St Timothy's Church, Crookes, Sheffield

Here is a poem written by Bridge this morning – inspiring and thought provoking!

CHRISTMAS STAR

I think I’ve seen the Star before

And I’ve seen it many times

In the raging storm and the lightening dawn

When the distant seagull cries

In the Blessing of a handshake

And the cry of a child in the night

I think I saw the Star before

From the shadows, You brought Light.

And Jesus cried His cry again

When the distant bugles rang

And the war drums sounded loud once more

To bring a different kind of song.

I saw the Star in northern France

One frosty Christmas morning

When foe and friend walked from their trench

And no one heard their warning.

Played football, shared a glass or two,

Sang “Silent Nacht “ and clasped

The hand of friendship, comrades now

Until the guns began to blast

I heard Jesus in the wilderness

And I saw his Star again

When Wilberforce made his finest speech

When the slave ships turned away

When the chains of death were split apart

When the cries of the living dead

Were heard in the bowels of a living hell

And the tears of the Christ were shed.

When I saw the Star light up again

I wanted to rejoice

But the cock crowed at the gates of dawn

And I didn’t heed His voice

And I saw the Star in 55

On a bus in Alabam

When Rosa Parks defied the world

And the bigotry of man.

And I saw it when Martin Luther King

Cried out his famous dream

And I saw it when Mahatma Ghandi

Walked to make men free.

And did you see the Star in Belsen?

When Yehudi Menuhin played

His violin outside the camp

For the cruelty man had made.

So don’t put God in a Christmas box

Tied up with fripperies

Don’t tie Him up with ribbons

Don’t leave His Star upon a Tree

But let that Star rise up in you

In a shower of meteor lights

Cascading up above the world

Till the devil’s put to flight

Let us see the brilliance of our Star

And hear the Christ child’s plea

For goodwill and forgiveness

The gift he gave to me

Rise up, O Star this Christmastide

And let the Angels sing

And let the bells within ourselves

The ancient church bells ring

For Christ is born our Saviour

So let the games begin

And welcome to the presents

And the good food gathered in

And thank you for the garish tie

And friends greetings from afar

But thank you God that most of all

Above me hangs your Star