2010 Letter No 12

Each month Bill writes a pastor's letter for our monthly church magazine called 'The Messenger'. Here is the letter for December 2010:

We are entering into the period of the church’s year called Advent when we think about the Lord’s coming. We recall the events leading up to the first Christmas in Bethlehem. And we also reflect on the promised and certain return of the Lord at some future unknown date.

And the first coming of the Lord among us as a baby and the second coming of the Lord in glory both point to an important truth. We have a God who is not content to abandon us.

God does not owe us any favours. While we owe him our unconditional worship as the Lord of the Universe, he owes us nothing. We are rebels, undeserving of his goodness and mercy. God could have chosen to discard us as someone might discard a dirty and broken doll. But instead he came among us to begin the costly process of cleaning us and mending us – restoring us to the way we are supposed to be. The Creator did not give up on his creation. He actually entered into his creation to bring us back into right relationship with him. It is the most expensive renovation project in history. It cost Jesus his life.

But I know that I am not yet perfected. I am a work in progress, and the work of restoring me – the work of restoring the whole of creation – will not be completed until that final day when Christ returns. Then everyone will see his glory and his victory. Everyone will see the salvation he has achieved for us.

It is a good thing to reflect on the advent of Jesus – both his first coming two thousand years ago and his second coming in the future. They are signs that our God has not abandoned us, but has determined to save us, even at great cost.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.