A Christmas memory

Merry Christmas to all.  What a wonderful gift to have a life blessed with folks like Todd and Matt, Mary and Nan, Jill and Doni, Jim and Steve-the list is endless.  I am so happy to be involved with a worshiping community and it is even better that it's a group like the folks in Elkhart who have modeled hospitality and welcome to me.

Like most folks, we had a wonderful worship last night.

Of course, there was a great bunch of people who were visiting from out of town and the group of folks who are occasional attendees, but the best encounter I had was with a woman who is 103 years old.  This centenarian made a point to approach me after the service.  "I've never been to a contemporary service," she said, "but I loved it!  I'm coming back."  What a wonderful encounter.

Even though it would be great to add her as a Bridge regular, the most fulfilling element is that somehow, some way God used our worship to touch someone.  All too easily pride and ego intrude in our service to God so that it becomes service of the self.  Our joy needs to be found in the God's redemptive use of us, broken vessels that we are.  Humility need be the foundation of true service, but enough preaching.

I hope and pray  that I have been directed to a situation in which I can use my gifts to please God.  Actually, any situation we are in is an opportunity to use our gifts to please God.  As we enter into the year ahead I pray that we all look at how we can use our gifts where we are and focus on being the presence of God here rather than how much better it could be someplace else.

Four Weeks of Need

Advent is a crazy time.  For whatever reason, people are drawn to the church during the weeks leading up to Christmas.  Advent becomes a hurried time with so much going on, and the pressure of crafting worship that is especially welcoming and inclusive weighs on us.  At this time of year we are all, even pastors, caught up in our own stuff to the point that we worry less about others.  We  often forget, though, that this time of year is not a Hallmark experience for everyone.

For a lot of people, the Christmas holidays are a time of darkness, loneliness and pain.  The church tries to speak to this situation with longest night services, but we need to do more.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we heed to hold tight to others during this time.  Advent can and should be a time in which we practice hospitality and caring for others.  This is an especially hard time for those who have been estranged from the worshiping community and it is incumbent on us to open our doors, arms and hearts even wider at this time of year.

I know this is a time of year when we feel entitled to focus on ourselves and our family.  I don't want to take away from that focus, but we also need to be mindful of those who don't have family, who are estranged from friends.  This is a time of year that is filled with demands on our time and energy, but we are called to care for others-that's why Christ came.