What comes to mind when you hear the word “home?” I bet we all have a little different picture that triggers a few different emotions as we think about whatever comes to mind when we hear that word, “home.” According to an online dictionary “home” is the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. I think for many of us, especially at Christmas time, when we think about home our thoughts cascade back to our childhood home. Being home for the holidays is truly the stuff of movies and songs and all things nice, but if we are honest there are probably some difficult times mixed into the great times that fill our memories of home.
The Christmas story is filled with several different homes. Last Sunday we talked about Jesus leaving Heaven and making His home with us, this Sunday we’ll take a look at Nazareth, a tiny village in which a young engaged couple lived. We’ll eavesdrop on a conversation between the angel Gabriel and the young bride to be, Mary. On December 15th we’ll follow Mary to the hill country of Judea as she visits her relative Elizabeth, who is six months ahead of Mary in her own miraculous pregnancy. The kids will help us praise God for the gift of Jesus as we learn how to worship Him everywhere with everything! The next week we will move to the Gospel of Matthew and study the Magi traveling from the East in search of the baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve we will reflect with Mary on that very first Christmas.
I am so grateful that Jesus left His home so that we could go home and spend eternity with Him! This Christmas Season there are a couple of ways you can help as many folks as possible discover the chance to be called sons and daughters of God. Every Sunday you will find some personal invitations for you to use to ask your friends and family to worship with you this holiday season. Please be praying, as well, for the postcards Wallula will be sending to various neighborhoods over the next couple of weeks. Pray that the Holy Spirit might use something as simple as a postcard to move people a little closer to Jesus. Also consider giving to Wallula’s Walk to the Manger Offering this Christmas. This special offering will be distributed to Let Every Ear Hear Ministries in India, Honduras Ministries in Honduras and to Wallula’s own helping and Third Thursday Ministries. Consider giving your best gift to Jesus this Christmas!
- Lance
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
- Luke 1:26-27