Take advantage

It’s Christmas Season. The debate rages on about whether or not people should say “Happy Holidays”, “Merry Christmas”, “Season’s Greetings” or whatever. Matters little to me, only because it really is not going to make much, if any, difference in any individuals heart. No, there is a much bigger opportunity here than trying to convince the world to say “Merry Christmas.”

The opportunity we have is touch hearts, start conversations, invite, share, live. It’s Christmas. People are open to discussions about God. Not about religion or church, but about God. Even the mainstream radio stations are playing songs about Jesus. The stores have Christmas carols playing over their sound systems. While not every song has a God theme, many do.

We have an incredible possibility in front of us to engage people in conversation. To share with others the truth of God’s love and the purpose of the virgin birth. We don’t need theological debates about the time of year or location on the wise men’s visit. We don’t need arguments about decorated trees in the church, or about Santa. It is pointless to try to convince anyone to do things our way. We can take advantage of the opportunity to give someone the gift of life and freedom in Christ.

Take advantage of the season. Don’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of gifts and commercialism. Avoid the pitfall of busyness and keeping up with a schedule or trying to make everything perfect. The best memories come from relationships and time together. The presents are forgotten. The decorations eventually thrown out. The leftovers will spoil. But the memories will be centered on people and time and they will last. Make some memories with your family. Attend Christmas programs and then talk about the meaning of Christ and His birth and the reality of God with us. Have fun with your family and friends. Be spontaneous. Do things out of the ordinary. Touch the life of another. Give anonymously. Bless your children by showing them how to give and that the time is more important than the stuff.

Take advantage of the season. Take advantage of the opportunities that God is giving you. Encounter the possibilities and watch in awe as God does something great.

Coming Up

Let me tell you, I am PUMPED up about what is next for Capital City Church!

Today is a vision planning/focus day for me and already (10 am) I am ready to jump up and get going on these things!

Here's a few of the things that have me so excited right now:

• THIS SUNDAY! I have great expectations for every Sunday, that is never more true than it is for the next one coming up. This Sunday, we launch our missions convention. I love this event as we dream and prepare for how God wants to use us to touch souls around the world.
• The rest of missions convention - Sunday, November 1 missionary Jim Thacker from Burundi will be with us. Wednesday, November 4 we will be watching the powerful missions documentary "Beyond the Gates." Sunday, November 8 we wrap it all up with a banquet and we are going to be announcing the 2010 missions trip!
• The 2010 missions trip! It's quite difficult for me to not spill the beans on this trip right now!
• TAILGATE PARTY - Saturday, November 7 we will be hosting a community wide tailgate party in out parking lot. OSU plays @ Penn State that day and we will have big screen TVs games for kids, cornhole, and of course, lots of food!
• Our new Saturday night service! This will be launching early in 2010. Again, I want to share everything that is in the works for this, but it is not time yet.
• Christmas Eve service - I love this event. It is one of my favorite traditions at Christmas. We will have a candlelight service with carols, stories, and family coming together to celebrate the birth of Christ.

These are some of what has me charged up and I just wanted to let you in on it.

Two Weeks

Two weeks from today, it will all be over.

The presents will be unwrapped. The garbage will be taken out. The food will be eaten. The kids will be overstimulated on sugar. The parties will have taken place. All of the preparation and hype and overspending will have come to end for another year. Unfortunately, much of the peace on earth, goodwill toward men talk and sentiments will also be finished.

Over the next two weeks we will see signs and hear people talk about the reason for the season and the spirit of Christmas and charity and giving. On December 26, most of that will cease and the focus will be back on self. People will be making their plans and heding out to exchange the gifts they didn't like. Children will have already decided what they will play with and what they won't. The allure and excitement will be gone.

I don't say any of this to be negative or to depress anyone. It is reality. I say it as a reminder to stay focused on what matters. Family, friends, time together, and most of all celebrating Christ and the greatest gift ever given. Let's not stress over gifts and all the trappings of commercialized holiday. The greatest gift we can give someone is time, attention, love, and care.

I know how stressful the holidays can be. We are moving in the midst of them and that adds stress to it all. I understand. I also know that we need to slow down and relax and not put our families at risk financially or relationally because we got caught up in the selfish and materialistic side of this season.

It really doesn't matter how much you spend or that the decorations were perfect or the food was looked like a magazine spread. No, none of this will really be the memories that are cherished. What will make this a memorable Christmas is the love we give and the time we share. My girls remember the things we have done to touch the life of another more than they remember the gifts they have been given in the past. They remember the feeling of being loved and being important to their parents.

Let's make this a memorable time for someone by including the lonely. Let's create traditions in our families that are centered on Christ and not on stuff. Let's strive for peace in our families and not add stress. If we miss a sale, oh well, if we miss an opportunity to restore or strengthen a relationship, we have truly missed out and blown it.

Let's make Christmas a birthday that honors Jesus.

Merry Christmas

I know I'm about to hit a subject that causes people's emotions to rise up. Hopefully, we can look at this without the emotion factor too much.

I caught someone's opinion that other day about where they shop at Christmas being based on whether or not the employees say "Merry Christmas." They went on to express that shopping there was somehow betraying God because of this. This particular store chain is very benevolent throughout the year and does more to help local communities and schools than any other retail chain that I am aware of. They also happen to sell many items that are Christmas related and even say the words "Merry Christmas" on them. This store also is a publicly traded secular company trying to get ahead and survive in a volatile and secular marketplace.

If a person chooses not to shop there for any reason, fine. That is none of my business and I really don't care if they do or not. The problem is, they want to make it their business that I do shop there. It happens to be my favorite department store. It bothers me that someone is willing to judge how spiritual or how "Christian" I am based upon where I shop. The truth is, if we applied their logic to all companies, we wouldn't be able to shop very many places if any that were not run by people of our individual denominations. Even then, there would be issues I am sure.

I do think it is sad that America is so politically correct and worried about offending an extremely small majority of the population that stores have to set policies about the words their employees use at this time of year. I also think it is sad that Christians are so quick to get on a soap box and a high horse to think that every one has to act as we want them to based on our sensibilities. A store employee or government employee may not be able to "Merry Christmas" to us while they are working, the First Amendment still gives us the right to say it to them. As we do, let's make sure we say it in sincerity and love and not with attitude, a chip on our shoulder, or any kind of sarcastic and holier-than-thou kind of way.

Christmas is the time when people are most likely to accept an invitation to church, most likely to listen to someone share their experience with Christ, most likely to be open to the truth of God's Word. Let's not blow this opportunity with a social political agenda. Instead, let us, the children of God and followers of Christ, do everything we can to spread the love and peace of God that exists within our hearts because of Him.

Our Tree

Just wanted to follow through with the photo of our Christmas tree 2008. This tree was giving to us fully decorated last year by a woman here at WOL. It is beautiful and makes a great addition to Elena's normal decorating. This year it will serve as the whole of our decorations.