CCOG Newsletter

It's Christmas week... it's finally here! Do you have a favorite Christmas movie - one that you have watched a million times and you know every word? You may like those that are funny, or you prefer one that is heartwarming. I have several that usher me into the Christmas spirit, but one especially stands out - How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is not the newest cartoon, The Grinch (which is actually really cute, lots of good music) or the creepy live action one (sorry to those who like this one!), but the OG animated version with Boris Karloff as the narrator. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch!" Karloff sings out in the song, made famous by the movie. No one bothers to discover the reason that the Grinch is so mean - could it be that his shoes are too tight? Or is his head not screwed on just right? Or is his heart too small? No one tries to find out. They are too consumed with their own lives - buying gifts, decorating their houses, preparing their feast for Christmas day.

Let's be careful not to ignore those who are hurting this year. Maybe there seems to be no explanation for the bad attitudes of the people you encounter. Shouldn't everyone be jolly? This is the most wonderful time of year, after all! But we never know the stress that other people are under, the grief they are experiencing, or the pain - physical, mental, or emotional - they have. Choose to offer the gift of grace. Choose to be patient and kind. Love bears all things and believes the best in people. You can do it!

The holiday season is full of wonder and joy. There’s so much to look forward to with Christmas light displays, gift exchanges, big family gatherings, and special treats we only eat this time of year. Anticipation and excitement fill the air as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

There was a similar air of anticipation among the Jewish people when Jesus was born. They had been looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. The one who would come and save them. For centuries, God had been telling them about His plan to rescue them, and it would all begin with a virgin birth.

About 700 years before Jesus was born, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name Him Immanuel.”

Then shortly before Jesus was born, those same words of the prophet reappear. An angel spoke to Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, in a dream saying:

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

This is just one example of the many prophecies fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. Then, throughout his ministry, Jesus made His people even more promises about what was to come. He said He would rise from the dead and overcome sin. He said He would send the Holy Spirit as a helper to guide them. He said He would go prepare a place for them and that He would come back for them one day. Because God kept His promise to send a Savior, the people also believed these promises.

Not one of those promises has expired. Every single one of them still holds true for us today! That’s how we can look at Jesus’ birth and know the hope fulfilled and the hope to come. Just as the Jewish people waited for the coming of a Savior, we’re waiting for his promised return.

As you go through this holiday season, have faith that the promises of God are trustworthy and true. Not just for others, but specifically for you. When you’re struggling, choose to focus on who He is and all He’s done for you. With an eternal perspective, it’s possible to live through the holidays with hope in hopeless situations, faith in trying times, joy despite our circumstances, and peace in the middle of chaos.