So Christmas is almost here. I hope that each of you are ready for the holiday. I wanted to get one more blog out before the Christmas break. I will be around for Christmas, but I know that some of you may not be, so if I don't see you, let me wish you a very merry Christmas now!
I want to remind everyone that we will be having a special Christmas Eve service on Monday evening, December 24 (of course) at 7:00 p.m. The service will be a traditional Christmas Eve service with Christmas Carols, Scripture and dramatic readings and special music. It is a great way to take our minds off of presents and eggnog and Santa Claus and simply refocus right before Christmas day.
The following Sunday, December 30, we will have a bit of a different worship service. I will not be preaching that Sunday. Instead, we will all have an opportunity to share. That's right. I want to take some time and have us all look back on the year that was. Let's share about ways that we have seen God in 2007. Maybe you have some particular testimony about God's faithfulness. Maybe it will be something that He has shown you in your devotions this past year. Maybe it will be a simple thanks to God for the blessings He has given.
Then we will have time to pray together about the coming new year and commit ourselves to God as we look forward to a new year of following Him.
So I ask that over this Christmas break, please spend some time considering what God has done this past year, and come ready to share. I believe this will be a special time of us reminding each other of God's faithfulness and love.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Be Still And Know
Today in my devotions, I was reading a passage of Scripture that I wanted to share with all of you. That passage was Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." What a great reminder that is.
One of the interesting conundrums of the Christmas season is that in the midst of celebrating a message of peace, we find ourselves in a season of overwhelming business. You know what I mean. We have a tendency to feel overwhelmed with so many things happening during this time of year. We are trying to decorate the house, purchase gifts, make cookies and candy, attending Christmas parties and programs, visiting family and friends, writing and sending Christmas cards and letters, and participating in every other Christmas tradition that we have in our lives. And I am not saying that any of that is bad, but the sheer quantity of what we have to do can make this time of year overwhelming.
Last night on the way home from Ansley's preschool Christmas program (she did great by the way, and so did Ben Sharpe and Lillie Tickel, who also attend the same preschool), I decided to take the kids by a house that I had seen over on Gladstone that had some amazing Christmas decorations. The house is on Gladstone, just south of McKinley a little ways. It is amazing. The house is on the corner and they have up all kinds of lights and some of the most amazing blowup Christmas displays that I have ever seen. The front yard is small and just about every inch of the yard is taken up with some Christmas decoration. And that is not enough room, because it extends around the corner with every possible space taken up with another decoration.
The Christmas display is really a lot of fun to look at, so if you are into looking at Christmas displays you may want to check it out. But I also think that it is a good illustration for what we sometimes do during the Christmas season. We take the time and energy that we have for the Christmas season and we fill up every inch of it with stuff. Maybe it is all good stuff, but still we fill up every inch, and that leaves us with no time to just be still and reflect on who God is and what He has done in sending us His Son.
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let's take some time out during this Christmas season, away from all the hustle and bustle and just be still and know that He is God.
One of the interesting conundrums of the Christmas season is that in the midst of celebrating a message of peace, we find ourselves in a season of overwhelming business. You know what I mean. We have a tendency to feel overwhelmed with so many things happening during this time of year. We are trying to decorate the house, purchase gifts, make cookies and candy, attending Christmas parties and programs, visiting family and friends, writing and sending Christmas cards and letters, and participating in every other Christmas tradition that we have in our lives. And I am not saying that any of that is bad, but the sheer quantity of what we have to do can make this time of year overwhelming.
Last night on the way home from Ansley's preschool Christmas program (she did great by the way, and so did Ben Sharpe and Lillie Tickel, who also attend the same preschool), I decided to take the kids by a house that I had seen over on Gladstone that had some amazing Christmas decorations. The house is on Gladstone, just south of McKinley a little ways. It is amazing. The house is on the corner and they have up all kinds of lights and some of the most amazing blowup Christmas displays that I have ever seen. The front yard is small and just about every inch of the yard is taken up with some Christmas decoration. And that is not enough room, because it extends around the corner with every possible space taken up with another decoration.
The Christmas display is really a lot of fun to look at, so if you are into looking at Christmas displays you may want to check it out. But I also think that it is a good illustration for what we sometimes do during the Christmas season. We take the time and energy that we have for the Christmas season and we fill up every inch of it with stuff. Maybe it is all good stuff, but still we fill up every inch, and that leaves us with no time to just be still and reflect on who God is and what He has done in sending us His Son.
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let's take some time out during this Christmas season, away from all the hustle and bustle and just be still and know that He is God.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Advent
This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. What is Advent? I'm glad you asked. Advent refers to the "coming" or "arrival" of Jesus Christ. It is a time of preparation for Christmas, as we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus. Advent itself is a somewhat late addition to Church history and comes from the fourth century. It was added around the same time that the Church began to observe Christmas. The legth of time has varied, but as of the 10th century, the Church, at least in the western world, has seen fit to observe Advent on the four Sundays leading into Christmas and then concluding with Christmas Eve.
One of the beautiful traditions of Advent is the lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath. The purpose of the wreath is to deepen our understanding of Christmas. The circular shape of the wreath reminds us of God. Just as a circle has no beginning or end, God is eternal and is without beginning or end and His love and mercy have no end. The greenery of the wreath speaks to the hope we have in God, the hope of newness and renewal, and the hope of eternal life.
The candles in the wreath signify God's Son as the light of the world. And the light of those candles remind us of how Jesus came into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. The candles are also a reminder to us that we are called to reflect Christ's light to others.
The four outer candles on the wreath represent the period of waiting during the four weeks of Advent. They also symbolize the four centuries between the life of the prophet Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament) and the birth of Jesus.
The candle in the center is the Christ candle. The location of that candle reminds us of the central focus that Christ should have in our hearts and lives.
Each week we will celebrate Advent by having a family from our church come forward to light one of the candles on the wreath. They will also share with us a little bit what each candle represents. The first candle, that was lit last week, represents hope. The candle that we will be lighting this week represents peace. We will be lighting the outer candles each Sunday and then the center candle on Christmas Eve.
I hope you are able to join us for this special time of Advent. It is a great way to help us focus on what Christmas is all about. May you have a spendid Christmas season and may God continue to keep each one of us in focus on what Christmas is really about.
One of the beautiful traditions of Advent is the lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath. The purpose of the wreath is to deepen our understanding of Christmas. The circular shape of the wreath reminds us of God. Just as a circle has no beginning or end, God is eternal and is without beginning or end and His love and mercy have no end. The greenery of the wreath speaks to the hope we have in God, the hope of newness and renewal, and the hope of eternal life.
The candles in the wreath signify God's Son as the light of the world. And the light of those candles remind us of how Jesus came into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. The candles are also a reminder to us that we are called to reflect Christ's light to others.
The four outer candles on the wreath represent the period of waiting during the four weeks of Advent. They also symbolize the four centuries between the life of the prophet Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament) and the birth of Jesus.
The candle in the center is the Christ candle. The location of that candle reminds us of the central focus that Christ should have in our hearts and lives.
Each week we will celebrate Advent by having a family from our church come forward to light one of the candles on the wreath. They will also share with us a little bit what each candle represents. The first candle, that was lit last week, represents hope. The candle that we will be lighting this week represents peace. We will be lighting the outer candles each Sunday and then the center candle on Christmas Eve.
I hope you are able to join us for this special time of Advent. It is a great way to help us focus on what Christmas is all about. May you have a spendid Christmas season and may God continue to keep each one of us in focus on what Christmas is really about.
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