T’was The Sunday Before Christmas

I truly enjoy writing a blog once every eight weeks or so. It causes me to reflect and consider what might be of interest and therefore read by folks…and how I might make it interesting.   

The season of Advent is always, OK…let’s agree on is usually, a time filled with a lot of hustle & bustle as we prepare for family time either at our place or theirs, and a time of trying to determine what the appropriate gift, or gifts, will be for each person we are buying for. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

At church we want to remember the reason for the season, but even at church there are some last-minute challenges and decisions… which music for which service, who is responsible for what at Christmas Eve services, can we make the service a little different this year, did we get our Team Annual Report in? Who are we waiting on to do that last thing so we can move forward? WOW! Busy at home, busy at church.

And then I reflect on the real important story, the coming of the Christ child, the event people back then were NOT waiting for because its importance was NOT known. There were just a husband and pregnant wife following Roman orders to participate in the local census looking for a place stay. (Apparently, no online reservations were possible.)

We know now the importance of that event and thus we can manage our anticipation of celebrating Christ’s arrival in this world. It is easy to bemoan the commercialization of Christmas, but we can also celebrate Christmas for what it means to us, even if it doesn’t mean the same to others. For sure, this church family does its best to be true to Christmas and live with Christmas spirit.

I hope the weather makes it possible for most of us to be present (joining online is a unique and acceptable substitute in today’s world) on Christmas Eve at one of the two worship services and for that brief time to be together to share the joy that comes with being a follower of Jesus the Christ. It is a time to reflect on what the reason for the season is. Doing it together as a church family is special.

Merry Christmas…maybe we’ll be together on Christmas eve.

Jim Hubbard