The Gift of Ourselves

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Always a good occasion, yesterday morning's  end of term Meiklemill school Christmas Service was the best of all. As well as the last time I would see the children it was the final day for the retiring head teacher, Mrs Marlene Johnstone. The children contributed a couple of short performances and it was nice to see the nativity story (shepherds) remembered. The singing was enthusiastic (and in tune!) I gave a short talk, with the help of some of the children entitled 'The Gift of Ourselves'

Here is a version of the talk which I gave to the academy students who came to church in the afternoon.

Here is a story of a family who fell upon hard times. Dad lost his job and hadn't yet found another one. They hoped it would not be a cold winter as they could just about afford food but had no money left for heating. 

The family managed to scrape their way through, but as Christmas approached they realized that they would not be able to buy any presents. 

 A week before Christmas they explained to their six year old son Harry that there would be no store-bought presents this Christmas. 

“But I’ll tell you what we can do” said Harry’s dad, “We have an Argos Catalogue and we can cut out pictures of the presents we’d like to give to each other.”

So they set to work. Christmas Day arrived and the family rose to find their skimpy little tree made magnificent by the picture presents they had adorned it with. Box of chocolates, TV, iPad, bracelet, bike, guitar, jumper, bag. 

Harry had not put his present up.

He had done one though. And he hadn’t got the picture from the argos catalogue. He brought it down on Christmas morning and hung it on the tree. It was a picture of a man, a woman and a child with their arms around each other, And he had written on it ‘US’

His parents felt tears in their eyes. They were reminded that that the greatest gift we can ever offer is ourselves, our PRESENCE (NOT PRESENTS). 

At the top of the tree there was,a star with a picture of a baby in a manger, lying with open arms.

For Christmas is about the love Jesus brought into the world. Jesus, who opened his arms to embrace the world with God’s love.

In three months time we have Easter, when we remember what we did to those open arms. We did not allow those arms to embrace us. Instead we nailed them to a cross.

Let us not be like that but this Christmas let is celebrate the love of God and the love others have of us. Because that is the secret of Christmas, not an argos catalogue. Remember it is presence not presents that matter. At Christmas you can be generous in a way that SHOWS love and affection rather than trying to BUY it.