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December 21, 2007
Christmas Message-December 21, 2007
Greetings Everyone,
My Christmas message is attached. Before you read it let me update you on the work of your hands this past week.
On Wednesday, 12/19, our partners in ministry, the Irving Park Community Food Pantry served 290 households--978 individuals! Many thanks to Barb, Kathy, and their Staff; our Vicci Rogers Keutzer and her organization of the toy room; many of you from our congregation who came by on Tuesday or Wednesday to work. For the first time in 19 years, the guests were able to come in from the cold and sit in the sanctuary until their number was called downstairs. I believe we've started a new tradition! The food pantry will be closed until January 9th.
Tonight, Pastor Cecilia and members of her congregation will take over 100 pair of socks and scarves to Humboldt Park Social Services. They are meeting at the church at 7:00pm if you would like to go and see how this ministry works.
After worship on Sunday, Pastor Cecilia will give gifts to over 20 children from your generous dontaions and others over the past month.
I am proud to be a part of this community of faith. We are people who are not only concerned with the gifts we will get this Christmas but we put their faith into action by generously giving to others. Thank you one and all!
Pastor Vickie
December 21, 2007
Dear Friends and Family,
The time draws near for the Christ child to be born. Are you ready? Do you have room in your heart and life for him? This past Sunday, we had a 21st century census. As Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, each person (or family unit) was asked to decide where they would return to be registered. We encouraged people to think about walking there, but some members of our congregation come from lands across the sea. It would require more than walking!
After deciding which birth place they would return to, people were asked to go to one of four tables in the sanctuary. Each table represented the direction of their birth place from where they currently live. For example, some of our community members were born in Wisconsin. They went to the North table. Those born on the south side of Chicago went to the South table, etc. Each table contained a clip board with the following:
As God was with Joseph and Mary before, during, and after their trip to Bethlehem, so God is with us. Often, we get sidetracked. We miss the evidence of God’s presence or we forget that the joy is in the journey. Joy is a byproduct of a life of faith, not a measure of happiness. Write below what has brought joy into your journey of faith this past year…
The responses included: being able to share, the peace of community and friendship, time in nature, the rebirth of Irving Park UMC, getting married and forming a new family, moving to a new church, smiles and love of our son, grateful for every new day, seeing my grandchildren once a year, moving to Chicago, retiring this year and the family celebration, my dog, better job, plans for the future, additions to our family and their safe arrival.
Time with family and friends was by far the one mentioned the most. In the hectic Christmas season, it was a moment for all of us to refocus and remember that our relationships with friends and family are what bring us joy. The mood in the sanctuary was one of gratitude and blessing. But don’t be satisfied and stop there. Let’s dig a little deeper. How is your relationship with the God of Jesus Christ this Christmas season? Family and friends are not always going to be around—children grow up and build their own families, spouses and loved ones die leaving you to figure out how to go on without them, family relationships can be strained over any number of issues or situations, divorce is a reality that many of us have experienced…
Sisters and brothers, at some point in your life it is going to be just you and God (whether you recognize it or not). The gift of the Christ child is a reminder that our relationship with God starts out as does any other relationship—as a baby. How that relationship grows, develops, and matures is up to us…God’s ready whenever we are.
Pick up the Christ Child and hold Him close. Open your heart and life again, or for the first time, to a God whose love comes in unexpected and unconventional ways. Come celebrate the birth of Christ with us this weekend. Advent 4 is this Sunday at 10:00am. Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be Monday, December 24 at 7:00pm. I know many of you are traveling to see family and friends. Mark and I are excited to be with our Irving Park UMC church family on Christmas Eve. We will see some of our family later in the week. So if I don’t get to see you over the next couple days, accept this heartfelt blessing…
May the joy that comes from a life centered in Christ be yours this Christmas season so that God’s blessings of friends and family can be received with humble gratitude,
Pastor Vickie
Posted by vickie at 05:13 PM
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