And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).
Dear Evergreen family, Christmas is all about joy making its way into the world. Christmas is squarely focused on elation. So, why is it that the season can make us so sad? It can make us so sad because those we’ve shared that joy with are no longer with us. It can make us so sad because when our lived reality fails to match the expectations of the promise of Christmas, the contrast between the two can hurt. It takes a great deal of faith (but maybe that’s the point of the exercise of Christmas) to believe in the joy when the reasons for the joy seem so far away. Christmas can be great. Christmas is great. At the same time, it has the potential to make us very blue. If you are hurting this Christmas, or know someone who is, join us this Sunday after the 10:00 a.m. service. At 11:15, we’ll gather in one of the classrooms to talk, share, and pray. The only agenda is to give us a space to express what’s bringing us down, surrounded by a few people who care about us. We’ll listen to one another. We’ll pray. We’ll hear a few words from scripture that affirm us where we are but hold out a greater hope. Christmas does hold out a greater hope. Christmas is not a maybe. It’s a sure thing. It’s just that the night before the dawn can be long. Christ is coming. Thanks be to God. May God bless us all. Your Fellow Minister in Christ,
Mark
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