those members of year 7 who called me Darth Vader (my fault, that one) while everyone else couldn't quite decide whether to call me Joel or Sir; there were the chocolate prizes, highly coveted by some, for giving presentations, winning the Christmas quiz, solving the "Christmas Countdown Conundrum" or spelling syncretism backwards with one's eyes closed (Blogger doesn't think syncretism is a word - Blogger should get a dictionary!)

There was much debate and discussion, too, particularly in year 7, about the true essence (or meaning) of Christmas; there were even those brave souls who impressed me no end by maintaining that for them Christmas is all about Jesus (not a popular opinion among today's youth).

There were some amusing moments for me, like when most of the year 9 GCSE class, and many members of the y11 GCSE group too, revealed that they were very surprised that Jesus was a Jew. If I remember aright, it went something like this:

Reading from Matthew 2: Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
Pupil 1: King of the Jews?! Why King of the Jews? Was Jesus Jewish??
Me: Yes, Jesus was Jewish
Pupil 2: No way!
Pupil 3: No... Jesus was a Christian... wasn't he?
Me: Neither Jesus nor any of His disciples were "Christians": the term had not been invented yet. In fact, for quite a long time after Jesus was crucified, the Roman authorities considered followers of Jesus to be members of a Jewish sect (I might not have said exactly that)
Pupil 1: OMG! I never knew Jesus was Jewish!
Pupil 4: Jews are cool. I like Jews

Take from that what you will.

Christmas News Update 09 - Click to read

Have You Got Star Quality?

Cheryl Cole. Frank Lampard. Miley Cyrus. Will Smith.
Do you know who these people are? These people are stars, aren’t they? Popstars, filmstars, sports stars. They twinkle and sparkle. We see them on TV, in magazines. We’re talking about them in the playground, at home, on Facebook and Twitter. They’ve achieved so much, haven’t they? Wealth, fame, beauty, influence. Surely when their lives are over and they get to the gates of heaven Jesus will say to these guys “Well Done!” He’ll say, “You were so famous, so popular, you really stood out above the rest. Everyone knew your name.” Isn’t that what Jesus will say?

Use your talents

Some of these ‘stars’ have done a few things to make Jesus proud. A few of them may even have done many things that please Him. But so many of them will have failed to do either with their lives. Jesus once told his friends a story about a man who entrusted his property to three servants while he went away. Sometimes it’s called the Parable of the Talents. He gave one servant five talents of money, another two talents, and another one talent. When he got back he found the one with five had invested it well and made a profit of five more talents. Also the one given two had made a further two talents. But the servant given only one had buried it in the ground and made nothing. The man was pleased with the first two servants and angry with the last one. He said to the first two: 'Well done, good and faithful servants! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (Matthew 25:21)

The Truth

The truth is that at those pearly gates Jesus will say to many of these so-called ‘stars’, “Why did you waste your life? Why did you throw away all your money on cars, houses, clothes and jewellery that you didn’t actually need? Why did you worry so much about how you looked and how many people liked you? You had so many more chances than other people to speak to the world - Why didn’t you use the fame and influence you had to change my world for the better?”

And Jesus will say to some of you, ordinary guys and girls, “Well done, guys! Since you did the best you could with the little you had, since you spent your lives trying to please me and share my love with everyone you met, I am really pleased with you. And so I am going to give you fame and influence in heaven. You might never have had it on earth, but now you shall!”

How can I be star?

You may never become famous, or really rich, or a ‘star’ in the eyes of most people, but you have been given life, health, dreams and influence. Take a moment to think about what you’re good at, even if it seems there is nothing – what are the talents God has given you? Maybe you can befriend someone who’s lonely. Maybe you can help someone with difficult homework or to get better at football. Maybe you can share your money with a friend who has none sometimes. Whether you’re at home, with your friends, going off to college, jobs or university, you can choose to love Jesus and stand for him in all those places and in all those seasons of your life.

A different kind of Star

‘Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault…in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life…’ So wrote a famous Christian called Paul to his friends in a letter (Philippians 2:14-16.) This is what a friend of mine once said to me. You see, there is a different kind of star, one that twinkles and sparkles in a different way. A person who doesn’t complain, who doesn’t argue. A person who is careful to do the right thing, and comes clean as soon as they realize they did the wrong thing. A person who goes against the grain, who doesn’t lie, cheat or steal. A person who sticks up for what they believe in, who shares the hope of Jesus Christ, even if it costs them their popularity. This is not an easy thing to do. Some days it’s a real struggle. But it’s one that is worth making, and it’s what will make you a true star.

Liz Baker