Welcome
AFTER CHRISTMAS?
I love the Advent and Christmas Season. Thank goodness we have the Advent part to help us prepare for what comes next. In our busy lives preparing for parties, families, gifts, and food we suddenly find ourselves at Christmas Eve realizing that Jesus comes no matter our level of preparation. How wonderful it is to see our sanctuary full with family, friends, and strangers all worshiping together making the last preparations in our heart for when the candles are lit, Silent Night is sung, and we raise those candles stating and celebrating that our Lord and Savior has come for us. Now we can turn our attention back to the celebration, the gifts, and the food.
Twelve days later is the celebration I really like. Epiphany comes and once it is over the decorations can come down. Our churches can return to normal and our homes can be reclaimed and re-cleaned for our regular daily life. The stores never wait this long to move past the Christmas celebration and we almost miss Epiphany if we are not careful. The coming of the Wise Men, the Magi, and Princes from the East coming to find the one the star has led them to. The Magi come following a star and come to worship the one they have heard a bit about and come to bow before bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These wise men come to celebrate a baby born into royalty and provide too for this little one’s impending death even at such a tender age. What do these princes know that we so often miss in our traditional celebration?
Certainly our story turns toward Easter once Christmas is complete, but there is more here than that. In our story of newness and hope those gathering and recognizing the baby Jesus don’t all belong as the story might have us believe. The Wise Men are foreigners who have traveled great distance and argued with national leaders to get to the child, and they are welcomed. In our celebration this year have we been keeping our eyes open for the stranger and the one this baby would want us to welcome in? Did we only look for those who would be comfortable in our homes and church or did we by chance reach out and welcome one who might normally belong in this celebration? From the very beginning Jesus opened the message of hope and grace and mercy to all. It was not just the Jews who found him, actually they were not looking for him much at all. It was the shepherds who did not have time or clothing to attend church and the Wise Men who came with great intent who found the babe lying in the manger, an animal feeding box.
I am betting you have already thought of who belonged and need to be welcomed into the story this year. It’s not too late. It’s never too late. The Christ Child has come. We have a wonderful story for the world around us. We have great things to show others who do not know and understand this story. Don’t rush to clean up. Celebrate! Remember our closing song each Christmas Eve is Joy to the World! I bet that tune and those words would be well received in a world full of doubt, hurt, concern, and pain.
Hope to you, Peace to you, Joy to you, Love to you, Christ to you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Epiphany!
Pastor Craig
9:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Fellowship
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Children's Sunday School will meet in the Red Room after the Time with Young Disciples portion of Worship, through the end of each service.
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
9:00am - 12:30pm
Follow Us on: 
Send a Prayer Request.
Our monthly newsletter, the PresCryterian.