Here we are, officially in the holiday season. We cannot escape the rapid forward progress of time. We have kept the secular and commercial at arm’s length, but it is inevitable that our religious and sacred is able to haul it back so that the team is once again in tandem. We enter this holiest of seasons with the world acting as far less than holy. Wars, shootings and cynicism grab the attention of the news media, which then spins it in order to spin us up. Our mood of eager anticipation for the gladsome tidings from Bethlehem is mixed with world-weariness.

I suppose that is precisely the point. For it was into similar times, in fact the fullness of time, that the dear Christ entered in. I know that we will weave in and out of our moods, our seasonal affective disorders, our self-pity over status, and our exuberant anticipations for such things as family gatherings and other Christmas merriment. We believe in a God who gets all of this on the most infinite level. We believe in a God who knows the heartbreak of rejection, of not measuring up to the world’s standards. More importantly, His standards. Guilty moods; “coulda/shouldas”. Be at peace with yourselves, brothers and sisters in The One who is coming. Be okay, and roll with, the moods of the season. Do not paralyze yourself by analyzing whether they are right or wrong. Walk humbly and gratefully with a God who loves you unconditionally.

Pastor Art