Monday, December 1, 2008

Free Grace - all year 'round

Just this weekend, people lined up at 4am to begin the frenzy of Christmas shopping. The excitement of getting a bargain ended in tragedy, as the shoppers stampeded the store and trampled to death a young man who was hired just for the holiday season. When I heard this news, it made me even more aware that the world needs to know the meaning of Christmas. The real meaning. That God's free grace is available all year round. The Christmas Spirit is not the frenzy of purchasing something at a discount – but is about sharing in what has been given to us freely in the birth of his Son: the grace of God with us.

This December, I invite you to come to the Lusby Giant CafĂ© for a special discussion about The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren. This is a chance to welcome a stranger into the grace of God’s love at Christmas. Also, I invite you to consider serving “the least” through one of the opportunities of our church, listed below.
Homemade Christmas Stocking Stuffers One of our Wednesday Crafty Ladies has made Christmas stockings that are to be given to folks in nursing centers. We invite you to fill these with items such as hand lotion, word searches, pens, paper, or such items. Maybe you would like to purchase items to fill the stockings or be a part of the delivering them with Pastor Faith? Stockings will be completed after December 21. Delivery date not yet se. See Pastor Faith for details.
Adopt-a-Family Christmas Gifts Purchase an item for children through the “giving tree” which is in the church hall. Take an ornament from the tree with instructions on ages, etc.
I invite you to pick something that can be your “worship, your “gift” to the Christ child. Jesus promises that when you do these things for “the least”, he is made manifest in that moment.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree completly. And having close family in retail it is very scary for them. I was telling my best friend that christians should just not buy gifts anymore. It seems the only way we will truely get to experence the reason fo the season. If feels like we give into pressures from family & society to have a bigger & busier Christmas each year. Yet we are not happy. When will we learn that stuff does not make us happy. Happiness comes from the true gift of Christmas. Jesus!

Anonymous said...

someone died because of the madness of the christmas?? that is going way too far!! i can't belive people forget about what is really important in the christmas season. that's rediculous. i thing the best gift you could give in the holiday season is the gift of love and doing the amazing works that god wants us to do.