Church News Volume 5, Issue 11 (October 2004)

Dear friends,

"No one has every seen God" says St. John, and the best brains of the ancient world would have agreed with him at the time of writing, the first century AD.

The great Greek philosopher Plato said " God and men can never meet". Other philosophers had come to the same conclusions - that `God is away and beyond all things', or even that `all is guesswork; we can know nothing'.

In the Old Testament the ancient Hebrews thought of the Lord as a kind of tribal deity and that the face of God was hidden from ordinary eyes. The prophets spoke of God's mercy and truth, even of His love, but that is very far from `knowing' God.

From this background of ignorance and guesswork St. John in his Gospel proclaims the great new thing which has happened.

Now God has become flesh and dwelt among us. Now we can really know what God is like. Now through Jesus we can come to know God as a real Person. This is called the Incarnation, and what we celebrate not just at Christmas but every day of our Christian lives.

'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.'
God's purpose at the Incarnation was more than just to show Himself publicly. It was also to make Himself available as a Person who we can come to know, and know intimately, and trust totally.

How can this be? Through God's 'grace' says St. John. We have all received 'grace upon grace.' Now grace is something given which is undeserved. The story of the Incarnation and the life and death of the Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, speaks to us of God's grace, of undeserved love shown to us by God in that He should want to come and live among us, experience life here on earth so that He might identify with our pain and joy, but also He might show His great love for His creation by offering up His life as a sacrifice for our sin on the cross that we might come to understand the forgiveness offered to us, through grace, undeserved though it is.

Good news?
I can't think of better news to celebrate can you? How to celebrate and give thanks for the love of God poured out for you, your family, your friends; the hope of eternal life with those you love; that God understands the joys and pains we endure in this life?

Doing nothing, being unresponsive is totally inadequate!
Spending time meeting and getting to know the God who loves you is never wasted time-on the contrary-you are gaining time.

Daily reflection, simple prayers, reading of your Bible, worshipping the God who loves you is part of the life style of the person who is truly thankful.

Set aside some time to think on these things, get to know God, tell Him your worries and your joys, share them with Him and He will share with you the riches of His grace.

Enjoy life to the full-celebrate the creator!

Revd Ian M. Finn

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