O Emmanuel, God with us, Our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour: come to save us, O Lord our God. Amen.

If God is with us, God is with us in everything. That means that God standing next to the prisoner in Abu Grabh prison whilst guards torture and bully. God holds the hand of the African midwife accused of witchcraft. God lives in the homes of the couples in California whose marriage certificates were rendered null and void at the stroke of a lawyer's pen. God's own hand is held out for food in Darfur.

The o­ne who by rights might give out judgement is o­n its receiving end. God is with us and in that realization lies our salvation.

O King of the Gentiles and their desired o­ne, the Cornerstone that makes both o­ne: Come, and deliver humanity, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth. Amen.

He is a king. You know he is a king. And yet a king whose realm shelters under overarching desire and deliverance. He is the o­ne whom all the world is waiting for. He is the o­ne who is o­ne with his people and o­ne with their hopes and dreams and desires. The dust is turned to gold, not tinsel. The dirt and grime of this world is the venue for the bejeweling of humanity. The coronation of the people – a crown for everyone.

The king is here, amidst us, amongst us, around us and within us. There is a king o­n his way – make straight all the pathways. Communion is coming soon.