Sunday 05 January 2020
- Bible Book:
- John
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (v. 1)
Psalm: Psalm 147:12-20
Background
If you are superstitious (unlike me), you will perhaps today be thinking, “Tomorrow it will be over and I can take down all the decorations and get on with life!" Yet we are just twelve days after what one could call the second creation, having celebrated the birth of Jesus, and tomorrow we will continue with some of the story of the child. Today, however, we look towards Jesus the man who has come amongst the people and those first words of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God.” Words that serve to make a link between creation as envisaged in Genesis 1 and the God who was there at the beginning, and the man Jesus, not a baby in a manger whose birth is celebrated annually, an infant who drew people to him, and still draws them to him today, but a man who came amongst the people and said two simple words: “Follow me.”
On this day, which in Methodist Diaries is termed Covenant Sunday, it seems appropriate to move away for a few hours from the sentimentality of worship at the manger to that child already grown to adulthood. John has clearly known that man and is making the connection between Jesus the man who has lived amongst them as healer and teacher and the Creator God there at the beginning of time. There is no mention of the Holy Spirit being part of that creator in these words, but it is clear that John is giving testimony to the fact that Jesus who has come amongst them is the Messiah the Christ.
As we make our Covenant promises we hand over our lives to the person witnessed in these words and begin a new year of journeying in faith.
To Ponder:
- Do you look forward to renewing commitments on Covenant Sunday or tend to stay away from church because of the commitment you are expected to make?
- How do you feel about the commitments required in the current service?
- Is it unrealistic in these modern times to suggest, through the words we say, that we are prepared to give over our whole self for God’s purposes whatever that costs?