December

Dear Members of Christ’s Family:

Here we are, December. Already? It is so hard to believe. We are entering the Advent season and we are moving toward the celebration of our Lord’s birth. We would encourageyou to return to that story over and over as you move ever closer.

Remember the story of a census that drives everyone to their place of origin – well at least all themale people seeing that Bethlehem was Joseph’sancestral home. There was chaos, everyone handling their own problems and into this crazy moment in time the Savior slipped into the world.

Our world is crazy too. Everyday there are pressures that drive us to different places, forcing us to handle new problems and demands. And then there is the pressure of the season sending us scurrying to and fro. And into this crazy time slips the Savior. The Savior will come whether we see it or not – but our hope is that we will take time to notice.

Take a moment and go to the Cantata this year (shameless plug). Let the music wash over you and remember who is coming among us. Make an Advent calendar and stop each day of December and remember the love of God that comes down, not just at Christmas but every day. Take a little time each day for the Christ to enter in and change your life. Make room.

Remember the family who surrounded that child, father and mother and Heavenly Father. Remember that Christ comes into the world in the flesh. Embrace more fully the people around you – family and friends and the wider world. It is in this fleshy form that Christ still comes and touches our lives. Make room.

Remember the Shepherds who come, people on the edges of the society of their day. They come and receive a gift of love and offer themselves as best they can. Who are the shepherds of our day? The shut-in, the poor, the grieving, the outsider? How can we invite them to receive the gift of love this day? Make room.

We make the mistake of believing that Christmas happened long ago. The truth is that Christ is always entering in, whether we notice it or not. Things have not changed much in a couple thousand years. We need the presence of the Prince of Peace as much as ever. We need Jesus collectively and personally to enter in and bring light to the darkness. So let us make room.

Blessed Advent and Christmas,

Pastors Cris and Dave