"Do Not Be Afraid"

 As we approach Christmas Day and the New Year, there exists an underlying environment of tension, uneasiness, and a feeling of anxiety among many people. Christmas has been heralded as a time of joy and certainly there is much to celebrate, yet there are some real life challenges that many people are facing. Prices on goods are higher and some people are barely making ends meet. Others have lost jobs and are struggling to find employment. Still others have experienced a life changing situation that has resulted in great sadness and distress, like the loss of a loved one or an unexpected diagnosis. While this year has brought many changes to our country and our world that have negatively impacted many people, there remains the desire and the hope that as the calendar flips to 2026 that things can only get better. However, many express fear that not much will change in the New Year and there's the real possibility that things will only get worse. In the gospel of Luke, we read about a group of people who didn't have much to look forward to in any given year. They were considered the lowest of the low in society. This was a class of people with whom one did not want to keep company. They hung around with animals and didn't smell very nice. Luke talks about these people in chapter 2 of his gospel, "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." (Luke 2:8-10 NIV)

FROM SHEPHERDS TO EVANGELISTS

 Can you imagine what these shepherds were thinking and feeling? They knew they were considered outcasts in society and perhaps the appearance of the angel indicated some kind of judgment against them. Why else would an angel appear to them, a group of nobodies? Their reaction, rightly so was one of terror. However, the angel quickly calms their fears and tells them he has come not to judge them but to encourage them, to lift their spirits, and give them a reason to rejoice beyond their wildest imaginations. Notice the angel specifies that this is a message for them and they are included among all people. There is no exclusivity or separation by class, ethnicity, or profession. The angel of the Lord in essence is communicating to these shepherds that they are of such worth to God, that they have been chosen to be among the first to receive the good news. Luke goes on to tell us that the shepherds didn't hesitate to go and seek out the special baby the angels declared had been born in Bethlehem. They didn't wait and discuss what others will think or will they be rejected by Mary and Joseph when they arrived because they were considered unworthy to be in the presence of Christ. When they arrived and saw the child, they knew that they were no longer mere shepherds but heralds of the good news. In essence they were the first "evangelists." In fact, Luke tells us in verse 2:19 that rather than reject the news from the shepherds, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (NIV) Imagine that! Mary treasuring the words of shepherds! These men who scraped out an existence tending to sheep, these men who couldn't look forward to having a large circle of friends with whom to spend time, these men who lived an isolated existence with little to hope for in the future, were given a hope far beyond wishful thinking. 

HOPE IS ALIVE!

That hope that the angel announced to the shepherds was for all people is the same hope today for all people. Yes, there are plenty of struggles and heartache to go around but we need to hear the angel's declaration again, "Do not be afraid!" Believers in Christ can embrace the reality that no matter what happens in any given year, the good news that Christ came to earth to live among us, die for us, and be raised to life again is a hope that nothing on earth will ever take away. So, I encourage you at Christmas and in the New Year, fear not! Take a cue from the shepherds and spread the good news that our King has come and will one day return for those expectantly waiting for Him. Moreover, like Mary, take the time in the New Year to treasure up all these things and ponder them in your heart.

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Pastor Sheree

What's On Your Christmas List?

Prior to starting my work day, I like to get up early and exercise. I have equipment in my basement and a CD player where I listen to music while exercising. Since it is the Christmas season, I have been listening to some of my favorite contemporary Christian artists. One of my favorite artists is Amy Grant. She recorded a song many years ago that is still played during the Christmas season. It's entitled, "My Grown Up Christmas List." In the song she contrasts how the things she longed for on her Christmas list as a child changed dramatically as an adult. The refrain states, "No more lives torn apart, That wars would never start, And time would heal all hearts. And everyone would have a friend, And right would always win, And love would never end, This is my grown up Christmas list." Doesn't this refrain echo the feelings of so many of us in this world filled with chaos, hatred, wars, and destruction? In fact the sentiments in the refrain of this song can be repeated year after year. Is there any hope that these song lyrics will ever come true? The answer is a resounding YES! 

JESUS IS THE ANSWER

This reality came true in the birth of the One we celebrate this Christmas season. God sent His Son into the world as the gift of hope for a world in darkness. Jesus' birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection brought purpose to life in the midst of a fallen world and eternal life for all who are committed to follow after Him. In Revelation 21:1-5, God provides an answer to the refrain of the song. "Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." While this vision that John experiences speaks of what is yet to come when Christ finally returns the second time as reigning and conquering King, the Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Christ the first time in Messianic passages such as Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; and Isaiah 11:1-6. Many of the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah were prophesying to the people at a time of great turmoil when it appeared there was no hope. I have no doubt the people at that time could empathize with the refrain of Amy Grant's song. In the New Testament we read about the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies in Christ. 

TRUE HOPE

 So what's on your grown up Christmas list? Does your heart's desire echo the refrain of the song? Do you grow weary in hoping that things will get better with each Christmas and New Year? Do you live a life filled with purpose and hope? It is possible and the words Amy Grant sings in her refrain are made real in Jesus Christ. That is the reason we celebrate Christmas. For our hope does not lie in what this world has to offer but in the One who is the hope of the world! "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV) 

Have a blessed Christmas!

Pastor Sheree

A "Captive" Audience

 The corona virus pandemic has certainly held the world hostage in 2020. Some may even say the virus has held us captive for a year. The after effects of being held in captivity can be devastating. The emotional and psychological damage can leave some people struggling to put their lives back together. Those who are resilient can move on with their lives while sadly others can feel there's no longer any reason to live and choose to end their lives. The Israelites knew what it felt like to live in captivity. For over 400 years, they were enslaved by the Egyptians until God sent them a deliverer in Moses. (Exodus 3) However, throughout the Old Testament, the Israelite people continued to experience various seasons of captivity related to their ongoing disobedience to God. At one point in time they were sent into exile under the Babylonians as a result of their failure to follow and worship the one true God.(Jeremiah 52) In Jesus day, the Israelites once again found themselves under oppression and captivity, this time from the Roman government. However, they had received deliverance by the hand of God many times in the past from their oppressors. Moreover, the Israelites had also been promised that one greater than Moses would one day overthrow their enemies once and for all. "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9 NIV)

"Holy Captivity"

 Ironically, the Christmas story is a story of captivity. The Son of God left eternity and became captive in time. He gave up the glories of heaven and became captive in a human body. He lived among His people and became captive to their suffering. He was nailed to a cross and became a captive of the sins of the world to save us. The world today remains captive to sin and its negative influence on our lives. However, the Christmas story continues to remind us that we don't have to remain prisoners to sin. "But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship...So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 4:4,7 NIV) So in essence we have become a "captive" audience. However, our captivity is not that which restricts us and holds us hostage but rather we have become captive to the awe and wonder of the greatest gift we could receive, a baby born into our world to save us from our sins. I encourage you this Christmas not to be a hopeless prisoner to a pandemic but a captive to hope. For hope has a name--Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Sheree 

One Special Moment

The hymn "Silent Night" is a popular favorite among the traditional Christmas songs. It conveys a sense of a peaceful and calm environment during the time of Jesus' birth. However, few people realize that when Mary and Joseph arrived, Bethlehem was a hub of activity. Many others had arrived before them to fulfill the decree issued that required taxes to be paid in Caesar's census. (Luke 2:1-3) The population of Bethlehem swelled with visitors. Beggars cried out in the streets seeking alms. The moneychangers were furiously converting money to the coins of the day. (i.e. shekels, denarius) The marketplace was bustling with activity as bakers sold fresh baked bread and sellers of brass peddled their wares. Regardless of the many goods up for sale, visitors needed to be mindful to save enough money to pay the tax collectors. Yet, despite all the chaos in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were able to focus in on one special moment, the birth of Jesus. Even after the shepherds found Mary, Joseph, and the baby in Bethlehem and no doubt shared with them the angelic announcement they had experienced, we are told "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) 

One Special Gift

The activity in Bethlehem is not unlike our experiences during the Christmas season. There are very few other times during the year when marketplace activity is at a fever pitch. While some are trying to seek the peace and joy associated with Christmas, that which they seek is often overshadowed with the frenetic hustle and bustle of shoppers exchanging money both paper and plastic to get that "perfect gift." Shoppers also need to be mindful of their overspending lest they fall short of paying that credit card bill when it comes due. As Christmas becomes more and more commercialized, the challenge is even greater to find one special moment to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and like Mary, ponder all these things in our hearts.  Let us take to heart Jesus words from the gospel of Matthew, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) May we all take the time this Christmas to stop and focus our hearts and minds on the only gift that really makes a difference in our lives not just on one day but throughout the whole year. Moreover, let us remember it is a gift that comes from the hands of Almighty God and it is one that will never wear out, perish, or fade because it is eternal. 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Pastor Sheree