"The Reason for the Season"
Dear Friends,
The season of Advent is here again. During this season we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child and what that miraculous event means for each us. As it happens every year, there are a lot of things happening: Christmas shopping, parties, traveling, church activities (just look at this newsletter!), and a host of things that keep us busy.
I do love this time of year; I love the music, the generous spirit of so many of you, the decorations, the cookies. But, I’m also aware of the underlying sadness some of us endure, especially those who have lost loved ones this past year. As one who lost a couple of very close friends this year, I am well aware of the bitter-sweet feelings some have at Christmas time. That is why the true message of Christmas is so important to remember. God loves us so much that God comes to us as one of us, born in a humble stable in a small town on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. We are never truly alone. God with us – Emmanuel.
So, in this busy season, let us all stop, take a deep breath, and reflect on the real “reason for the Season:” Love came down at Christmas. This little poem says it quite nicely:
A little Child,
A shining star.
The stable rude,
The door ajar.
Yet in that place,
So crude, forlorn,
The hope of all
The world was born.
Anonymous
I hope to see many of you in worship during the Sundays of Advent as we prepare the way of the Lord!
Grace, Peace, and Love,
Pastor Bill
