Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash
Dear Fellow Saints,
The end of our Advent journey is near. If I was on a car trip to visit relatives in Michigan, I’d be turning on to SR-52. I’d see the sign, “Manchester 5 miles.” Almost there. Almost to my cousin’s house … and the warm embraces. I’ve passed many signs … the PA and Ohio Turnpikes … construction zones … and the Michigan State Line. Almost there. But I’ve got a couple miles remaining …
The end of our Advent journey is in sight. We’ve passed mileposts along the way … Hope … Peace … and Joy. Today we light the final candle, the “Love Candle.” This week I read a devotion from Rev. Bill Harmon, a pastor in Williamsburg VA. He recalled his boyhood experience with Advent. He grew more excited each Sunday as the candles on the Advent Wreath were lit. Like many, his excitement grew in part because of the spiritual journey he was on; but truth be told … mostly because with each newly lit candle, he knew Christmas Day and the gifts he was to receive were that much closer.
Rev. Harmon admitted his youthful excitement may have diverted his attention off the deeper meaning of Christmas. To be sure, it’s truly good this time of year to be excited about not only the gifts we’ll receive on Christmas Day, but also the many gifts we’ve received throughout the year. These gifts are signs of the love from those around us. For some expressing love with words is hard … so they might express love through actions … like giving a gift. Each gift we receive, no matter how small or large, can be thought of as an expression of love. Some also find it hard to express thanks and gratitude with words. But using the gifts received, treating them well … these actions express thanks.
The toys, clothes, gift cards, noodlecraft art, and homemade fruitcake all express love from those around us. But they don’t compare to the ultimate expression of love we celebrate each Christmas. The baby, Jesus Christ, wrapped in His Bethlehem manger is the ultimate expression of our Father’s love for us. However, like any gift, if it remains wrapped up and doesn’t fulfill its purpose, it’s worthless. Jesus unwrapped and used Himself for us. He showed His love for us by living His life to perfection, dying on the Cross for our sins, and rising to new life on Easter Sunday.
Our Father’s given us His gift of love … forgiving our sins, defeating the power of death over us … and waits to embrace us when He brings us into eternal life in Him. We thank Him by using this and all the gifts He’s given us to show His love to the world around us. Through our love for others, in words and actions, we also thank God for His love for us. And … through us, God gives His love all who haven’t received His love and His warm, eternal embrace.
I pray you find time in these last days of Advent to remember the gift of God’s love we’ve already received and thank Him for the hope, peace, joy, and love we have in Him through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Jim