View From The Pews – Christmas Day 2025

Brothers & Sisters,

As we began our preparation for Christmas this year, two words from a verse of one of our well-known Advent hymns struck me in a powerful way, and stayed with me throughout the season.  The more I thought about those words, the more I became convinced that they should be my Christmas theme for this year, ‘Holy Joy’.   Here are the words of that verse:

The Advent of our King our prayers must now employ, and we must hymns of welcome sing in strains of holy joy.

One thing that became immediately evident is the connection between the welcome of Jesus, the Holy One and the experience of ‘Holy Joy’.  A children’s chorus that I learnt many years ago makes it very clear that you cannot attain true joy by pursuing it.  Instead, it advises:

If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy,

let Jesus come into your heart.

Your sins he’ll take away, your night he’ll turn to day,

your life he’ll make over anew, and then come in to stay.

If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy,

let Jesus come into your heart.”

The presence of Jesus is the source of holy joy.  We are already familiar with the words of the Psalmist that we have turned into a chorus:

In his presence, there’s fullness of joy,

at his right hand pleasures, forever more.

O what fellowship divine, I am his and he is mine;  in the presence of the Lord there’s fullness                  of joy.

A Jesus-filled life is a joy-filled life.  It is true that we can receive a measure of joy from the things of this world, but lasting joy is to be found in Jesus alone.  Reflect on this communion hymn:

                                    Jesu, thou joy of loving hearts!

                                    Thou fount of life, thou light of men!

                                    From the best bliss that earth imparts

                                    We turn unfilled to thee again.

We will be singing at all our Christmas services the hymn, JOY TO THE WORLD, and I invite you to welcome Jesus the Christ into your life as you have never done before.  More than that, let us pray that in all the places of the earth where sin and sorrow reigns, that the hearts of people may be opened to welcome Jesus into their lives and their situations and experience that joy he offers to all.

May the joy which Jesus brings be ours throughout this holy season and always.

Contributed!