Stressed Much at Christmas? - by Robin Boswell

           

Be honest. Who else fantasizes about Skipping Christmas just like in the John Grisham book and the movie Christmas with the Kranks?  How wonderful it sounds to avoid all of the things that make the holidays a great big busy stressor- frantic shopping for meaningful-yet-affordable gifts, endless gift-wrapping, pressured decorating to somehow make it look magical, attending parties for every classroom/group/organization, forcing family photoshoots for the perfect holiday card, trying to cook when you stink at it, and if that isn’t enough- taking the whole show on the road to Grandma’s.

Just as I suspected, I am not alone in my stressful state. In a 2015 study, 62% of people said their stress levels were “very or somewhat elevated” during the holidays. It turns out that most of us are experiencing distress at a time when we think we should be full of joy. 

This realization has led me to question myself. Is there any time during the Christmas season that I feel at peace? The answer comes quickly and reveals itself to me. I feel perfect peace and overwhelming joy when I am at CHURCH! Joy to the World, The Lord Is Come, Silent Night, Holy Night, The Little Lord Jesus Asleep On the Hay, Fall On Your Knees - these are the words and melodies that fill the air and our hearts with the true meaning of Christmas! I don’t care how many times we hear it; we never tire of the Bible story about the birth of the Christ who has come to save the world.

That takes care of me and my stress, but aren’t we called to share the Good News? It occurs to me that the very best gift that we could offer is a slice of that Peace and Joy. We don’t even have to shop, cook or decorate to give this extraordinary gift. We can invite friends, co-workers, or whole families to join us at church and to hear about this Savior who we follow. It is a simple as that, and yet it can have an eternal impact.  

The odds are on our side, too. A majority (57%) of people who do not normally attend church at Christmastime say that they are likely to attend if invited by someone they know. So let’s go for it! Invite a bunch of people! Offer to pick them up if you can, or offer to meet them when they arrive. Then introduce them to some other people at church. Tell them to bring more friends. The Peace and Joy that we all desperately need is found in Jesus Christ!

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people.’’ Luke 2:10 (Common English Bible)

Prayer: Help me to share your Good News with others and to invite them to worship alongside of me. Make me bold.               

Through the Eyes of a Child - by Kevan Jenner Brown

            

During Advent, when my children were small, their dad and I would take them to view a live outdoor re-enactment of the nativity.  One year, more than 25 years ago now, while we were attending this event, my daughter, age four, quietly and intently watched the poignant scene unfold before us, with living, breathing humans playing all the key roles—including a real infant as the newborn Jesus.  As soon as the performance was over, she begged us to take her to the “manger,” shouting, “I want to see the Baby Jesus!  I want to TOUCH the Baby Jesus!”  

My heart was so moved by her insistent plea that not an Advent season has passed since that I do not still hear her voice crying out that same message in my heart, soul, and mind.  That night, at that moment, she wasn’t concerned about any of the commercial trappings of Christmas, like Santa Claus or toys or flashy decorations.  Instead, she was focused only on the Baby Jesus.  

During this special season, with its often stressful, distracting demands on our time and finances, shouldn’t we remember to seek the Baby Jesus first, to reach out and touch Him in humility and love, knowing why He came here to Earth, to be our Savior?   

PRAYER:  Dearest Heavenly Father, thank you for the first—and best—Christmas gift of all.  Help us to remember your precious son Jesus, not only during Advent but always.  In His name we pray.  Amen.

The Holy Way - by Rev. Tom East

Read: Isaiah 35:1-10

“And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray” (Isa. 35:8)

Can you believe Christmas is almost here? Last weekend Pat and I went to the mall. While there I heard some young people walking around cheerfully chanting, “SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP! SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP!” I don't know what got into me, I guess it was the preacher in me. But all I could think of what about those who don't have the funds to shop....what about those who have lost a loved one and can't seem to get motivated to shop...what about those who have gone through a terrible divorce...what about the lonely residents in care home or those who are home bound?

“SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP!” Isn't something those who are in a wilderness want to hear. Some don't even want to get out of the house much less go to a mall and hear “SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP!” What they want to hear is, WHAT IS THE WAY OUT...how do I get out of this mess?

When one is in a wilderness time we can even feel abandoned by God.

For all those who are lonely, frustrated, anxious, and bewildered by the wildernesses in their lives, they don't want to hear “SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP!” But what they and us need to hear is:

GOD CHANGES THE WILDERNESS IN OUR LIVES BY REVEALING

HIS PRESENCE TO US ….AND BY CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE

THE WILDERNESS.

It is a pool of water in the desert; it is the blossom on the desert cactus; it is the way, the truth, and the life. It's what really makes it a Merry Christmas...NOT SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP.

For in Christ, we travel God's Holy Way through any wilderness journey! Christ has come! Christ is coming! Christ will come again!

Prayer: Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope which his presence will bestow, for he is Lord for ever and ever. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Mother Like Mary - by Heather Church

1 John 4:4  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

The world was taking her. Daughter was slipping through my fingers and I couldn’t hold on to her. She was funny and fearless. She flipped and she fiddled. But she lost herself and let it all go. Her fierce flame wasn’t burning like it used to. Daughter was removed and introverted. Her faith was questioned and broken.   I prayed. I stood bold. I cried in the night and loved hard in the day. Keep guiding her. Be her beacon. Be the wall she swims to and when she swims away still be the strong wall for when she decides to swim back. It will hurt and a mother’s heart will break. Look forward to the day she hugs you and mends your heart. I will overcome. We will overcome.  

Daughter began walking her new path that was revealed to her. She found art. She found music. She found a reason to go against the world and be her own beautiful true self. We shared devotionals. We shared prayers. We shared disappointments, anger, let downs, and tears.   Now, here we stand mother and daughter. Sharing a new love. Sharing a mended heart and hugs. Sharing a stronger faith and our true colors shining. The world did not win this time. A mother’s love for daughter won.   

Mother like Mary. Mary is a beautiful role model for mothers. Mary was humble, faithful, strong, and gave great love. What a gift from God to be a faithful, sacrificing mother. To give your best every day for your child. Mary has a lot to teach mothers as we reflect on her unshakable faith. Just like a braided cord, we weave three strands: 1 our child’s faith, our faith, and God’s love. The braided cord will not easily break.

Lost But Found - By Rev. Dr. Rick Brooks

Jesus told stories about what was once lost being found. Just check out the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, and his stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son/brother. In every case, whenever what was lost is found, it is cause for great celebration and rejoicing. This is the way of God’s kingdom, Jesus says. This is the way of God’s heart toward his wayward children.

When you think about it, most of the stories of the season that we love so much, A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life . . . and even The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, pick up on this theme of something lost or missing that is found. More often than not the thing “gone missing” is something in the heart that prevents the person (or Grinch) from seeing the miracle of life right before his eyes.

All of these stories seem to tell us: It isn’t necessary to lose something of value before we begin to value, appreciate, and even treasure it. And beginning to value the gift of  “ordinary life” right before us is the pathway to “being found” – that place where celebration and rejoicing are waiting to begin.

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes this day that I may see your fingerprints in everything and everyone around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Letting God Handle It - by John Bush

Deuteronomy 4:12 Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.

In late January of 2001 I tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. A week or so later as the physicians were putting me to sleep my heart quit. When I opened my eyes after this encounter, I was startled that a nurse was holding a respirator tightly over my mouth and the rest of the staff there in the operating room were all white as sheep and appeared to be very upset about something. It was then explained to me that as they were administering the anesthesia my heart had quit.

Three days later after extensive testing it was determined that there were no heart problems and the reason for my heart stopping was due to a slow heart rate, which I’ve had all my life. This was not adjusted when putting me to sleep. The surgery was then performed and all went well.

Fast forward four days, it’s Monday morning and my wife goes to work. I have not been by myself since the heart stopping and now here I am all alone. It hit me, what if my heart stops, what will happen; I could die all alone and no one would know. I couldn’t sit still, I was simply terrified and spent several hours going from inside the house to wandering around out in the yard.

On one of the trips inside the telephone rang. I answered and it was Linda, a devout Christian lady, that I worked with. She was calling to just to check on how I was doing.  I will never forget her response when I told her about my fear of being alone. It will be ok she said, stop and talk to God and let Him handle your fear.

I vividly remember after she hung up, I lay down on the couch and prayed to God to take away the fear and anxiety. And then it happened, an unseen voice but a voice as clear as it could be said “it’s o.k.” Instantly the fear and anxiety was gone. I had heard the voice of God telling me that “it’s o.k.”

Prayer: Father thank you for your understanding and guidance that you provide if only we ask.  Amen!

The Goodness of God - by Judy Brehm

Deuteronomy 1:31  Common English Bible

³¹ and as you saw him do in the desert. Throughout your entire journey, until you reached this very place, the Lord your God has carried you just as a parent carries a child.

We all know the poem, Footprints in the Sand, where a woman has a dream of walking on the beach with Jesus.  Then she notices that during the darkest times in her life there is only one set of footprints.  She asks, “How could you desert me at the times I needed you most?”  Our Lord responded, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” 

It really happened to me!  When my daughter was only 6 months old she was hospitalized for more than a month with life threatening illness.  We were a thousand miles from the nearest relative, we didn’t have a church, we had very little money.  I was with my sick child in the hospital 24 hours a day.  I was scared and lonely.  I didn’t know how I would make it.  It was only years later that I realized it was my dormant faith in the Goodness of God that got me through those times.   Realizing how important it had been me to have been brought up in the church is what brought me and my family to St Paul so that they might have the same benefits of knowing the Goodness of God.

The Serenity Prayer –  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. AMEN.

Thought for the day  –  “Keep trusting God. He will lead you in every step of the journey.”  ― Lailah Gifty Akita