Good
Morning and Merry Christmas to All,
Luke 2:14; “Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!”
Merry Christmas! It is such a common phrase. We may use it without thinking. We wish someone Merry Christmas and walk away
with a smug smile on our face. None of
that “Happy holidays” nonsense; it is Christmas so we say Merry Christmas. The season of Christmas is so full of
emotions for many people; what if you don’t feel very jolly, or happy, or
merry; then what?
First we want to look at the word
“merry”. While most of us think of merry
as a jovial and jocular experience, it really is more closely to being
“peaceful”. To offer someone a “Merry
Christmas” means to bless them with God’s peace. There are many who, this day, don’t feel very
happy or jovial. The young wife whose
husband just left for the fourth tour in Afghanistan doesn’t feel happy. The person who just buried a spouse or a
parent or a child isn’t jolly. The
person who is struggling with health issues and looking at losing some of their
independence doesn’t feel jovial. The
person whose marriage or family has been broken is not that cheerful. The person whose job is either going or gone
and is barely scraping by doesn’t see the pat on the head and a “Merry
Christmas” as doing much to put food on the table.
If you are one of these people or know
someone who is; I want to truly wish you a “Merry Christmas!” May you know God’s peace. You may not feel it; you may think that you
are all alone in this world surrounded by joy.
You are not alone; God has not abandoned you. The birth of a Savior whose death and
resurrection frees you from the pain of sin and the sting of death shows God
has never abandoned you. You are his
precious child and he sends his Spirit to comfort you and to console you and to
give you hope. I pray that you will have
peace within your family and with your friends.
So that God may use them to be part of your healing and comfort. While you may not know a lot of joy this
season, may you know the true comfort of God our Father and may you have peace.
If you know someone who fits one or more of
these descriptions or similar ones, be open to God using you to bring his
comfort and peace to these people. God
has called us to be his people. He has
told us that they will know we are his disciples by how we love one another. So visit a neighbor who is in pain; offer a
ride or shovel a sidewalk or feed them a meal.
Do not let them live alone; be God’s hands and shoulders; be his ears
and his arms. Show to them the love of
Christ which is revealed to us this day in the city of David. Be God’s instruments of peace in the lives of
your family, of your neighborhood and within your larger community. Merry Christmas to All!!
Father of all peace, you came to us in the person of Jesus to show that
there is peace from you to us. We ask
that you be with those who do not know of your peace or do not feel it at this
time. Guard and protect them as they
struggle with their battles. Move us, to
be your agents of peace. Cause us to
live as your people. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen
God’s Peace
Pastor Bret
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