One of my favorite sermon stories has been about the parent who was reading a magazine and sought to keep their child occupied by tearing out a page with a map of the world on it, cutting the map into pieces like a puzzle, and asking the child to go and put the world back together again. The child surprisingly returned in a couple of minutes with the world map clearly back in place. When asked how this was possible so quickly, the child replied, “there was a picture of Jesus on the back of the page, and I knew that if the picture of Jesus was in the right place, the whole world would be together again.”
Praise God for the meaningful ways that the Christ child impacts the world during this precious season. The colorful lights, festive occasions, and cheerful and friendly spirits extend kindness in a way that refuses to allow sadness and strife rule the day. Meaningful acts of Advent worship, special Christmas programs, candlelight services, acts of charity and mercy, and more, all serve to bring God’s unconditional love into clearer focus and meaning to help make the world a better place.
But more so, we pray that in our personal worlds this Advent season, we will be able to experience the presence of Christ in a way that sustains our hope, sets our souls at peace, assures us of God’s unconditional love, and makes our joy complete.
On behalf of the Capital District Staff, may each of you have a wonderful and meaningful Advent and Christmas season and may your New Year be filled with all of the promise and hope that Christ brings in the world.
Marcus
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
The District Office will be closed December 23, 2024 – January 3, 2025.