Christmas….again!
Yes, it will soon be Christmas . . . again! Another year has flown by, and once again many of us find ourselves tired, weary, worn out, stressed out, and badly in need of a break. As we think of Christmas, ‘rest’ is uppermost in our minds. We look forward to taking a break, getting away, chilling out, pulling out of the fast lane for a few days or weeks. We hope that Christmas will mean the recharging of batteries that are just about flat. I pray that this Christmas season God will give you the gift of rest.
But more than that I pray that for all of us Christmas will be a time of reflection. Most of us know the Christmas story very well. We can sing the carols by heart and we can just about recite from memory the Scripture passages about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. It’s all so familiar that another Christmas season can pass by without us going any deeper into the meaning of this wonder of the ages. So I urge you this Christmas to reflect. Go back to those familiar Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to some fresh facet of this amazing event—some new insight that will leave you breathless with wonder and on your face in worship.
When the apostle Paul wanted to challenge the believers in Corinth to sacrificial giving to the poor, he used the Christmas story to motivate them. He hadn’t written many words before he said, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9), and he concluded his exhortation by exclaiming, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Sacrificial living and giving as disciples of Jesus arises from a fresh apprehension of the extraordinary grace of God shown us in the incarnation of Jesus. This apprehension is the result of Spirit-guided reflection. Do some of that while you are resting this Christmas. It will change the level of your discipleship in 2012.
Irene joins me in thanking you for your love and service to God and RUC in 2011, and in wishing you God’s rich grace in 2012.
Your friend and pastor,
Leigh
