Star of Wonder
A Christmas Reflection from The United Church
There is something about Christmas that makes us lift our eyes.
The nights grow darker, the streets grow quieter, and suddenly the smallest light seems to shine so much brighter. From candles in windows to twinkling trees in living rooms, December has a way of drawing our attention upward, reminding us that hope often comes in the simplest glow.
Over two thousand years ago, a group of weary travellers looked up and saw a light unlike any they had seen before. A star, bright, bold, and beautiful. A star sent with purpose. A star that pointed not to power or palaces, but to a new born King lying in a manger.
That star changed everything.
✨ A Guiding Light
The wise men followed the star because something in them recognised that God was doing something new. This wasn’t just another night sky. This was God interrupting the world with hope.
Christmas is still God’s reminder that He guides us, not always with blazing signs, but sometimes through gentle nudges, unexpected conversations, acts of kindness, and the still, small voice that whispers, “This is the way.”
When we feel uncertain or overwhelmed, the story of the star reminds us:
God still leads His people. God still lights the way.
✨ Hope in Unexpected Places
Bethlehem was not glamorous. A stable was not majestic.
Yet the Saviour of the world chose to step into the ordinary, the messy, and the overlooked.
This tells us something powerful:
God delights in meeting us where we are, even in the places we’d rather hide.
Whether this year has been joyful, heavy, chaotic, or calm, Christ comes close.
He meets us in our homes, our families, our struggles, and our celebrations.
He meets us not because we have everything together, but because He holds everything together.
✨ A Gift for All People
The angels declared, “I bring you good news of great joy for all people.”
That includes the tired, the lonely, the busy, the hurting, the searching, the hopeful, and yes, even the ones who feel far from God.
Christmas is God’s open invitation:
Come as you are. There is room for you.
At The United Church, this message shapes who we are.
We welcome everyone because Jesus welcomed everyone first.
We serve our neighbours because love is meant to be shared.
We celebrate because joy is a gift meant to be lived out loud.
✨ Follow the Star
As we move through this Christmas season, may we be like the wise men, courageous enough to look up, attentive enough to recognise God’s leading, and humble enough to kneel before the One who brings peace, hope and redemption.
May Christ, the Light of the World, shine into every home, every heart, and every corner of our community.
From all of us at The United Church,
Merry Christmas, and may you follow the Star of Wonder into a season filled with joy, peace, and renewed hope.
