Transparent glass Christmas ball in snow
By Michael Wilson Pastoral Letters January 3, 2025

Watch this week’s service on YouTube by clicking:

January 5 Worship Service Video

 

 

Join us for Worship Sunday at 10:00 AM followed by fellowship and refreshments in the He/SheBrews Café

 

  • The annual Lights for Lives worship service is this Sunday, January 5 at 7:00. This is a quiet, healing, contemplative service that brings our Christmas Memorial program to a close. All are welcome.

 

 

Dear Friends

Welcome to worship for Sunday, January 5, 2025.

Happy New Year!…And Merry Christmas!

Before you think that the season has been too hard on me and I have lost all track of time let me reassure you: I know what day it is. And I am very confident wishing you both a Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas this week. Those of us with family or friends who have roots in Eastern European traditions will be familiar with what is sometimes called Ukrainian Christmas on January 6. Because we live in a province with the highest percentage of Ukrainian descendants in all of Canada, many of us know this instinctively. More accurately, the 6th of January might be called Orthodox Christmas because that is when the birth of Jesus is celebrated in all orthodox traditions (most of which are Eastern or Slavic).

But even if we adhere to the Roman Christian calendar we are aware that, as the song sings, there are 12 Days of Christmas. In the west we observe January 6 as the Day of Epiphany from an understanding of the Light which shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome. This extension of Christmas as a season allows us time to embrace the two profound, beautiful, and highly symbolic stories of the birth of Jesus in scripture. On the first day we emphasize the Luke account with its accompanying angels, shepherds, and mangers. On the last day we place the emphasis on Matthew’s story and follow stars, Magi, and resplendent gifts.

Though scholars and cynics can look to contradictions in the two birth stories I prefer to think of them as more than just complementary. It is only taken together, without trying to cram them into a singular narrative, that we begin to unravel the mystery and wonder of the Bible’s testimony. It is the two accounts set side by side that begins to encapsulate all that is indicated by Christ’s nativity.

Here is just one example. Only in Matthew do we read about a star that appeared in the East. It was said to have been interpreted by a priestly class of Parthian Persians called Magi (proper name) or more commonly, wise men. What is less understood is what Matthew may have intended by placing that star in the sky along with sojourners to interpret it. Reading the night sky was not uncommon in the ancient near east. When Julius Caser died in 44 BCE, a comet was spotted travelling over Rome. His successor, Octavian who would be come Augustus, took it as a sign that Caesar had become a god upon his death. He also used this to his advantage in the struggle to become the new Caesar and ordered the minting of a coin with his picture on one side and the tailed star, or comet, on the other. These were widely circulated across the Roman Empire. Some undoubtedly would have found their way to Judea.

Fast forward over 100 years to the time of Matthew’s writing. It was neither wise nor safe to openly criticize the Roman Empire. Indeed, in the year 70 AD Rome had ordered the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a bid to squash insurrection once and for all. But what Matthew could do was tell a wonderful story that perfectly contrasts the might of Rome with the glory of Christ. As opposed to Caesar’s comet, here was a star, the light of the heavens itself, leading pilgrims to the place of Jesus’ birth and making him worthy of homage/worship before he had nearly taken his first breath. Not only that, but the ones chosen to recognize and follow that star were nothing less than Magi, Persians, not merely gentiles but the sworn enemy of Rome on it’s eastern frontier. No wonder Herod was afraid and all Jerusalem with him.

And that’s just the star!!! I don’t mean to suggest that it is the most significant or meaningful symbol in the scriptural record. Far from it. It is just one of many ways we can read these narratives and be led to join in the angels’ chorus “Glory to god in the highest and on Earth, peace!”

So for the last time this season, Happy New Year…and Merry Christmas too!

 

Grace and peace,

Michael

 

 

 

  • For news and events please have a look at Life & Work on our website: Life and Work

 

  • Did you know you can support this ministry by e-transfer, automatic withdrawal (PAR), and gifted securities, in addition to weekly or monthly cheques? For Offering Information please visit: https://charleswoodunited.org/support/  We have begun to receive donations for this summer’s Roofing Project which will be held separate from Operations and Mission & Service. Thank you for your generous support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Wilson / About Author
Michael’s involvement in the wider church has included ministry with children and youth, membership on the National Division of World Outreach, supervision of campus ministry, and the Ten Days for Global Justice National Committee. He has been blessed by the opportunity to represent the United Church of Canada in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Africa on different occasions. Michael has taught at the University of Winnipeg – Faculty of Theology and is past President of the Conference of Manitoba and North Western Ontario.
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