Another month! But I really don't want to write anything unless I have something to say that might be worth hearing. Of course, by that standard, maybe, . . . . Oh well. Today, I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! This is such a great time of year. For those of us who are believers, we get all the best. First, there is the family aspect of it. I love all the time we get to spend with family. We will celebrate with my brothers and sister on January 1st. It is always fun and interesting when the 20 or so of us get together (including children and, now, grandchild). We will celebrate with Cheri's side of the family on Christmas Day. Again, there will be around 20 of us and the day will be filled with love, laughter and music. And, best of all, we will have time with our own children for several days surrounding Christmas. I could go on and on. Family is a great part of Christmas for all of us. May your family time be as fun and meaningful as ours!

Then there is the whole wonder, which we will rediscover this year with our grandson. This is the first Christmas where he will have some understanding of the gift part. We expect a lot of wrapping paper and joy as he opens gift after gift - more than he will likely be able to play with! I know Cheri and I have already put back several things we got to give at his birthday in January, just because we bought so much!

But the best part, of course, is the realization all over again of just what Christmas means. It never gets old to me to reflect again on what God was doing that first Christmas. It is popular in philosophical circles to assert that God is so far above us that we cannot hope to really know anything about Him at all. And, to a certain extent, this is surely true. How could I, finite as I am, hope to know much of anything about God? But Christmas changed all that. Because that is when God began the process of making himself known to us - of accommodating himself to our sphere. Everything I need to know about God I learn in Jesus. He is God in the flesh. And while there is more to God than can be seen in Jesus, there is no less. That He would be willing to take on humanity is mind-boggling. This Christmas I want to learn again just what that means and who He is. It is the best gift of all!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pastor Ken