Among our first gifts as a married couple, Parrish and I received a boxed
set of Bob Dylan’s greatest hits and a set of kitchen pots and pans. We
listened to the music right away, and loved it. The pots and pans we put
away for a couple of months. Over time, the Dylan hits were put on the
shelf. We have been using the pots and pans almost every day for 19 years.
The best gifts are those that feed us -- physically, spiritually,
mentally. As you get older, it becomes even more fun to give presents. The
anticipation of how someone will react is delightful. And you know,
sometimes someone may not understand just how important a gift is at the
time, but that the day will come when they will finally understand. And
their understanding will be filled with gratitude.
Our faith in Christ is a gift. It is a gift we have been given. It
sustains us -- explicitly and implicitly, consciously and unconsciously --
every day of our lives. Discovering the gift of just how much God loves us,
and how much hope is possible, is a gift whose meaning goes beyond our power
to express it.
You now have that power to share that gift. Invite someone to one of our
marvelous advent services. Especially share with them the gift of worship on
Christmas Eve. They may simply like it at the time. Months or years later,
they will see just what a profound gift they have received. And they, like
we, will be grateful.
Merry Christmas!
Andrew L. McDonald, Pastor
