I write these few lines to you between Christmas and New Year’s. This past month we have remembered and celebrated what some call the “Greatest Story Ever Told.” As we move away from our Christmas celebrations, putting away the tinsel and ornaments, packing up our nativity scenes, crossing the threshold of a New Year, and moving forward into 2022, I want to share with you a poem, “God So Loved the World” by Ann Weems, which reminds us of the complete story of Jesus Christ. 

The story of Jesus Christ is this: 

The people of this earth waited for a Messiah… A Savior… 

and only God would send a little baby king. 

The child grew and began to question things as they were, 

and the man moved through his days and through this world, 

questioning the system of kings and priests and marketplace. 

He was called the New Creation 

the New Covenant 

the Son of God 

who brought to all who listened 

who saw 

who understood 

change and new life. 

But kings and corporations and churches of this world 

work very hard 

to keep things as they are out into forever AMEN. 

And so they killed him: 

he who said, Love one another, 

he who said, Feed my sheep, 

for they didn’t want to share their bread and their wine. 

Now the story should have ended there 

Except that the story has always been 

that our God is the God of the covenant. 

The Good news is that 

in spite of our faithlessness 

God is faithful 

and Jesus Christ was resurrected, 

for God so loved the world 

that God gave his only begotten Son 

that whoever believed 

might have everlasting Life. 

Listen, you who have ears to hear. 

Listen, and sit down to bread and wine with strangers. 

Feed his sheep…. Love one another, 

and claim new life in his name. 

As we move forward into a New Year, I pray you and we will love one another, feed his sheep and claim new life in his name. 

Pastor David 

January Highlights