I wanted to put the entire article that I had written for our church newsletter. I made copies for the congregation but in the mailing half of what I had written was left off. Actually the first half was repeated twice. So here is the article and the rest of the story.
From the Pastor’s desk December
Everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by Christmas decorations and displays. As we anticipate this holiday season, I would ask what is it that would make the perfect gift for you and your family. We spend a lot of time looking for just the right gift to give to others whether spouses, significant others, children, co-workers and friends. We look to make that gift be special and meaningful. Sometimes we will spend a great deal of time just to find that special gift.
Here at the church we have many opportunities to give to those in our community as well as to children throughout the world to make this holiday season be a special Christmas. We finished our Operation Christmas Child and collected 32 packages to send overseas to children throughout the world. We are collecting new toys and other gifts for the Tri-Community United Methodist Church so that those in our community can share in the choosing of gifts that are so special for children and for children to share with their parents. We are collecting Stocking stuffers of socks, underwear, toiletries for the Open Door Mission and for Together, Inc. We have our mitten and hat tree for children here in Sarpy County. We have many opportunities to share our blessings for so many. This is especially of concern today as the economical worries surround us. Those who are most effected by the recession are those who are the hourly laborers. Omaha has been spared so far from the extreme effects of the economy but many will still have problems getting gifts for their special some ones.
This is also a time of anticipation for us. Throughout Advent, we will be looking at the times and concerns of the early church and the times of Jesus’ birth. They too were difficult times with many worries. What amazes me is that it was in such times that God chose to come to us. That God gave us the greatest gift that any of us could ever have and that was His Son. God gave us the gift of forgiveness. Jesus was born and lived so that he could offer himself as a sacrifice of love, the ultimate act of forgiveness. What a special gift that we have been given. In the midst of our shopping for that special gift for our special some one, I would like to encourage everyone to spend some time reflecting on what it means for us to receive such a gift. Maybe the perfect gift might be to seek out someone and to share forgiveness with them. To no longer hold onto past hurts but to share the love Jesus commanded us to show to one another. We discussed in our bible study the idea would we want to have God act towards us the way we sometimes act towards others.
Advent is the beginning of the church year. So maybe our Christmas resolution would be to give the gift of forgiveness to someone now.
May this Christmas be a joyous occasion. May you find the peace of God’s grace be with you. For in Jesus is that perfect gift for us all, we need no other.
Pastor Eldon
I hope that the message is one that we can all relate. We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Spend some time thinking about that special person that you need to ask for forgiveness and extend the opportunity for reconciliation. That is what God has done in Christmas to us.
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