December is the month of holy days, family gatherings, wonderful food, busily doing last minute shopping, and most of all, gathering with the Family of Faith to worship the Newborn King.It is a time to reach out to those who are ill, those who are alone, those who are hurting, those who need to hear again the source of joy in all the world.

Yet, in the midst of all the joyous celebration, there is also a strain of sadness as our memories and expectations never quite equal the reality of the day. While we are joyful on the outside, many of us experience deep depression on the inside. And, while we are surrounded by more people than at any other time, we are also somehow very lonely, missing what was and realizing that times do change.

Just when these contrasting thoughts are going through my mind, it comes time to prepare services and messages for the season. Going through natural disasters like hurricanes, political strife,sicknessand disease, and just getting a year older, I need to be reminded of the source of true joy and the only reason for a true celebration.

Think of what the world was like before Jesus was born. It was a world of extreme poverty and extreme wealth, a world of war and peace, a world of splendor and a world of suffering, a world of unbelief and a glimmer of faith and hope.Note how it is not that unlike the world we live in today. 

Why was it that the birth of the Savior was a threat to many such as Herod and such a welcome message to the shepherds and the wise men? Why is it today that many try to suppress the fact that the Savior of the world was born in Bethlehem and some find the greatest of joys that give meaning to life?

As we make our Christmas 2022 plans, remember to keep in mind the words found in Luke 2:15 –

“Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.”

Pastor Don Treglown