Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There are a number of features we associate with Christmas. One that is a large part of Christmas is gifts. Part of the pre-season stress is deciding what to get others. One year, we got each of our children a board game (this was before electronics took over). The interesting thing about those gifts is that while each child had a gift they could call their own and add to their inventory, the gift did not reach its potential unless shared.
We talk about gift giving, but perhaps a better idea would be gift sharing. We share gifts with one another. We share the joy together. The focus is what makes our family or friendship stronger and better; what can we give that is meaningful to another person and what returns to us?
I think it helps capture the true Christmas spirit: instead of what to accumulate, we look for what can be shared. The heart of the season is less about getting, but is about opening us up to sharing. A good Christmas really should not be measured by how much storage space we need, but by the joy that is shared around.
This season, look at gifts as sharing rather than giving.
As an extension to this thought, I would like to thank our organist, Barb Motichka, for the 9 years of service to the congregation. God gave her the gift of music. Rather than hoard this gift, she shared the gift with us. This is an example of sharing gifts to bring more joy than just to the one receiving.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Martin H. Horn