St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

A new year for an Oldie

They say Christmas is a time for children, don't they? But I read the beginning of Luke's gospel, on the run-up to Christmas, and I realized that Christmas is a time for clapped-out oldies like me.

Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25) is a disillusioned old codger. He's been faithful to God for many years, yet his wife Elizabeth is barren and he has no family. In those days this was a great source of shame, and he maybe feels God has let him down, or wonders if he has sinned against God? The sparkle has gone out of his life.

And as a Priest in the land of Israel he believes in the coming of the Messiah, when God will fulfil his promises and make Israel into the top nation - a source of blessing to all peoples and the place to which everyone who wants fullness of life will flock. But that hasn't happened either. After the return of the people from exile in Babylon, 500 years earlier, there were the Maccabean wars, conquest by the Greeks, and now the land is overrun with Romans. There's a puppet king (Herod) on the throne, and there hasn't been a genuine prophet for 400 years. So where's God got to?

Do you feel the same? The world is full of problems: Iraq, youth violence, climate change, and so on, blah, blah.

Zechariah goes into the temple to burn incense, and there he finds and angel who gives him good news. "You're going to have a son, whose name (John) means God-is-Faithful ("Yo-Hanan": Yo is short for Yahweh, God's name). He'll bring people back to God. He'll prepare a way for God's coming. And he'll "turn the hearts of the fathers to their children" (v17) - he'll bring them the sparkle of childhood again and make them new.

And will Zechariah believe it and respond with joy? At first he doesn't: the angel strikes him dumb for his disbelief, and only nine months later is he allowed to speak. Later on, Zechariah does respond and you can see his new perspective at the end of the chapter.

Christmas and New Year is the same invitation to us all. Life doesn't have to wind down and end with a whimper. Instead a new baby can be born for us: we can be filled with the Holy Spirit and find eyes to see what God is doing.

As a knocking-on oldie (47 now, over the hill and on the way down) I know the temptation to cynicism and disillusion. Will I let God do a new thing in me? Will you let him do a new thing in you?

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. January 2004, Page 1.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (January 2004) Vicar's letter, United service, 1000 badges, Prayer works, Hell?	A new year for an Oldie They say Christmas is a time for children, don't they? But I read the beginning of Luke's gospel, on the run-up to Christmas, and I realized that Christmas is a time for clapped-out oldies like me. Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25) is a disillusioned old codger. He's been faithful to God for many years, yet his wife Elizabeth is barren and he has no family. In those days this was a great source of shame, and he maybe feels God has let him down, or wonders if he has sinned against God? The sparkle has gone out of his life. And as a Priest in the land of Israel he believes in the coming of the Messiah, when God will fulfil his promises and make Israel into the top nation - a source of blessing to all peoples and the place to which everyone who wants fullness of life will flock. But that hasn't happened either. After the return of the people from exile in Babylon, 500 years earlier, there were the Maccabean wars, conquest by the Greeks, and now the land is overrun with Romans. There's a puppet king (Herod) on the throne, and there hasn't been a genuine prophet for 400 years. So where's God got to? Do you feel the same? The world is full of problems: Iraq, youth violence, climate change, and so on, blah, blah. Zechariah goes into the temple to burn incense, and there he finds and angel who gives him good news. "You're going to have a son, whose name (John) means God-is-Faithful ("Yo-Hanan": Yo is short for Yahweh, God's name). He'll bring people back to God. He'll prepare a way for God's coming. And he'll "turn the hearts of the fathers to their children" (v17) - he'll bring them the sparkle of childhood again and make them new. And will Zechariah believe it and respond with joy? At first he doesn't: the angel strikes him dumb for his disbelief, and only nine months later is he allowed to speak. Later on, Zechariah does respond and you can see his new perspective at the end of the chapter. Christmas and New Year is the same invitation to us all. Life doesn't have to wind down and end with a whimper. Instead a new baby can be born for us: we can be filled with the Holy Spirit and find eyes to see what God is doing. As a knocking-on oldie (47 now, over the hill and on the way down) I know the temptation to cynicism and disillusion. Will I let God do a new thing in me? Will you let him do a new thing in you? John Hartley
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