Be God’s new song to the suffering, says Sentamu

The Archbishop of York is to remind people of the new song given to all people through the birth of Jesus Christ in his Christmas sermon.

Dr John Sentamu will remind believers that they are redeemed men and women with faith in Christ, and can therefore be confident of their future in the plan of God.

He will urge believers to draw the downtrodden and hurting into the circle of God’s love.

He will say: “With joy in our response to God's message of deliverance let us leave the Minster this morning in a pure state, confident of our future in God's plan.

“And then go and be God's new song: to the parents of Madeline McCann, Claudia Lawrence; the downtrodden of Zimbabwe; the children and women brutalised in Eastern Congo, and Darfur; the people who are losing their lives violently through suicide bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq; prisoners of conscience; Israel and Palestine; our armed forces; the children in our own country who suffer at the hands of those who should care for them; those who have lost their jobs, savings, pensions, homes, due to the credit crunch, the economic downturn and the outworking of the cuts in public expenditure; the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the house-bound, and the suffering in our world.”

Earlier this week, Dr Sentamu posted a Christmas message on YouTube asking people to remember the important things at Christmas.

“Let us never forget that what is most important is having time for other people,” he said.

“We fill our lives with so many trivial things that we often fail to value what is important.

“Remember Christmas is not ‘Stress-mas’! Take things slower and appreciate what God has given you.”