“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10b-11
Today is the first day of winter and it’s cold and rainy – a typical Georgia winter! I’ve heard it said before that Christmas in Georgia is everything but white. Oh well, we can dream of a white Christmas. Still, it’s the most wonderful time of the year… For me, Christmas is one of the best times of the year. I love getting together with family and eating, and swapping gifts and eating, and driving around at night looking at lights and eating… well, you get the idea.
We all have things that we do this time of year but if you’re like me, they are divided into segments. Family stuff, personal stuff, church stuff – all about Christmas but somehow not connected. Even the movies and stories we hear are divided between the sacred and the secular. From all of the old classic movies to the weird animation Rankin-Bass videos (Frosty and Rudolph) and especially the Charlie Brown Christmas, where Linus reads out the Christmas story – they still make me feel emotional and nostalgic.
I think of the Biblical Christmas stories. How the angel spoke to Mary and Joseph and Simeone then to the shepherds, how the birth of Christ was prophesized over 700 years before He was born. I really love this time of year. This week I want to look at how Matthew begins the Christmas story and see how it connects all the way through to today. I think you may be surprised.
Our Christmas Eve services will be Sunday, December 24, at 11:00 am and then a special service of carols, communion and candles at 6:00 pm. I invite you to take time out from the busy-ness of this season and join us for these services. As we celebrate His coming into history, we can reflect on His coming into our lives.