9th - 15th December 2024
It all begins with an idea.
What would Christmas be without lights? Apparently, the earliest lights at Christmas time were candles attached to the tree branches, signifying the light of Jesus. The first time this practice was recorded was in Germany in 1660. They weren’t able to burn the candles for very long because of the danger of starting a fire. (I’m thinking what about the wind and rain never mind the flames).
The first string of electric Christmas lights was created in 1880 by Thomas Edison, who hung them outside his laboratory in New Jersey. However, it wasn’t until 1882, when Edward H. Johnson, a friend and partner of Edison, created the first string of electric lights intended for a Christmas tree. These first lights were bulky, pear-shaped bulbs on a wire, producing the first electric lit Christmas tree. In 1903, General Electric Company sold the first Christmas light kits to light up Christmas trees for the general public.
By the early 20th century, Christmas light kits were being sold to the public and it became popular to put lights on buildings, not just on Christmas trees. Now, everywhere we go from early November, we start to see Christmas trees being dressed and lit up. Outside lights and figures that depict Christmas are getting more and more extravagant as one neighbour appears to outdo the other (to be honest I’ve never really played that game!) and, as darkness descends in late afternoon, we see the twinkling and glow of Christmas lights everywhere we go.
We have just finished decorating our house for Christmas, including the annual detangling of the Christmas lights which does not help me to feel merry and bright(!) and those tense seconds when you plug them in to check that they still work. It’s always important to check this before putting them on the tree!
Let’s be honest, Christmas lights inspire a sense of awe and wonder. Twinkling in the darkness of a late December afternoon, bringing light and a sense of joy into places that otherwise would have looked dark and joyless. Needless to say, our grandchildren play a significant part in the timing of when the Christmas decorations go up and this year we even had them round to help! I love the way that the Christmas decorations transform the feel of a home and I especially love how the lights on the tree and in the garlands light up the walls and floor, the hearth and tables, providing a colourful glow in the room. It’s a reminder that light dispels darkness.
In this second week of Advent, we will be considering the coming of Jesus and how he brings love into the world. I usually listen to the lyrics of the Michael Card song, ‘The Promise’, at this time of year (a bit of a tradition). This is what they say, “The Lord God said when time was full, he would shine his light in the darkness. He said a virgin would conceive and give birth to the Promise. For a thousand years the dreamers dreamt and hoped to see his love, but the Promise showed their wildest dreams had simply not been wild enough … The Promise was love and the Promise was life. The Promise meant light to the world, living proof Jehovah saves, for the name of the Promise was Jesus”.
Shining light in the darkness! Every time I see Christmas lights this thought of light shining and dispelling darkness comes to the forefront of my mind and the words of this song, 'The Promise', invade my thoughts and I am blown away by the lyric that ‘the Promise showed their wildest dreams had simply not been wild enough’, amazing! The reality that God does abundantly more for us than we can ever think or ask, and the Promise was love and life. For God so loved me … Light, Life, Love, Jesus! Praise God!
Written by David Mairs
MONDAY
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Christmas is about love because love came down at Christmas. It’s why we have Christmas in the first place! This well-known verse from John’s gospel in many ways summarises the meaning of Christmas. It’s a demonstration of God’s love for this world, for you and for me. Take time at the start of another week to thank God for his love for you, his love for those you know, his love for those you don’t know, his love for this world. Thank God for the gift of eternal life, for the assurance of salvation, for his grace through which we are able to stand.
TUESDAY
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11
God is love … yes, he loves us and sent his Son to die for us. This is what we are to do – love one another. Love is such a powerful word but in reality love is an action. As we start this week in prayer, how are you expressing your love to others? In this season of giving, in what ways can we all show our love to family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, even our enemies? It’s a huge ask because we can easily love those who are close to us and those we like, but to love those who we don’t particularly like or those we see as our enemy – let’s be honest, that is a real challenge. Yet God is love and we love because he first loved us and he demonstrated his love in such a self-sacrificing way – by giving his only Son. Take time to thank God for showing his love, pouring it out so that we may know him. Think of ways to show God’s love to those you are close to and to those you are not so close to – maybe send a card, leave round a gift, ask them round for coffee or even a bite to eat. Ask God to give you boldness to reach out with his love at this time of year when people are likely to be more receptive.
WEDNESDAY
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me! What incredible words for us to reflect on today. I am loved by God and his only Son, Jesus Christ. People desire to be loved, they long for love, they search for love. It is part of who we are as human beings. We were created for relationship. Relationship with God and relationship with one another. Reflect on the impact of this verse and what it means for your relationship with God and others. The life we now live … how are we living? Are we living by faith in Jesus? Are we relying on him for everything? He shows us what love is. Love is simply being like him. Ask God to help you live for him, to be his ambassador, recognising his Spirit lives within you to empower you and enable you to live for him.
THURSDAY
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3
When reading a devotional by Sinclair B. Ferguson, ‘Love came down at Christmas’, a few years ago, I was struck by a story he recounted about a book by Amy Carmichael entitled, ‘If’. The book contains a compilation of statements which start with ‘If I ...’ and end with ‘… know nothing of Calvary love.’ The message of the book is, ‘that if sacrifice is not at the heart of our life then we know nothing of Calvary love’. What a challenge to consider as we come to pray. Even if we give away all we have but we do not do it with love we are wasting our time. Ask God to give you a heart of love for others this Christmas season and into 2025. Reflect on your motives as you plan to give gifts to family, friends and neighbours. Ask God to help you share his love as we approach the celebration of the birth of his Son, Jesus, God with us.
FRIDAY
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6
What is truth in a world where there are so many voices, opinions and the phrase ‘fake news’ is now a stable pronouncement on anything we disagree with? Even the phrase ‘alternative facts’ emphasises the challenge we have in discerning who is telling the truth. What news broadcaster, if any, can we say is truly impartial? It’s not a good situation when we have started to doubt the news, the briefings, the papers, the social media feeds. It seems like we even need to fact check the ‘fact checking’ websites. What has happened to our world? No matter where we look we see disunity, protests, misinformation and disinformation. Take time today to pray for our world, to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us, that truth would prevail. Take comfort in the fact that God’s word is truth. Psalm 119 reminds us that ‘All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal’ and John 17:17 says, ‘Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth’. Give thanks and rejoice that we can depend on God’s word, pray that the word would be evident in your own life and rejoice in its truth.
SATURDAY
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
Take time to give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love which can never be shaken, as we consider God’s love poured out for us and demonstrated through the sacrificial death of God’s only Son, Jesus, to pay the punishment that was due for our sins. Thank God for his compassion towards you. He understands your struggles, your insecurities, your weaknesses and assures you of his steadfast, unfailing love. Take time to pray for those you know who are struggling, insecure, weak, grieving – maybe this is you as well. Entrust them and yourself into the comfort, protection and love of God.
SUNDAY
… God is love. 1 John 4:8
At the end of this week, use the words of this wonderful hymn by George Matheson to help you reflect on God’s love and may it lead you in your prayers.
O Love, that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow, may richer, fuller be.
O Light, that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day, may brighter, fairer be.
O Joy, that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.
O Cross, that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee; I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be.