I am by no means an extremely spiritual person, but I do believe in Jesus Christ and love going to church. I went to Discovery United Methodist growing up and then to West End Assembly of God in high school, but was absolutely horrible about going in college and the three years since.
Recently, Gaines and I have started going to First United Methodist Church in Waynesboro and even though we've only gone three times, it's the kind of place with the kind of people that make me feel like I've gone there my entire life. I absolutely love it and find myself looking so forward to Sunday mornings. The pastor Sam Vernon is wonderful and does such a great job of telling funny, relatable stories to get his message across. I wanted to share one from last week that really helped me understand the REASON FOR THE SEASON.
Recently, Gaines and I have started going to First United Methodist Church in Waynesboro and even though we've only gone three times, it's the kind of place with the kind of people that make me feel like I've gone there my entire life. I absolutely love it and find myself looking so forward to Sunday mornings. The pastor Sam Vernon is wonderful and does such a great job of telling funny, relatable stories to get his message across. I wanted to share one from last week that really helped me understand the REASON FOR THE SEASON.
He started his sermon with a scenario that went something like this:
Friend 1: Hey man! I am so excited about your upcoming birthday.
Friend 2: Oh thanks. Yeah I'm...
Friend 1: Great. Well let me tell you about what I have planned for your big day. I'm going to decorate my house in red and green and put up a lot of lights and have my favorite kind of music playing. This is all for you remember, aren't you excited? And then, I'm going to buy my family and some of my closest friends gifts. I've been planning them for a while and have spent a lot of money. Oh, sorry man, I know it's your birthday and all, but I just don't have any left over money to buy you a gift. But feel free to stop by my place so we can celebrate, because remember this is your big day and I love you, man.
This short, simple little story completely put Christmas in perspective for me. I get so excited about the Christmas decorations and the Christmas music and the Christmas cards and the Christmas parties and the Christmas presents, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying any of these things. But all too often I am Friend 1. I get so caught up in the planing and celebrating that I forget He is the reason for Christmas. It's all about Him. It's His birthday. It's because of His sacrifices that I am here. I want to invite Him into our home this Christmas season and glorify Him in all of our celebrations.
I found this YouTube video on someone else's blog a couple days later, and it instantly added to my new perspective. I used to think the Advent Calendar was just a countdown to Christmas that included a daily piece of chocolate, but this (again short and simple) video helped me realize the countdown is about "commemorating the birth of Jesus, preparing for Christ's return, and welcoming God into our lives every day."
Merry Christmas and may we keep Him in our hearts all year long. :)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
-John 3:16
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