I remember years ago.. Christmases when the children were young. So much eager anticipation…so much excitement in the waiting…so much preparation. There was the pageant, which we still have today, with all of the costumes and music and birthday cupcakes that went with that special Christmas Eve service. My children are all grown and have moved away. It’s different now.. preparing for Christmas….but the sweet memories I keep in my heart often come back to me with thoughts of all we learned through the stories and especially the music at Christmas time.
“Born below for the grace of God to show…His eyes would always see a person’s secret needs…He alone can understand how we need him as a friend.” A song written especially for children. Funny, though, It still touches me every time I play it. Sometimes I wonder if my kids remember it?
I don’t know about you, but with all that is happening in the world today and especially on the home front here in our country it is very easy to become overwhelmed, confused and exhausted. Trying to figure out what’s really happening, who to believe, what may happen next, and just where we are all headed can leave us reeling and anywhere from feeling out of sorts, to hopeless and cynical or even worse.
So what do we do? How do we start to regain a sense of balance ..grounding.. stability??
We can start just like we always did even from our earliest days in Sunday School. We can, with childlike trust, look to our Rock, our Foundation, the true source of our inmost calm. Go back to the greatest truths – those simple enough for children to understand. God loves us. He sent Jesus to tell us that and to show us the way to that truth. What we need to turn to over and over is Jesus great love for us and his command that we love one another. Can you imagine if big business, big money interests and the government actually worked this way?
What Jesus taught – over and over- are two simple truths; The fatherhood of God as the Creator of all AND the brotherhood of all mankind. That means each and everyone of us! We are all part of this brotherhood and sisterhood – not just the special people, not just the rich and famous ones, not just the popular or attractive ones – EVERYBODY! In God’s eyes we each count – we each have equal worth – we are each loved and cherished by God. What follows then, no matter what we call ourselves or what religious or political, racial, financial or other orientation you come from, … what follows then is to obey Jesus’ command that we love one another as He has loved each one of us.
The Deacons at our Church have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for their Ministries. We thank you all for caring. We ask you to keep caring and demonstrating your love by making donations to our Deacons’ Fund. We count on your money. We need your support. Our community needs your support. We can’t do it without you. Please use the offering envelope in your offering box, our on-line giving, or just a plain envelope marked “Deacons Fund” to make your gift and help us out. Our church is a beacon of light in a sometimes dark and confused world. Our Love for God and all of his Children shines brightly and is like an enormous lighthouse shining and lighting the way for others to come and find that they, too, are part of God’s family and worthy of His love.
In addition, remember that every donation you make to the Food Pantry is matched dollar for dollars with funds from the “Matching Grant.” We all helped make our goal of $10,000.00 for this year by making our contributions that were matched again by the Grant. Start now and help us to make that goal again for the coming year! There are beautiful greeting cards, made by our very own Lisa Flanagan, that are for sale in the Greeting space each Sunday. You can buy any number of these cards and send them to loved ones and friends this Christmas to let them know you have made a donation to the Food Pantry in their honor. Join us… join Jesus in “living below for the grace of God to show.”
May God’s love and Peace bless you now and into this New Year – 2018!! Amen & Amen
Carol Thorne-Gaetani, for the Deacons