Have you ever been the recipient of an unusual Christmas present and wondered at the reason for the gift?
Well…..I’ve received a few such gifts!
I’ve had a poker….. and when I proclaimed ‘A poker?’.. the cry came back ,’But it’s a BRASS poker!’
I once had a turkey dish…very useful, once a year!l!
One Christmas I opened a set of screwdrivers and a hammer with pink handles. I knew the reason for these….Tom is not the handiest of handymen
Of course, I have had lots of wonderful presents, too!
Christmas is almost upon us and it got me thinking about the Wise Men’s gifts.
Have you ever wondered at the reason for the gifts presented to Jesus.
Nothing that you would think would be of any use to the young mother, Mary.
Today there would be a babygro, rattles, teddies!
But, no…the gifts brought by the Wise Men were gold, frankincense and myrrh.
I wonder why?
God guided these astrologers to Jesus by a star, and the gifts they brought had specific meanings.
Gold was to symbolise the Kingship of Jesus; the sign on the cross where he was crucified stated, ‘Jesus, King of the Jews’.
Frankincense is a symbol of divinity and Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.
Myrrh is an oil that was used to anoint a body after death and so signifying Jesus’ death on the cross.
We are not told in the Bible what Mary and Joseph did with these gifts, but they were valuable and may have been sold to help the new family as they made their way back to Nazareth after fleeing from Herod.
So, have a wonderful Christmas with parties, presents, family and friends as you share this time together, but as you unwrap your gifts, give a thought to the real reason for Christmas and remember the baby born in that poor cattle shed among the livestock, who lived and died so we can experience forgiveness for those things we wish we had never said or done.
Jesus is a gift we can all receive this Christmas.
A favourite Christmas carol that many enjoy singing is ‘O Little town of Bethlehem’.
One verse says:
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.
Happy Christmas to all.
At TLC we continue to meet on the first Sunday of every month for Bitesize@10am.
Come and share some informal time with us over a bacon roll, tea, coffee and juices. We chat and catch up on each others good news, then have a short ‘Thought for the Day’ to see us through the week! 
The door is always open and all are welcome. Come and bring a friend!
The other Sundays in the month we meet at 2.30pm. We are a friendly bunch of folk and we don’t stand on ceremony, so come and share this hour with us.
You will be made most welcome.
Coffee Morning is held every Thursday from 10 am to 11.30.
Tea, coffee, biscuits and even toast (if you haven’t managed breakfast) are served.
Jan and her team will be delighted to welcome you. Bring a friend and make new friends!
Our Carol Service is to be on Sunday 17th December at 2.30pm when Jan will be leading our thoughts with Carols and the Christmas story.
Tea and mince pies will be served at the end of the service. Come and share this time with us as we prepare for this special time of year.
A message from Jan.
Macmillan Coffee Morning