Hello,
“Everyone should get something for Christmas,” said a young
boy who had come forward for yesterday’s children’s message. His comment came in light
of our congregation’s commitment to generously share with others the blessings
with which God has blessed us.
During the months of November and December we have been
gathering items for school bags that will be distributed by Lutheran World
Relief all over the world.
Rulers, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, and a bunch of other things
have been brought in and gathered beneath the blackboard that is standing in
the front of the church. We’ve set
a goal of filling 231 bags (the age of our congregation), and it looks like we
will not only reach that goal, but crush it. The Office Max, Staples, Walmart, and Dollar Stores in our
area don’t seem to be able to keep their shelves filled to match the generosity
of our congregation.
A nine foot Christmas tree once decked out with white angels
with the names of families whose Christmas would be present-less, has been
transformed into a nine foot Christmas tree adorned with hats and mittens to be
sent to the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. As the angels came down and morphed by the folks of the
congregation into mounds of brightly wrapped presents gathered under the tree,
the hats and mittens lit upon the branches.
Money and gifts came in and were taken to the residents in a
state mental institution that is not too far from us as we participated in its
“Reindeer Project.” Cards for our
shut-ins were circulated around the congregation during Communion, which were
signed by everyone and will be personally delivered to the shut-ins on Sunday
along with a stocking stuffed with care items.
The amazing God’s grace driven generosity has been enfolding before our eyes in
these weeks before Christmas.
First Lutheran is not a church whose pews are filled with the wealthy of
our area, instead it is a church that mirrors the moderate and fixed incomed
sectors of this town. And as the
generosity of these folk’s has flowed in, not once have I heard anyone say that
people are feeling like they have been over asked.
“Everyone should get something for Christmas,” said that
generous child.
“Everyone does,” I said back to him, “everyone gets Jesus.”
And as the mounding generosity grows in front of us in our
sanctuary, I find myself overwhelmed by what the gift of Jesus does in people’s
hearts.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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