A Christmas Message

Rev. Jean Brown | Dec 21, 2016

In this Christmas season our United Churches of Sharbot Lake and Parham and our area amalgamated churches (Zealand, Oso, Maberly, Oconto, Tichborne, Wagarville, Long Lake ) offer Christmas greetings and hopes that the light and peace of the One born be present to us and guide our Christmas. We spend a lot of fabulous time and effort “getting ready” for Christmas and it’s all ever so much fun as we prepare our hearts and minds and get organized. As a child I recall preparing by anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Eaton's catalogue and when it came we would begin to make out lists of the items we wanted. In fact I learned to read by perusing the Eaton's catalogue. I'm embarrassed to say we would even write down the page number and the item number and long for that gift. My Mom would get so annoyed with us and remind us of the spiritual aspects of Christmas. Thankfully she persevered and we finally caught on. As children we thought that Christmas was about the gifts we would receive, however we finally learned that it’s not our birthday- it’s not about the gifts that we receive, rather it’s about the spiritual gifts of Christmas and the re-birth of the Christ child in our hearts. Somehow we have blown Christmas out of proportion by continuing to disregard the true religious meaning of the event- the two frightened ill-prepared young folks responding to God and taking on a huge assignment. Somehow we have concentrated on the gifts of the wise men and in giving gifts rather than responding to the willingness of the wise men to follow a star and to set out on an unexpected journey into the unknown- not always knowing where they were headed, but knowing that God would guide them onward. Somehow we have forgotten that the Holy Child was born in a simple manger- with no decorations, lights, tinsel or comforts, and instead we have filled up our empty spaces with excess rather than with our God.

So in this Christmas and new year- may we like the Holy family be willing and prepared to trust in God for whatever the future holds or brings. May we lead with our vulnerabilities and offer our uncertainties to God. May our list of things to prepare diminish, and may our faith increase and may God bless us all in this effort.  "Merry Christmas".