December 2021 Newsletter

Greetings from the desk of the Pastor! For some of us, we’ve been celebrating the Christmas Season since before the leaves began changing color – but all the same let me wish you again – Merry Christmas!

I used to have a very strict “no Christmas music or decorations until after Thanksgiving” policy in my home. But I was betrayed when I went to Seattle for a few days and returned to find that my children had insisted on decking the halls! I suppose the reason so many folks love to decorate, and decorate early, is because we are thirsty for some good news. The whole season of Christmas is a beautiful celebration, preparing us for the greatest good news – the birth of Jesus! After a hard year like we have had, I suppose I can understand why a few folks are eager to usher in the festivities. (And I’m a firm believer that eggnog is delicious any day of the year). You know, I saw an article a few weeks back, where some of the news agencies were predicting significant trouble with the supply lines. Apparently there has been a shortage of our EXTREMELY valuable truck drivers, and the nation wide ability to get things where they need to go broke down a bit. That led to concerns that the shelves would be empty and Christmas would be ruined because none of the usual foods or decorations or toys would be available. Yet after this news, I saw facebook and other social media sites flooded with claims that “if you think Christmas can be cancelled by a broken supply chain – you may have forgotten what Christmas was all about.” I saw lots of those posts going around a few weeks ago. Now, of course, we Christians know better than all that. We are actually quite famous for chanting about the “REAL reason for the season.” To quote the classic Dr. Seuss tale,

Every Who down in Who-ville the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: “how could it be so?”

It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!” And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before

Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t COME from a store

Maybe Christmas….perhaps…means a little bit more!”

As Christians we know all about that “little bit MORE” Dr Seuss was referring to. We know all about how God sent his son (we call him Jesus). We know all about how he came to die for our sins, to restore our relationship with God. We know all about how Jesus came and healed the sick, ate with sinners and taught all the people about the Kingdom of God. He gave sight to the blind, proclaimed the release of captives and set at liberty those who were oppressed. He performed miracles and taught us all about how to love one another (both with his teachings AND by his example).

Oh yes, we know all about that “little bit more.” And the best part of it all, is that we know that “little bit more” is coming no matter what kind of mess the rest of the world might be in. Because God loves you, and the good news of salvation through his Son Jesus (who loves you so much he said you were worth dying for), the good news of the baby born in the manger, while angels sang and shepherds watched and wise men were on their way to visit, that good news? Well, that story will never be on back-order.

Merry Christmas everyone, but until then, I’ll see you on Sunday.

Pastor JJ