It is often the case that some of the most beautiful things in life are simple. Complicated things too can have beauty but our lives are full of complications all the time. Isn’t nice to occasionally cut out all the complications and enjoy something that is amazingly simple?

The Christmas season has come a long ways since the time that the early church fathers suggested that celebration was best done with fasting and prayer. I wouldn’t necessarily say all of the places it has come have been good. The fact that some will be glad it is over, speaks volumes about what we have done to it.   I was watching the advertisement about the poor sap who forgot to get someone a gift. The point of the ad was we do quick deliveries or some sort of notion. But I imagine it sent some into panic attacks as thy tried to remember who they might have forgotten! As it turns out there were no gifts exchanged at the actual birth of Jesus. And with the exception of a couple of inspired shepherds the scene was pretty simple. In fact, it is kind of hard to imagine something simpler, a new mother and father with their first born in a barn.

Gifts did show up in the story a couple of years later. And amazingly they too were simple although meaningful; gold a tribute for a king, myrrh the spice of embalming (for someone who was to die) an Frankincense the incense given in worship to deity. Personally I don’t keep any of these things on hand. But even these gifts pale in comparison to the greatest gift they (and we) could give.  

You see their greatest gift and ours is amazingly simple and amazingly beautiful: the gift of worship. As we meet tomorrow I hope you come ready to give this simple but beautiful gift to Emmanuel, God with us.

Merry Christmas,

 Pastor Chris