Just the other day I picked up an advertisement and began thumbing through the pages. The pictures were enticing and the prices were “great deals” and before long I found myself saying, “I could use that.” “It would be nice to have that,” and “I need that.” The pull of the holiday season is upon us and whether it is an ad that comes in the mail or a commercial on TV we can easily fall to the temptation spending more, wanting more, and making Christmas something it was never intended to be, namely a birthday celebrating ourselves. Throughout this Advent season I want to challenge us to begin thinking about what Christmas was really all about: the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us! Christmas is Not Our Birthday. And I wonder if we could start thinking about the way we celebrate Christmas or even buy gifts at Christmas with the mindset that Christmas is not our Birthday. With buying stuff: let’s say you spend $200 on your family, why not spend $200 on someone who goes without. At Church we have numerous opprotunities to do just that, from the Angel Tree, the Giving Tree, and the Hums Tree. If you aren’t the shopping type, just write a check and put in the memo line “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday.” Half of what you give will go to help people directly here in Delhi and the other half to our neighbors in Pricehill.
But Celebrating Christmas is not only about how we spend our money, it’s also about how we spend our time. This Advent and Christmas season, I want to challenge you and I want to challenge me to relax, to enjoy your family, to talk with friends, to make this Advent and Christmas season the most transformational yet! Whatever you do, enjoy this Advent and Christmas Season, because it really is the season that celebrates God’s plan to change the world!
Pastor Rachel
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