The Joy of Christmas

This is an exciting week. I love the energy we have at church. Everyone on staff is brainstorming new ideas for all the services coming up, and there is Spirit of Joy that surrounds this time of Christmas. It's hard to put all the excitement into words, but I am certainly feeling the wonder of the season. 

In my home, my kids are counting down the days. Christmas break has started and my boys are running around with so much energy that I'll be surprised if we have much a house left by the end of their break. They have a lot of energy, and they can't wait to open presents. However, they are also are drawn into the mystery of it all. They are delighted by the magic of Santa Claus, and they are also asking more about the Christmas story. "Where did all of this come from?" There is a mystery to this story that began with Mary and Joseph so long ago. Mary started the journey believing she knew how her life was going to look. She was an ordinary peasant girl. She thought she understood everything she needed to know about religion. She believed God was far away, and God would only show up for a priest in the temple. However, through all of this, God comes to her. God becomes present in her life, and God completely changed her perspective of faith. Instead of being far away, God came to her. Love came to her. Divine Love came into the world to transform everything.

There are so many aspects of faith that I try to understand. Sometimes I pride myself in thinking I have it all figured out. I want to understand where my life is going. I want to understand religion. I want to understand everything. However, my children are focused on the mystery. They are open to beauty of the season and they are excited to see where all of this goes. 

I wonder what would happen if we opened our hearts to this kind of childlike faith. What would happen if we had the faith of Mary. What if we said, "Yes" to God's Love. Perhaps we could open ourselves to the exciting new opportunities of Grace that exist everyday.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Advent Joy

Are you ready for Christmas?

The Bible speaks of the importance of preparing ourselves for the coming of a King. Jesus showed up in the world two thousand years ago, but most of the people at the time were too busy to notice. They were too preoccupied with important decrees from the Emperor, new taxes they had to pay, and the daily frustrations of life. There were so many things demanding their attention that very few of them noticed a young family and their new baby being born in a manger.

Do you think you would notice the coming of a Savior? 

I have come to expect influential people to arrive with all kinds of pomp and circumstance. However, Jesus came into this would with the deepest humility. Today the Good News is that God is still with us. Christ is here. However, we may still find ourselves busy with other things. At Community Lutheran Church we are celebrating the season of Advent by taking a deeper look at our To-Do lists. Many of us have lists a mile long of things we feel like we need to get done. However, we are looking at what really matters this season. Are you so caught up in decorating and buying presents that you have forgotten to take a breath and remember the true meaning of it all?

This week we are remembering that God created us to be the light. We are commissioned by Jesus to share God's Hope and Love with others. This is incredible news. A week ago when I was setting up the Christmas lights on our house, I found myself getting into the spirit. However, I really felt the light when my kids came out and helped me hang the lights. The awe and wonder they shared inspired me. Today I hope you can all find that God's Light is shining on you. I hope you can feel God's Grace, and I hope you can share a bit of this love with others.

Blessings!

Brian Ward