Letter from Pastor David Bateman
Harmony Note January 15, 2022
Mid-January and the New Year is progressing rapidly. The bright sun on new snow gives a freshness to the otherwise drab of winter. Christmas decorations are becoming more scarce and the bright lights that adorned trees and rooftops are becoming memories of a season past. Gone are the Wise Men, back by another road, the Shepherds have returned to their flocks, and the Holy Family is left pondering all the events that have happened. What about us? Now?
Did you put Jesus away, not to be seen for another year? Unfortunately, for many of us it is easy to fall into the doldrums of winter. Lost or forgotten is the joy of Christmas, the anticipation of time together, and the familiar Carols bringing smiles to our faces and joy to our souls. We tend to put away the Christmas spirit with the Christmas decorations, and somehow we lose Jesus. It’s not intentional, we just get wrapped up in our own stuff, a little like Mary and Joseph leaving Jesus at the temple, and we need to go back and find Him.
I know I’m mixing Bible stories so just humor me. It doesn’t matter whether we put him away with the Christmas decorations or got so busy in our own world that we haven’t looked for him; as a baby child, a teenager, or as the Risen Christ. Somehow, we have misplaced Jesus, or at least our relationship with him. We didn’t mean to wrap him in bubble wrap instead of swaddling clothes, only to be bought out again next Christmas when the season is right.
Maybe we need to adjust our thinking to Christmas year around. We need the joy of the babe in a manger in July as much as December. The angels sing year around, why do we only hear them at Christmas? The songs may change with the seasons from “What Child is this?” to “Hosanna” to “I Need thee Every Hour”, and “Blest be the Tie that Binds”. We are blessed! We have a God for all Seasons manifested in human form through Jesus, who was born like us, lived in family like us, and promises to walk alongside us in our joys and sorrows, our trials and temptations, our challenges and triumphs.
Don’t put Jesus away with the Christmas decorations! Put him in a place of prominence even if the manger needs to stay visible and accessible year round. We need him in all seasons! Praise and thanks be to God!
Amen
Blessings and Peace and Love,
Pastor Dave
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