This month I’ve chosen the theme  'Journeys ' to hang all my Christmas sermons and thoughts. I’ve been particularly captivated by the idea that “ The Gift is the Journey” I think that is what the wise men discovered and also the shepherds and even Mary and Joseph and dare I say it perhaps even Jesus himself. I think the journey itself is our engagement with faith and becomes our gift to use and celebrate. Don't get me wrong. Its not the only gift. Jesus Christ  himself is the greatest gift.  I think Paul uses the phrase opf Jesus ' Thanks be to God for his 'unspeakable gift" However making a journey can be one of the most enriching experiences of life and even if  it is a difficult journey we can often reflect back and see it was a valuable journey.

The wise men offer us all a starting point. Before we go on a journey we decide what we'll take with us and what we'll leave behind. I think as we reflect on the jouneys we have taken in our lives we can't help but recognise the cost and the challenege living demands from all of us.

We all have to make journeys in our lives. How we deal with the journey will affect our destination. The journey may hold us back, cause us to change direction even consider turning back. Yet we all understand that we change and grow and develop physically. This kind of development has been often likened to a journey. I think we also have to make another discover. We all have the opportunity and potential to grow and develop spiritually.  The journey of the wise men allows us to reflect on life and perhaps use the story as we know it as a metaphor for all of our lives.

We begin our reflections this month by using a film that helps us explore the fact that we all find ourselves faced with a challenge. Often it is to find something for someone else.  How we deal with  searching for a gift tells us something about ourselves.

In this short film Lord Starburst gives three personal shoppers a challenge to find three gifts that can be given to a king who has everything. The film invites us to reflect on the characters and how they respond to the task.

In life we can enter into the challenge  and do our best take it seriously or we can try and “do it my way”  The strange thing is that often when we human beings try to sabotage the plans of God in a quirky way God uses our lethargy for his purposes. Like the quote from Joseph to his brothers. “You intended evil but God worked out good. Lets not be afraid to take up the challenges of life and enter intro the daily grind of seeking and searching. You’ll be amazed what God will do with the gifts we bring into his board room.