Yep, I'm a day early and at least several dollars short after all the Christmas shopping, but I figured you'd all be having a busy, family-filled week so I'd get this out on Sunday. And, I'll keep it short so you have time to read it!
Just a reminder that there's a Christmas Eve service at church tomorrow night at 6 PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring your family and focus on the true meaning of Christmas before beginning the rest of your festivities.
Both Common Grounds and The Perk are on break until January 9th and 10th, respectively.
Please help me Undeck the Halls on Friday at 6 PM. This is our annual get-together when we take down all the beautiful Christmas decorations that have graced our sanctuary this month. We always enjoy some pizza and sodas as we're undecking, so I need to know if you'll be able to come so that I get enough Papa Murphy's. Bring $5 to pay for your dinner, and let me know you'll be there. I need at least five or six women to show up.
In closing, here's the article I wrote for the church newsletter this month, in case you didn't have a chance to read it:
Great Joy
“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 of great joy …’”
Imagine being one of those shepherds out in the fields in the dead of night, a blanket of darkness wrapped around you. Dying embers of the campfire act as a nightlight, emitting just enough illumination to find your pallet for some well-deserved rest. A quietness settles over the flock, with only an occasional “baa” or perhaps the distant yelp of a coyote breaking the silence. All is calm.
The shepherds have done this night after night, year after year. There’s no reason to expect this night to be anything different.
But different, it is! Whether they were dealing with insomnia or were deep in sleep, suddenly everything changed. A heavenly being, an angel sent directly from God, appears. One lone messenger from the Father, with words that would change their lives.
“Fear not” seems to be the first directive to humans who encounter an angel of the Lord. We read it time after time in the beginning of Luke: when the angel appears to Zechariah, to Mary, and now to these men who tend the flocks. When the words of the Lord are delivered to mere humans, there is a natural sense of fear. When divinity and humanity converge, we’re the ones to realize how unworthy we are. We’re fearful of what might happen next. But throughout both the Old and New Testament, God addresses our initial fear with His peace, saying, “It’s okay. There’s no need for you to be afraid.”
The angel gave the shepherds a Christmas gift when he said, “I bring you good news.” Isn’t that the kind of news we like to get? None of us volunteer to receive news that we have a life-threatening disease, or our relationships are disintegrating, or that we’re losing our jobs. No, we want good news, and that’s exactly what the angel delivered. And not only was it good, but it was joyful. In other words, this news he was about to share with them would make them be full of joy—so much so that they would run to see the source of it.
We all have times when we feel as if we’re living in the dark, unable to walk without running into things, our sense of direction all mixed up. Whether it’s caused by depression, unfulfilled dreams, or expectations that fall through, we can be overcome by the perception that our situation is hopeless—that nothing will ever change.
And yet, the word of God can come to us in power, revitalizing our life and giving us the knowledge that He is in control and our lives can be overflowing with joy. In our darkest moments, when we’ve all but given up, God’s light can burst through, His glory shine around us. He reassures us that no matter what is happening in our lives, we have no need to fear. He longs to be close to us, as He demonstrated by sending His Son, the Babe in the manger. The One who makes great joy possible!
Merry Christmas to each of you!
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
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