Merry Christmas (week) to all of you! We had a great game day Saturday! The holiday excitement that I hear teachers speak about was evident, which was great! Lots of smiles and hugs! I hope you all saw on our Recreation Ministry site where our Cheerleaders, as their Team Service Project, went and entertained the residents at a local assisted living facility. I was at home in my usual position in my recliner and seeing that post made me smile for a while. God is good, and so are the acts of his people when they serve Him!
Sunday our Senior Pastor, Dr. Couch, preached about the first announcement of “the Good News”, the words and song of the angels, which came to shepherds in the fields who were at work caring for their sheep. He reminded us that King David had been a shepherd. We read in Psalm 23 that “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” It was interesting how he brought all of this together as told in the Christmas story in Luke 2. My favorite part of Luke’s description of the night’s activities are often overlooked. In Chapter 2, verses 15 – 18 we read, “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” You see, when they heard the “Good News” they didn’t sit around and discuss “how cool” it was…they went and saw, and then spread the word. The angels had announced that the good news was to “be for all the people”, much like Jesus’ command later in Matthew 28 where He said to “…make disciples of all the nations…” .
There are so many opportunities we have during this season to celebrate love and family, parties, moving and entertaining tv specials, as well as church programs which remind us of the Holy reason for the holiday and we need to take in as many of them as we can. But here I want to encourage you…no, challenge you, to insert words of “the good news” when you greet loved ones or even strangers, when you thank your waiter or the person at the cash register, and when you leave anonymous gifts for postal workers, first responders, or co-workers. Say “Jesus is born!”, or “Praise God”, or something to promote the reason for the season. Jesus, God incarnate, is the reason we celebrate. Santa promotes the spirit of giving and we must give, serve, love, and praise in remembrance of God’s gift to us when Jesus was born and, also, for God’s gifts to us each day. Love your family, friends, and everyone you see with the love that God instructs us to give. Shine the light that He shines through us.
Have a great Christmas and I’ll see you all next week!
In His Service,
Steve Ellisor, Recreation Minister
Christ United Methodist Church
251-706-3326
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:6