But perhaps this is a good thing. Perhaps we need to be reminded that great joy and great suffering exist right beside each other. Perhaps we need to be reminded that even as we celebrate, others grieve, and our celebration is empty and destructive unless we also work to create a reason for the least and most vulnerable among us to celebrate. Perhaps it’s good for us to go directly from “Peace on earth and good will to humanity” to the reality of violence, destruction and suffering, so that we can renew our commitment to the Christmas message in the light of the pain of our world, rather than in some celebratory vacuum.

May your worship and preaching today offer a real and robust reason for joy and hope in our broken and hurting world.

READINGS:
Isaiah 63:7-9: A Psalm of praise for God’s love for God’s people, and God’s deliverance and mercy which carries them.

Psalm 148: A call for creation to praise God, for God’s glory is over all, and God uplifts and strengthens God’s people.

Hebrews 2:10-18: Through Jesus, who became human, like us, and who was tempted, like us, God has brought us, as Christ’s sisters and brothers, into God’s glory.

Matthew 2:13-23: Herod slaughters all boys two years and younger after being outwitted by the wise men, but Jesus and his parents, after being warned by God, have already fled to Egypt. After Herod’s death, they return to the land of Israel and settle in Nazareth.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This is a tough day in the Lectionary, especially coming right after the Christmas celebration. While it can be tempting to avoid the obvious difficulties with today’s readings and just stay with expressions of faith and rejoicing in the coming of Christ and the promise of God’s deliverance, even from enemies who would seek to destroy God’s purposes, to do this is to do our people – and the Scriptures – a disservice. While it is good to affirm that God’s plan of salvation is worked out throughout biblical history, and in our own times and lives, the shocking image of the innocent children who are slaughtered as Christ escapes cannot be avoided. Neither can the reality of the millions of innocent children who die daily through poverty, war, curable diseases and human trafficking. To ignore this horrific story, or to focus only on Christ’s escape, is to paint God as a heartless manipulator of history, and human beings as expendable pawns. Rather, the challenge of this passage is to seek to understand the impact that Herod’s cold abuse of power had on Christ and his life. It is to recognise the grief of God in the cry of the mothers who lost their children. And it is to recognise God’s grief for the lost innocents of our world today. Then, as our hearts are broken, we cannot help but follow Christ into a life of protecting the most vulnerable, and of holding our leaders accountable to justice and integrity for the sake of the poor. The message of Christmas, then, is not just that God is with us, but that through us, God seeks to be with all people, especially those who are grieving, suffering and marginalised.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It would be wonderful to be able to say that Herods no longer exist in the halls of power in our world, but we all know this is not the case. Some of our leaders are deliberately corrupt, feeling nothing for bringing suffering and devastation on their nation and people, while they enjoy privilege, prosperity and power. Others are simply weak, unable to resist the temptations of power and greed, and unable to stand against those who lead them into corruption through promises of financial and political support. And all the while, people in poverty-stricken, debt-crippled countries suffer and die, ignored by the powerful and wealthy. In this scenario, though, there are leaders – of government, of business, of faith communities, of the arts – that stand with integrity and courage against injustice. It is important for us to identify these leaders and support them in prayer and in any other way we can. But, it is equally important for us, as followers of the ultimate leader, Christ, to speak out against any slaughters of innocents we become aware of, and to do what we can to work for the healing and restoration of those who are being harmed or ignored. Among the issues we need to be involved with, human trafficking stands out as a modern “slaughter of the innocents” which must call us to prayer and action in Christ’s name.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Preachers have a tough time this Sunday. It is quite possible that, after the Christmas joy, this Sunday’s service could feel like a wet blanket. However, it can also be a celebration of justice and a call to life if handled well. Two emphases that can help to make this happen are as follows: 1. God is at work to save and protect the innocent, the marginalised and the poor. God is also at work, in Christ, leading us, as God’s people, into the abundant life Christ promised. God hears both the cry of the most vulnerable, and our cry. This is a gift of grace and a source of tremendous hope and joy. 2. As in Christ, God came to raise up the least and to include and restore the marginalised, so God invites us to participate in this work of joy-bringing, life-giving and saving. And it is as we particpate in God’s reign – which has come to us in Christ – that we discover life, guidance and salvation for ourselves. As we embrace these two emphases, and the life they offer, we can begin to identify the grieving and hurting ones in our midst and make a commitment to speak for them, to serve them and to protect them in any way we can.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Through Our Tears
Hear Our Cry
The Sound Of Tears
It’s My Problem Too

Hymn Suggestions:
Ye Servants Of God
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
O God Our Help In Ages Past
Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
There Is None Like You (Link to YouTube video)
O God Our Help (Link to YouTube video)
We Won’t Stay Silent (Link to YouTube video)
All Creation Sing (Joy To The World)
Love Came Down
You Are God: Chord Chart; Mp3 Preview (Scroll down for link)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy Of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Where Is God?
What Would Jesus Buy?
Constance

After the lament of last week, it’s a bit of a relief to return to joy again this week. The power of celebration, thankfulness and acknowledging the blessings God has poured on us is the focus of the readings this week, and they offer us great cause for both celebration and confession – celebration of God’s goodness and grace, and confession of our failure to recognise the goodness we enjoy.

May our worship this week fill us with laughter, praise and celebration, and may we carry God’s abundant blessing with us out into the world.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 31:7-14: God promises to bring a remnant of the people of Israel back to their homeland with joy and celebration, and with assurance of abundant provision for their needs – including the weak, poor and infirm.
OR Sirach 24:1-12: Wisdom seeks a place to dwell, and the Creator instructs her to dwell in Israel.

Psalm 147:12-20: An invitation to praise God who controls the snow, the frost and the hail and who has given God’s people wisdom and instruction by which they are strengthened and blessed.
OR Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21: Wisdom led God’s people out of Egypt and saved them from their enemies, leading them to sing songs of joy and praise.

Ephesians 1:3-14: In Christ God has brought both Jew and Gentile into God’s family and given us all an inheritance as God works out God’s plan of restoration for all creation through Christ.

John 1:(1-9), 10-18: God’s Word made flesh, through whom all things were created, has brought us into a new birth as children of God, has revealed God to us, and has given us an abundance of grace and blessing.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Throughout the readings of this week is the joyous promise of blessing and grace – which is, perhaps, a welcome contrast to last week’s weeping and grief. In Jeremiah, the remnant is promised a return with joy and security – God’s blessing of provision and comfort. The Psalmist celebrates the God who strengthens and protects God’s people and gives them wisdom. In resonance with this Psalm, the apocryphal readings both celebrate the Wisdom which God has caused to dwell with God’s people, and which rescues them and leads them to joy and celebration. Paul, in Ephesians, celebrates the blessings and grace which have come to us in Christ, making us part of God’s family and ensuring us an eternal inheritance in God’s realm. And in the prologue to John’s Gospel (which was set for Christmas Day as well – although a slightly shorter section) we are reminded of our birth as children of God in Christ, and of the gracious blessings which we receive through Christ. There is no question that this is a week for celebration – remembering the grace and life we enjoy in Christ, and opening our hearts to God’s blessings and wisdom which are sure and sustaining – no matter what we may face in this world.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: An often forgotten task which we are called to as followers of Christ is that of celebration and life-giving. As we challenge injustice and work to bring healing and restoration to our world, celebration can feel like indulgence, and worship can seem like impractical introspection. However, there is tremendous power in recognising goodness and life, in celebrating blessings and wisdom, wherever we may find it – even in those with whom we may generally disagree. And so, as we continue to celebrate the incarnation of Christ, we live this incarnation by acknowledging and affirming the wisdom that is at work in our world, in our leaders and thought-leaders. We live the incarnation by enjoying the blessings we see and experience, and by enabling others to find joy and reason to celebrate even in their struggle. We live the incarnation by embracing all people and welcoming them into the family of God into which we have ourselves been welcomed. As we draw attention to goodness and grace around us, and as we enable ourselves and others to embrace this goodness and grace, our world is gently transformed into a more secure, more blessed and more whole place. If this is not a work of justice – of God’s reign – then I don’t know what is!

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is all too easy in our Churches and faith communities to define ourselves by what we resist, what we denounce, or what we stand against. It is all too easy to make celebration, blessing and enjoyment something that we view as evil and to be shunned, but this is not Gospel living. In every person, in every community, there is goodness, grace and blessing to be found – no matter how tough or painful or unjust our lives may be. This is why slaves could sing of their hope and joy in Christ, and why artists in every oppressive regime have continued to perform, to sing and dance and create. It is a prophetic and liberating act to celebrate in the midst of grief and darkness. It is a prophetic and liberating act to enable people to recognise and embrace the goodness hidden even in their pain. It is a prophetic and liberating act to affirm goodness and wisdom wherever we may find it, and to welcome all people into the celebration. As God’s family, as followers of the incarnate, light-bringing Christ, may we be known for our joy, our hope, our wisdom, our celebration and our enjoyment of whatever blessings we may be able to receive and give. Surely this is a far more Christ-like and healing thing than to be known only for what we oppose and condemn?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Truly Blessed
The Healing Power Of Celebration
Shared Blessings

Hymn Suggestions:
For All Your Blessings
For The Beauty Of The Earth
At The Name Of Jesus
Joy to the World
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Do You Hear What I Hear (Link to YouTube video)
All Who Are Thirsty (Link to YouTube video)
You, You Are The God: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
Blessings In Disguise
Him

May our eyes and be opened to see again for the first time (to borrow a phrase form Marcus Borg) the power of the incarnation for us and our world.

READINGS:
Isaiah 9:2-7: God offers a sign of God’s grace and protection to the King and people of Judah – in the darkness light shines, and the birth of child is the sign of new life and of God’s righteous kingdom to be established.

Psalm 96: A song of praise for God’s greatness and glory, anticipating God’s coming as righteous judge.

Titus 2:11-14: Through Christ God’s grace has appeared and God has enabled us to live lives of goodness.

Luke 2:1-20: Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem for the Emperor’s census, and while there Mary gives birth to her son. Shepherds are told by angels about the birth and find the place where the holy family is to be found, telling the story of what they have been told about the child.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The message for Christmas Eve is clear and simple: in Christ, God comes to us. There are so many ways this can be – and has been – understood: God’s presence is not far off, but close and accessible; those who are first involved in this coming are poor and excluded people – shepherds, women, and foreigners – which demonstrates God’s commitment to justice. But, perhaps at the heart of all this is the question of seeing. Isaiah calls Ahaz to ‘see’ God’s work – God’s light shining in the darkness – on behalf of God’s people. The Psalmist invites all the earth and all peoples to see God’s glory and majesty, to recognise God’s coming in justice and righteousness and to respond in praise; Paul encourages followers of Christ to see God’s grace that has come, and to live it out as we watch for the coming of God’s reign in fullness; The shepherds are invited to see the Christ child, and in this event, see God’s coming to them and to all humanity. If God comes, but we are not open to the visitation, if we have closed eyes and hearts, the coming can do nothing for us. However, when we allow our eyes to be opened, we discover God’s coming in every moment and place.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: A significant part of the work of justice is a commitment to seeing – as clearly and truly as possible – both the realities of our world, and the injustices in it, and the signs of change, progress and God’s reign that are emerging. It is only with this seeing that we can encourage, support and strengthen the good that is happening and effectively challenge the darkness. So, in the growing concern about climate change and our dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, there is a light shining in the darkness. In the growing groups within faith communities of those who seek inter-faith dialogue and understanding rather than conflict and dominance, there is a sign of God’s coming. In the rise of social entrepreneurship, we see God’s grace at work in our world. In the growth of fair trade movements, ethical consumerism, and sustainable and humane farming, there is light in our world. All of these are signs of God’s coming – the influence and growth of God’s reign – among us. Each offers us the opportunity to cooperate with what God is doing in our world. And each also offers the challenge to continue to assess our lives against Christ’s standard, and to change to embody the Gospel where necessary.

LOCAL APPLICATION: God’s coming into our world, miraculously, is not just to communities, nations and the whole earth, but also to individuals. In each of our lives we have the opportunity to see God’s coming, and we have the responsibility to acknowledge the places where we have resisted or ignored God’s desire to enter our lives. Where we find ourselves growing more aware of God’s presence and purpose in our daily routines, where we discover new capacities for compassion, humility, simplicity and joy, where we find ourselves becoming more whole in spite of the struggles of living in this world, we have seen God’s coming to us. Where we remain stuck in destructive attitudes and habits, where we continue to allow our selfishness and fear to break down relationships, where we fail to allow our eyes to be opened to God’s image in others, we have failed to welcome the Christ Child into our lives. Ultimately, what the incarnation tells us, dramatically and powerfully, is that Christ came not just to get us into heaven, but to bring heaven to this earth. To the extent that our lives reflect this heaven – to the extent that we become more Christ-like and just in our own daily lives – we are the blessed ones to whom God has, once again, come.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Welcome To Our World
You Have Come To Us
Silent Night
The Familiar Story

Hymn Suggestions:
Joy To The World
O Come, O Come Immanuel
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Link to YouTube video)
Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
A King Is Born (Link to YouTube video)
Born In Bethlehem
Welcome To Our World (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Video Suggestions:
Christmas
Christmas – Birth

Drama Scripts:
Colours and Kings
The Foolishness Of Christmas

Image Suggestion:
Nativity

Let today’s celebration be a time of proclamation, and of renewed commitment to being “little incarnations” of God’s Word in our small corner of the world.

READINGS:
Isaiah 52:7-10: The joy of seeing the messenger of good news, who announces peace and the reign of God, and of knowing God’s protection and care.

Psalm 98: A song of celebration of the God who comes to save God’s people, and who comes to judge the earth in righteousness and justice.

Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12): God has spoken to us through God’s Son, who is the likeness of God’s being, who has
been appointed as ruler over all things because of his love of goodness, and whose rule is just and eternal.

John 1:1-14: The eternal Word who created the world has come into the world as light shining in darkness and has given life – as children of God – to all who believed in him and received him.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
At the heart of this year’s Christmas readings is the proclamation of God’s reign. Isaiah celebrates the Messenger who proclaims the good news of God’s reign. Psalm 98 describes God, and all of creation, announcing God’s victory and the coming of God’s just judgement. In Hebrews, the desire of God to communicate God’s love and grace is described – God spoke through prophets, but now speaks through God’s Son. In the Gospel, God’s Word is embodied, incarnated, bringing life and a relationship with God to all who receive Christ. This message of proclamation is a timely one for us. On the one hand there is God’s constant communication to us – the grace and faithfulness of God, culminating in the moment of incarnation – the final word, the ultimate communication – in which God reaches out to us. On the other hand there is the invitation, and the challenge, for us to receive and respond to this communication. And, of course, the promise is that when we do hear, receive and respond, we find ourselves in intimate, transforming relationship with God in Christ. It’s a simple, but profound, gift that God offers us through this day.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Christmas can feel like a time when it is inappropriate to deal with the ‘big issues’ in our world. There is a sense in which people long to lay aside the concerns and struggles and take a moment to do nothing other than celebrate. This is a good response to this time, and the desire to celebrate is an important one. But, celebration does not require us to turn a blind eye to the painful realities of our world. Further, the message of this day is a cause to celebrate in the midst of grief – God continues faithfully and constantly to communicate and reach out us. God never ceases coming to us to bring justice and grace into our lives and world. God’s patience and perseverance never fail, and in Christ, God’s reign is already available among us and within us. So, in the light of this, we have an opportunity to reflect and recognise all the ways in which God is speaking in our world. We have an opportunity to notice and celebrate the places where God’s reign is already visible. We have an opportunity to renew our commitment to being messengers of God’s reign. Even as Christ is the ultimate messenger of God – the Word of God made flesh – we are also God’s messengers, reflecting God’s reign in our actions, and making it known in our words. If Christmas is to have meaning for us, we need to continue the gift of incarnation by becoming ‘little incarnations’ each one of us. And as we commit to this, the world is changed – in subtle but significant ways. Like the God we serve, let us never grow tired of proclaiming God’s justice and grace.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The challenge of the Christmas season is to retain a listening and receptive heart in the midst of everything that is going on at this time of year. While it can feel right to fight for the name “Christmas” in the face of political correctness, I wonder if, when we seek to assert our Christian ‘rights’ and claim this holiday for ourselves alone, we don’t lose more than we gain. Is the Christlike thing not to serve others by making space for their faith and celebrations as well? Surely Jesus is more concerned with the attitude of love, grace and service than with a name for a holiday? We can be tempted to denounce the secularisation and commercialism of this holiday, but perhaps the best way to proclaim God’s grace and reign is to welcome all who would celebrate, for whatever reason, while showing through our own actions a different way of celebrating this time. Initiatives like ‘The Advent Conspiracy’ are a good way to do this. Further, if we are truly to proclaim God’s reign in this time, we need to be open to incarnate God’s grace and love in every moment in the way we treat our neighbours, in the way we relate to those who think, believe or act differently from us, in the way we involve ourselves in our communities. It’s sad that often the season that celebrates Christ’s coming is filled with the least Christ-like behaviour from followers of Christ. How can we rather be ‘good news’ to those around us?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Final Word
Welcome To Our World
God With Us
You Have Come To Us
Messengers
Good News

Hymn Suggestions:
Who Is He In Yonder Stall
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Joy to The World
What Child Is This?
Here Is Our King
Joy Has Dawned
Winter Snow
Do You Hear What I Hear (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Video Suggestions:
The Word Became Flesh
John 1 The Word: Jesus Blueprint

Drama Scripts:
Colours and Kings
The Foolishness Of Christmas

Also, for those who subscribe to the email updates, I have tweaked things so that the email contains the whole post and not just the teaser with the link, as it was in the past. This post will test to see if it works. Please let me know if you prefer it this way, or in the previous, abbreviated, format. Thanks.

The Sunday after Christmas (this year it’s just a couple of days later – the 27th of December) is always a tough one to prepare for. Services, in my experience, are usually quite sparsely attended, and with all the energy that went into Christmas, it can be hard to find anything inspiring for this week. But, the readings are very challenging – a simple reflection on the Christ-child growing up in grace and stature, and the obvious question that is raised – what does the “good life” look like?

READINGS:  
1 Samuel 2:18-20,26: Samuel grows under the care of Eli the priest, and his parents visit him annually when they come to the Tabernacle for the sacrifice.

Psalm 148: A psalm calling all of creation to praise the God who has strengthened God’s people.

Colossians 3:12-17: Instruction on how those who have been chosen and forgiven by God should live – in compassion, harmony and peace.

Luke 2:41-52: Mary and Joseph accidentally leave Jesus behind in Jerusalem, and return to find him in the Temple in discussion with the religious teachers. Jesus is obedient and grows in wisdom and stature.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Like Samuel before him, and for those who seek to follow him, Jesus is the example of a life well lived – in humility, obedience, forgiveness, peace and growth in character, in spirit and in compassion. At the heart of this “good” life, is the constant attitude of reverence and praise for the God who guides and strengthens us to live the best life possible.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The Western world has long chased the dream of “the good life”, and has called other nations and people to aspire to the same dream. However, the cost of this “good life” has been shown to be way too high – for the planet that cannot sustain our high levels of consumption and waste, for poorer nations who have given up resources and have given their bodies in cheap labour to sustain the lifestyles of the wealthy, and for the wealthy themselves, who have discovered, after attaining the “dream” that it fails to satisfy the inner longing, and is, anyway, a fragile and easily lost lifestyle – as the economic crisis has shown. Our world desperately needs to redefine what “the good life” really is – in the terms that were modelled by Jesus: simplicity, humility, compassion, peace and reverence.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every community knows the pain, frustration and disillusionment of those who have chased “the good life” and “failed”, and of those who have “succeeded” and found only despair. The pain is material, relational, communal and, of course, spiritual. The Church has a calling and a privilege in being able to offer an alternative “good life” – a Jesus-modelled life. Perhaps this Sunday would be a good time to repent of the ways we have allowed the world’s view of the good life to infiltrate our places of worship and our spiritual teaching, while also committing again to live and share the kind of good life that Jesus offers and teaches.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Life That Is Truly Good
A Goodness Worth Pursuing

Hymns: 
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Jesus, Lord, We Look To Thee
O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee
Dear Jesus, In Whose Life I See
Be Thou My Vision
(A gender inclusive version of the lyrics is available here)
And a contemporary version: Be Now My Vision
Give Thanks
Let Me Shine (You can download the chord chart here – scroll down for the link – and listen to a preview of the song here).
All The Way My Saviour Leads Me
What Can I Do
Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video:
Jesus: Man of the Streets
Follow Me

Images:
Forest Path

I pray that your Christmas is a time of great celebration and great divine challenge. 

READINGS:  
Isaiah 52:7-10: Good news of the return of God’s peace, salvation and presence to Israel.

Psalm 98: A song of praise for God’s victory and salvation.

Hebrews 1:1-4(5-12): Jesus, God’s Son, radiates God’s glory, created all things and is exalted above all things.

John 1:1-14: The Word who existed in eternity with God, and through whom all things were made, has become flesh, lived among us, and revealed God’s glory to us.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
As is fitting, all of the Christmas readings are full of celebration and joy at God’s visitation, God’s glory revealed in Christ, and the hope of salvation that Jesus brings. The incarnation is good news, and God’s appearance among us overcomes darkness and is a manifestation of God’s victory and sovereignty.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  The incarnation is God’s reign revealed among us. Within the “weakness” of this Child, amazing strength is manifest – God’s refusal to buy into human political or economic systems or agendas, revealing their darkness while not being overcome by them. The incarnation, then, must call us to reject “worldly” values and strategies for implementing God’s agenda, and also refuse to allow Jesus or the faith of those who follow him to be co-opted into oppressive or exploitative agendas. This Christmas, let’s reaffirm our commitment to follow Christ alone, and our commitment to God’s hidden, peace-bringing, non-partisan ways.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The incarnation of Christ calls us to be participants in incarnation. In our communities and churches we can embody the ways of Christ, opting out of the power struggles and “worldly” use of faith/religion for political or material gains. We can embrace the hidden, agenda-less, self-giving life of Christ. And if we will renew our commitment to incarnation, we will seek and find the places that most need us to serve, heal, and reconcile while also confronting abuses of power, wealth or faith. What do you need to opt out of, oppose, or serve in your community this year?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Silent Night
Come Again
The Foolishness Of Faith
The Familiar Story
Great God Of Miracles And Surprises
You Have Come To Us

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Hymns: 
The usual Christmas Carols are easily remembered and don’t need to be listed here, so I’m just going to offer a few unusual suggestions that may complement your normal Christmas music.
Christmas Angels Medley (Just a chord chart based on selected verses and well-known tunes of these popular Carols)
A King Is Born
Little Town (Link to YouTube video of Cliff Richard’s version)
Emmanuel (Link to YouTube video)
And check out Dean McIntyre’s settings of Christmas Carols in contemporary formats at the GBOD

Video:
The Word Became Flesh
What Do You Want?
It Is Christmas
A selection of Christmas video clips from popular movies at Wingclips.com

Images:
Christmas Backgrounds from Worship Graphics
Christmas Graphics from UsingPowerPointInChurch.com
Christmas Graphics from ImageVine

Drama:
Two short dramas for children on the Sacredise Advent & Christmas page
(Scroll down to find the links)
The Foolishness of Christmas
Colours & Kings

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD