4 More Sleeps

It's 10:15 on Thursday night as I write this...the final rehearsal for Christmas Eve services has just ended.  Musicians, vocalists, and actors are heading home, and the guys doing all the lighting cues are ordering pizza and preparing to work for a few more hours.  Don't feel too sorry for them, it's become sort of an annual tradition. I think they like it.

There's a link at the bottom of this email that gives you all the information about times and dates for Christmas Eve services, along with information about nursery care, etc.  I’ve also added a photo I took at rehearsal.  I'm not going to give much away...it's just something to pique your interest!

We make Christmas Eve services kind of a big deal, and there are some good reasons for that.  If we're about anything at this church, we're about Following Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the hinge of history.  He is the Hope of the oppressed.  He is the One who inspires.  He is the King of Kings.  He is the Lord of Lords.  He is the greatest teacher who ever lived.  He sparked the greatest movement that has ever spread.  He offered the greatest gift that has ever been given.  He mastered life.  He conquered death.  He alone overcame sin.  He is the Son of God.  He is the Saviour of the world. Those are just a few reasons why we unashamedly go all out to celebrate His birth.

I hope to see you at one of the four presentations of "The Glory Of It All,"  Monday the 23rd @ 7 pm, or Tuesday the 24th @ 3, 5, or 7 pm. 

Merry Christmas everyone!
Greg

Presence Amidst Presents

Have you ever had one of those days where you woke up thinking you knew what was important in your day, but by the end of the day realize you weren’t even close? Yesterday I hopped out of bed, eager to get at my long to-do list.  I mapped out how much time I had for each item so that I’d have things completed before a mid-afternoon meeting. The second stop was at a local business. It was an easy one...I’d be in and out in five minutes.

As I greeted the receptionist, I could see that although she was saying all the right things her heart wasn’t in it; clearly something was wrong. I wrestled for a moment and then surrendered to that ‘still small voice’ and said, “Are you really doing okay?” The next hour was spent in tears and hugs as she shared that this was the first Christmas since her son died; so many questions, so much pain, so much yearning. She thanked me profusely for taking the time, and there was a catch in my throat as I realized how close I had come to allowing my busyness stand in the way of showing love.

Lord Jesus, because of Your great love and deep yearning to be with us You came, You entered our world, You entered our pain. You brought healing and hope. We are never alone.  Immanuel. Open our eyes to where You want us to be present to others this Christmas season. To lay aside our plans and desires, and join them in their pain. To be part of Your beautiful story of incarnation. Amen.

In Him,
Rita

W spac.ca

Anticipating the Arrival of the Hope of the World...

We are about to enter into the second week of advent, a season of longing and anticipation for Jesus’ arrival. The frenzied pace of our culture and the commercialization of the Christmas season have me realizing that there are very few things that we have to wait for. Our sense of anticipation and longing has been dulled or reduced to matters of time. How long will this take? Or, how long before I get what I want?

The disciplines of waiting, longing, yearning and anticipating have been replaced with irritation or boredom if waiting takes longer than we expect. The season of advent is an annual rhythm that challenges us to slow our pace and to restore our ability to desire and yearn and ache for God to do something in a lost and broken world. What we wait for, the solution we so desperately crave, comes of course in the gift that is Jesus Christ.

This week, allow yourself to freshly anticipate, desire, yearn for, wish and plead for the arrival of the hope of the world that is Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.

Here’s a prayer I wrote that you might want to pray for the next few days.

Gracious, patient God. Let this be a season of active waiting with my whole being, not given too quickly to the distracting lights, sounds and commotion of what Christmas has become. I ask for the grace to fully immerse myself in the anticipation of Jesus' arrival into this world and into my life.  Amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Kevin

Reclaiming Advent

The season of advent is almost here. Sunday December 1 begins a four-week journey in the Christian calendar which is a period of longing, hoping and expectation.  It’s the season of coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.

How do we recapture advent? Why do we need to?

To recapture advent in our daily lives is to recover how to live in a world of impatience, as a patient people. I encourage you to read Luke 1:46-55, a passage of hope. Hear these words from Mary and the hope that seems to be pouring out of them.

Advent is patience. Advent is yearning. Advent is longing. Advent is waiting.
It is how God has made us a people of promise in a world of impatience.
And Christ has made that possible; for us to live patiently in a world of impatience.

Now, take a moment and patiently pray these words in preparation of this coming season.

Unexpected God,
Your advent alarms us.
Wake us from drowsy worship,
from the sleep that neglects love,
and the sedative of misdirected frenzy.
Awaken us now to Your coming,
and bend our angers into Your peace.
Amen.

Greg Ramsden

'Something' More Eternal...

Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

There are so many things that compete for the allegiance and attention of our hearts. Money, success, knowledge, entertainment and others unite their voices to woo our hearts with bold claims of satisfaction and fulfillment. The reality is that each one, when pursued as an end in itself, leaves us craving something deeper, more real and more eternal than any of these offerings can ultimately provide.

We long for the transcendent. We long for what is Divine. There is nothing of this earth that can satisfy in us what we were truly made to experience. It is God Himself we need. He is the end and the fulfillment of all that we seek. All the other blessings of life pale in comparison to the richness of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.

What the Psalmist declared by faith, we can echo in the pursuits of our lives and make the prayer of hearts today: God, we desire You and You alone. You are the all-sufficient One and we look to You for the satisfaction of our souls.

Peace,
Wade