All members of The Word Guild affirm the Apostles’ Creed. Our common belief ties us together in ways nothing else can. In part it says:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary….”
It is this miracle that we celebrate at Christmas, not only the miracle of a Virgin birth but the miracle that God, in Jesus, would come here, to earth, at all.
From His home, Heaven, a perfect place. A place where God is obeyed, loved, worshipped – perfectly. No sin. No restrictions of time or space.
To our home, Earth, a far-from-perfect place. A place where God is questioned; disobeyed to grudgingly obeyed to sometimes obeyed; hated, loved from guilt or duty, and sometimes for Himself; worshipped stingily, resentfully, out of duty and guilt, and sometimes from the heart – imperfectly. Full of sin – it is the norm. Restrictions of time and space and more.
He came exactly because we need Him, whether we admit it, or know it, or not. He came because He loves us – not because of who we are or what we can do for Him, but because He just does. Love so vast He left a perfect place to enter a sin-filled world. He lived as we live, suffered what we suffer, experienced life as we do. And then He allowed Himself to be tortured and nailed to a cross to die. He, who hates sin, allowed our sin to be put on Him. Why? Because He wants to have a relationship with each one of us – now. He wants us to come and live with Him in Heaven – in the future. He loves us with a love we cannot comprehend – always.
The Creator of the Universe and everything in it, and us. The Great I AM. The Prince of Peace.
The helpless babe with ordinary, common parents. God sleeping in a feeding trough, animals and dung the backdrop.
This is the One we celebrate. This is the One we worship. Our Saviour. Our Shepherd. God with us.
We’re all in this together – with Him.
© 2009 Denise Rumble