Christmas 2: Created with Infinite Care
4 January 2026
Bible readings
Psalm 147:12–20
He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.
John 1:1–18
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
Songs and hymns
Glory be to God on high (StF 199)
Hark! The herald-angels sing (StF 202)
Let heaven and earth combine (StF 208)
Love came down at Christmas (StF 210)
Once in royal David’s city (StF 214)
Birth brings a promise of new life awakening (StF 226)
Opening liturgy
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
And the Word became flesh and lived among us…full of grace and truth, and the mystery and the wonder and the glory of God are revealed, and hate is transformed to love and war transformed to peace and ‘want’ is given the ’gift’.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
And we find it hard, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to grasp the immensity of your giving and your gift, to understand just why you care for us so very much.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
God’s gift to us is that we know that we each are a child of God:
Special and wanted, loved and cared for, upheld and treasured.
Our hearts, dust and spirit, joined to God and God’s heart joined to ours eternally.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
Symbol: Two overlapping hearts
Background notes
Psalm 147
This is another of the final five psalms that conclude the book with a crescendo of praise. It’s made up of three ancient hymns woven together – and the verses we read today come from the third section.
Verses 13–14 highlight God’s care for a particular people, attending to their practical, everyday needs. It’s earthy and grounded: God strengthens city gates, blesses children, secures borders and provides abundant wheat. This is praise rooted in the physical and communal – perhaps a natural connection to themes like the 2025 Lent campaign Soul Food, where nourishment, security, and belonging all matter deeply.
Then, in verses 15–17, the psalm zooms out to a cosmic scale. God’s word races across the earth; snow and frost fall by divine command. It’s a reminder that the one who provides for our daily needs is also the one who governs the vastness of creation.
We are both dust and spirit – held in the tension between the intimate and the infinite.
John 1:1–18
At the heart of John’s prologue is a remarkable promise: that those who receive Christ are given the power, or more precisely the right, to become children of God (v.12). This is not a status we hold by nature, but a gift rooted in God’s initiative and generosity. As Barrett notes, for John, life itself is always a gift from God.(1)
John is careful with language here. He uses the Greek word tekna (children) to describe those who believe, while reserving huios (son) exclusively for Jesus.(2) We are not sons and daughters in the same way that Jesus is the Son. But we are truly, meaningfully, God’s children.
And this is not a distant hope – it is a present reality. One of John’s companion texts, 1 John 3:2, makes it clear: “Beloved, we are God’s children now”.(3) The transformation begins the moment Christ is received.
The theme of divine abundance, so prominent throughout John’s Gospel and explored in last year’s Bible Month, is already present here. From God’s fullness, we receive grace upon grace: an overflowing generosity that not only forgives but adopts, not only welcomes but empowers.(4)
This passage invites us to receive the gift of Christ with open hearts, and to live now, today, as God’s beloved children.
(1) C K Barrett, The Gospel According to St John (1978) London: SPCK, p. 163.
(2) Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John (1966) New York: Doubleday, p. 11.
(3) ibid. p. 11.
(4) David F. Ford, The Gospel of John (2021) Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, p. 38.
Questions for discussion
God’s cosmic sovereignty
- What does it mean to you that the same God who cares for everyday needs also governs the vast cosmos?
- How might this cosmic perspective change the way we pray or live out our faith?
Identity as God’s children
- What difference does it make to you that becoming a child of God is a gift and not something earned or natural?
- In what ways is being a “child of God” a present reality for you, and how might that impact your daily life?
Grace upon grace
- What does “grace upon grace” mean to you in your personal faith journey?
- How can receiving God’s overflowing generosity empower us to forgive, welcome, and serve others?
Hands-on activities
‘Snow and frost’ nature collage
Materials: Cotton balls, white felt, glitter, blue construction paper, glue.
Activity: Create a collage inspired by Psalm 147’s imagery of snow, frost and hail – representing God’s power over creation and care for the earth.
Reflection: Consider how God sustains and strengthens all things, including us.
Grace overflowing jar
Materials: Mason or jam jars, water beads* or clear beads, glitter, blue cellophane or tissue paper.
Activity: Fill jars with beads and a bit of glitter to represent grace flowing abundantly.
Wrap the jar loosely with blue tissue or cellophane to symbolise overflowing grace. Add a tag with a favourite Scripture about grace or a personal prayer.
Reflection: A tangible reminder of how God’s grace is abundant and overflowing.
*Please note, water beads are not recommended for use with children under the age of five. Please plan your activities accordingly.
A winter walk
Materials: A notebook and pen
Activity: Take a walk in your neighbourhood, perhaps through a park, on a footpath or spend time in your garden. Turn 360 degrees slowly. What do you notice about the world around you – above your head and below your feet? Jot down as many things as possible.
Reflection: Being a part of God’s enormous and diverse cosmos.
Prayer ideas
Creation and care
Inspired by Psalm 147’s imagery, pray for the healing and protection of the earth, and for wisdom to care for the environment. Ask for God’s strength to uphold the vulnerable, just as God sustains all creation.
Name whispering
Invite people to close their eyes and whisper their own name quietly. Then say: “God, you created [insert your name] with infinite care.” Then invite them to imagine God saying their name back to them – softly, gently, lovingly.
Breath prayer
Lead the group into a moment of quiet. Say: “Breathe in deeply, and as you exhale, imagine resting in God’s hands.” “Let every breath remind you: I was created with care. I am held in love.” Repeat the breath prayer: Inhale: “Created with care” Exhale: “Held in love” Close with: You are known. You are loved. You are God’s masterpiece.
Sensory prayers
Collect some natural world items on a winter walk and hold each one in your hand in turn. Close your eyes as you touch and explore it with your fingers. Let the Holy Spirit bring to mind words of God’s love for you. Speak with God in response .
Global prayers
As we consider care for creation we share in a prayer from the Revd Dr Tevita Koloaia Havea, President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. Tonga is a Small Island State in the Pacific. It is both on the frontline of the climate crisis, but also at the forefront of climate solutions. The prayer expresses both lament and hope. We join in a spirit of solidarity.
O Lord, our God, so high, so near.
In love and truth our souls you steer.
From Moana’s shores our cries arise,
as waters swell and flood our lives.
Bless our leaders firm and strong,
let justice reign and right no wrong.
May wisdom guide their hands each day,
to lead with truth and light the way.
Uplift our youth in faith and grace,
amidst the trials they must face.
Shield them, Lord, from crime and strife,
and lead them to a righteous life.
The sea encroaches, tempests roar,
disasters strike our island shore.
The lost return with broken wings,
O Lord, bring peace to all our days.
O God of mercy, hear our cry.
Be near, O Lord, be ever nigh.
Let hope arise where sorrow stays,
and guide us through these stormy days.
In Christ our Lord we pray.
Amen.
The good news to get across
God’s gift to you is the invitation to become a child of God.
This isn’t something we earn or achieve – it’s a generous gift, freely given. To be a child of God means you are deeply loved, accepted and valued just as you are.
This gift invites you to live with confidence and peace, knowing that no matter what happens, you are held in God’s care. It changes everything, transforming your identity and your daily life with purpose and joy.
Ways people can respond
Invite everyone to take a moment of quiet to reflect on God’s generous gift: the invitation to be a child of God. Emphasise that this gift is for everyone, whether they already feel it or are just beginning to wonder.
Lead the group in this affirmation:
“God loves me deeply. I am invited to be God’s child, accepted just as I am.”
Repeat this slowly, allowing space for it to settle.
For those who do not yet feel they are God’s child, offer these words:
“If you would like to accept God’s gift today and become a child of God, know that you are welcome. You can open your heart to receive this gift now.”
Encourage those who want to say yes for the first time to speak a simple prayer silently or aloud:
“God, I want to be your child. Please come into my life and fill me with your love.” Invite them to make themselves known to you after the service if they wish.