Don’t Jump Ahead! As I write this message, I have been at Salem for less than one week. My first impressions tell me what I already knew to be true; Salem Lutheran Church is a place where the faith is lived out day by day. I have sat in on the Christian Education meeting, and met with the chairs of the 100th Anniversary Committee. Great things are in store!

Yet, I also know beginning in a new place has its challenges. There are new things to do and new names to learn. (And please keep telling me your names for a while, until I get to know you all.) When I think about where I am in my transition to this new congregation, I often wish I could already be acclimated to the staff, the calendar, and my own responsibilities. It would be so much easier if I had all that under my belt already. But that’s not how things work in the world. You have to go through that period of preparation before you reach that point. The same can be said of the Advent and Christmas season. It seems we want to be at Christmas right away – at least that is what the stores would like. Halloween was just over, and the Christmas reminders were already noticeable. Even the movie “The Santa Clause Part 3” arrived in the theaters in early November! The retailers would want us to think of this time as a two month season of Christmas, complete with lots of wrapped gifts, parties, and lots of economic activity.

As Christians, we should resist such feelings. Christmas is the celebration of God’s greatest gift to us all, the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” With Jesus’ birth, God came into our world in the most direct and personal way; as another human being. By being both true man and true God, we see in Jesus what God is truly like. God wants to be in relationship with us, to live life to our fullest potential, and to be in fellowship with one another. The Incarnation is a big event. We also need to be prepared for it, and Advent is the season to do it.

So let’s not jump ahead to Christmas right away. Let’s prepare our hearts and minds by first celebrating Advent. Take time to read the Bible and pray. Meditate on how God has blessed you with family and friends. Worship at church, and prepare yourself for this wonderful celebration of the birth of our Savior. May you have a blessed Advent season!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Randy