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The Day After

12/27/2021

4 Comments

 
Every year, I look forward to Christmas. I love the trees, the lights, visits with friends, and the cookies! I spend hours shopping for that perfect gift. Christmas movies, Christmas music, Christmas stories—I am a sucker for them all! I could list dozens of my favorite things for this time of year, but one thing I never seem to get giddy about is December 26th.
 
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Bonnie Piovesan
​Now, I do appreciate the day after Christmas. That is the day to play with toys, eat leftovers, cozy up with some cookies and milk and watch a movie. The wonder of the holiday season is already becoming fond memories to recount in years to come. The 26th is the beginning of the end of the festive days of cheer. But in reality, the day after Christmas marks a whole new kind of beginning.
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The day Jesus was born was the long-awaited fulfillment of a promise that God made to humanity to one day send someone to be our redeemer. The day after Jesus was born began the work of that long-awaited redeemer. Some may say that Jesus was only one day old and perhaps as a baby He just slept and ate. I agree. In order to redeem us fully, Jesus had to live like us. He had to be a helpless baby. There were no angels attending him, just a young mama and so He had to cry for His needs to be met. No longer seated with the Father, He had to be raised and taught by a humble carpenter daddy. Jesus our redeemer had chosen the confines of humanity, and He had to learn our ways so He could teach us His ways.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet He did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:15-16
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God knows our needs; He knows what we are facing because He has been here with us. The day after Christmas I imagine Mary and Joseph woke up and started the hard work of “What now?” They needed work, a trip to the market, and a hot meal. They had to find a home, the stable was temporary and only meant for one holy night. The shepherds were gone, the wise men were on their way, and Herod was blissfully unaware that the true King had come. Christmas day shifted the cosmos, the day-after shook our very understanding of how far God was willing to go to be our redeemer.

For centuries, people knew that God was sending a messiah king, but their understanding was a warrior king come to smite the enemy and raise up their nation in glory. Jesus came to understand us and to help us understand God as our Father.  Jesus had to come as a baby, be raised by an earthly father, learn our language, laugh at silly things, cry, dance, eat, drink, feel tired—all so He could communicate with us in terms we could understand.

The day after Christmas, Jesus simply woke up and got to work being a sweet baby. He did all of that so you and I could be called sons and daughters of the Most High. So although I love Christmas in all its joyous glory, I am so grateful for the day after when God chose to live among us and walk this earth to show us His deep love and care. As you settle into all of the days after Christmas, take some time to consider the many ways that God works to show you His love and perhaps how you can work with God to show others love.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Blessings,
Bonnie
4 Comments

Christmas Traditions

12/20/2021

1 Comment

 
Amidst this holiday season we have been able to get back to some of our old traditions! One of which is our Ornament Fundraiser to support camp scholarships. We sold 100 ornaments which were made and donated by the Everson family who own Custom Den. Because of your generous support, we raised $845 for scholarships. We were also finally able to bring back the beloved Christmas UnPageant to our live service.
Picture
Carley Walker
Thank-you to all the families who brought their children to participate! Another thank-you goes to our very own Brandie and Amber who took on the roles of Joseph and Mary. A huge thank-you to the amazing volunteer support we had; what a great team! Finally, I have to thank the members of the Children and Family Team who are incredibly supportive and truly have a heart for the kids of our church. 
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Of course, bringing back this tradition got me thinking about all of the other traditions we have surrounding Christmas. I have taken an excerpt from a blog written by Dr. John Barnett from crosswalk.com to share some of these 
ancient traditions, I hope you learn something new!
The Christian Meaning of Ancient Traditions:
  • December 25th was the Saturnalia Festival of emancipation, gift giving and the triumph of light after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in (Luke 1:78-79).
  • Evergreen Trees were the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles (Isaiah 60:13). 
  • Candles are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world (John 8). 
  • Holly speaks of the thorns in His crown (Matthew 27:29). 
  • Red is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ's blood and death. 
  • Gifts are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus. Each of them speak to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as God’s Perfect gift to us (Matthew 2). 
  • The Yule Log was a symbol by which all the men in the family would carry a log large enough to burn for 12 days into the house. They were identifying with Christ and His Cross. The fire was started with a fragment from the previous years [this refers to the eternal existence of Christ before His birth] log. It speaks of warmth, unity, joy and the security of endless life. 
  • Mistletoe was an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under Mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendship were restored.  So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us Peace with God (Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1). 
  • Bells are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all. 
  • Christmas Eve is a time when we remember that Christ came in the darkest night of Earth's need to be the Light of the World. 
  • Shepherds who were watching lambs for use as sacrifices in the Temple, were the first to hear the great news that the Lamb to end all sacrifices had appeared. 
  • Christmas Pie is an old tradition that uses a Mince pie with various spices to remember the spices of the Magi. For centuries it was made in a manger shape. 
Read the Full Article Here
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Carley
1 Comment

Finding Optimism

12/13/2021

2 Comments

 
Sometimes I’m a little pessimistic. Yet some people are optimists all the time! Take David for example. Saul’s army was stubbornly chasing David with one goal: removing his head. And David’s own son Absalom was hell-bent on capturing the throne from his father. Challenge after battle, after diversion, David couldn’t let his guard down for a minute! And yet, through all this trauma and subversion, David “rested in the Lord.” He “waited patiently for Him.” 
Picture
Kent Kimball
David wrote, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me.”

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David is my hero. He stood confidently against his enemies in the most dire of conditions. The Lord was his rock, his strength, and his light. He wrote, “Whom then should I fear?” He remained optimistic because he trusted in God.

This is food for thought for all Christians. Whom should we fear? As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We should all be optimists. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!”

Blessings,
Kent Kimball

2 Comments

The Legend of the Candy Cane

12/6/2021

4 Comments

 
The legend says that there was a time in Europe when any public display of Christianity was forbidden. No crosses or Bibles were allowed. One old man, a candy maker by profession, was very upset by this. He loved God and couldn’t stand to not share that love with others. He prayed for God to show him some way to make Christmas gifts for the children which would teach them the story of Christ.
Picture
Chris Gray
His answer, the candy cane. The candy cane was in the shape of a shepherd’s staff to show them that Jesus is our Shepherd and we are His flock. Upside down the candy cane was a “J”, the first letter of Jesus’ name. It was made of hard candy to remind us that Christ is the rock of our salvation. The wide red stripes on the candy cane were to represent the blood He shed on the cross for each one of us so that we can have eternal life through Him. The three narrow stripes on the candy canes symbolized that by His stripes, or wounds, we are healed.

The flavoring in the candy cane is peppermint, which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is of the mint family and was used in Old Testament times for purification and sacrifice just as Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. The old candy maker told the children that when we break our candy cane it reminds us that Jesus’ body was broken for us. If we share our candy cane and give some to someone else in love, it represents the love of Jesus. God gave Himself to us when He sent Jesus. He loved us so much He wants us to spend eternity with Him!

Legend is an old English word meaning “probably not true” and although we may never know if this legend is really true, the beauty of the legend is such a reminder of God’s eternal love for us all!

My Christmas wish is that God grant us all the light of Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ.

Blessings,
Chris
4 Comments

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  • Home
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    • Connect >
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  • Sundays
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