Churches in Northern Ireland have released their annual Christmas messages.
The messages are a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus, share the joy of the season, and express gratitude to church members and volunteers.
The Bishops of Clogher, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Archbishops of Armagh have issued their seasonal reflections.
“Someone once said that ninety percent of life is “just turning up”, and probably ninety percent of most of our lives is indeed spent in a kind of routine,” said Archbishops of Armagh Eamon Martin and John McDowell.
“The routine may vary depending on our stage in life and our changing circumstances, but we are creatures of habit who like settled patterns and are wary of change.
“Certainly it would be extremely wearying to live at a high pitch of excitement and constant change for ninety percent of the time.
“Yet, occasionally in all our lives (and more frequently for some) life’s circumstances will bring us face to face with some of the great unavoidable facts of existence — evil, sin, suffering and death.
“In many parts of the world today, not least in the places where Jesus was born and “went about doing good”, they are a persistent daily reality, often in their most gruesome and demoralising forms.”
They added that “we are called to ensure that the light of Bethlehem continues to stream out across the world, from Gaza to Ukraine, from Sudan to Syria, and on into our own homes, communities and workplaces across the island of Ireland”.
“Where hatred, war and violence abound, the world falls deeper and deeper into darkness.
“Where the light of Christ is shared, love and peace shall be found.”
Read more
In his Christmas message, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, spoke of two ancient cities, the City of David, known as Bethlehem, and Kraków in Poland, where he visited earlier this month.
He lamented how, unlike the famous Christmas carol, Bethlehem and the Middle East do not lie “still” and at peace today.
“Earlier this month, I had the privilege of visiting Poland to encourage and support a fledgling Presbyterian denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Poland.
“I spent time with my brothers and sisters in Christ and preached in one of their four congregations, Christ the Saviour in the ancient city of Kraków.
“How encouraging to see a growing congregation of believers in a country not noted for reformed truth.
“Truly, the Lord is mighty to save and many are discovering that salvation is not to be found in church rituals and traditions, but salvation is to be found in grace alone, through Christ alone, and by faith alone.
“On the Monday before I returned home, I had the opportunity of visiting the nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and learning something of the local unsettling history around it.
“Before the Second World War, the city of Kraków had a thriving Jewish community of some 64,000 people. After the war, between 3,000/4,000 remained — many rescued by Oskar Schindler through his factory in Kraków — as told in the film Schindler’s List.
“In an uncertain world, where so many are at war with each other, and so many are at war with God, the gracious invitation of God is to take refuge in Jesus Christ and trust Him to be the Saviour of our soul.
“In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray
The Bishops of Clogher also retold aspects of the famous Christmas story and called on those to help make the world a “better place”.
“The coming of Jesus at Christmas is a cause of joy and hope for our world today, just as it was over 2,000 years ago. God becomes one of us and shares in our joy and our suffering. Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection gives us a hope and a peace that the world can never give. If we look elsewhere, we will come up short.
“The newborn Jesus is the source of our hope. Throughout his ministry he gave hope to those who came to him for healing, he gave sight to the blind, brought forgiveness of sin and led people from darkness into light. Jesus still sustains that same hope in our daily lives.
“This hope does not disappoint. Instead, it is ‘an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm’ (Hebrews 6:19). Let us express it in making our world a better place.”