Merry Christmas
I want
to wish all that I know a Merry Christmas on this day. I also want to wish
everyone Happy Holidays. For you see it is both. It is more than just birth of Christ
it also is God so caring that he would come to this world for you and me. And it
continues today through the love that was given as a free gift though
communities of faith, family and friends. What began at the very creation of
the world continues to happen with us today. Love, Joy, Peace or Shalom, and
Hope continues to be the story of Christmas for us, no matter what we have
done. So we extend our Christmas in the acts we do today emulating our savior
whose birth we are celebrating today. BTW, I do not get too excited about
saying happy holidays for indeed they are for many people. This is not attacking
Christianity. Unfortunately, our behavior as Christians at times are the attack
on the, as Pastor Craig Finnestad preached on Christmas Eve, grace and truth of
Jesus. My prayer is that today while we spend time with one another wherever
that may be, we continue to live out the Christmas message every day throughout
the year.
This is
my first Christmas as a retired pastor. I am still trying to figure out this
thing called retirement. It has been almost six months and so far, I have not
driven Nancy crazy. Nancy and I have joined the Water’s Edge UMC church in Omaha.
We are part of life group. We also volunteer for church and some around the
community. It is different that I am not busy planning services or feeling
obligated to attend church services. This is something freeing about the idea
of doing things because we choose to do so.
I had
thought I would be writing about the life of a retired pastor and social worker,
but I am still trying to work that out as to what it is. I was asked to preach
at Water’s Edge, Nancy and I serve communion, we are leaders of our life group,
and I will be doing a wedding in May of 2019. Not quite the schedule I used to
have, but still interesting. I have also been doing more gaming, particularly
board games and RPG with my family and with my son’s friends. What I am
contemplating is doing a Tuesday musing starting today. Thoughts maybe random
about what I am experiencing and sharing opinions about life. I will try to not
become too political though it is impossible not to note what is happening both
in our nation and around the world does not affect our lives today. The next
blog entry will be January 1st, 2019. I wonder what lies ahead in
this new age of life.
Shalom
Eldon
