Getting Ready for CHRISTmas

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I’d like you to think about how you start your day: You get out of bed, put on a fresh set of clothes, and then you walk out the door to work, or to wherever you are going, to begin your day. Did I leave anything out? Yes! I didn’t include any washing or cleaning up before you put on that fresh set of clothes and I didn’t include a breakfast, or brushing your teeth, or fixing your hair before you stepped out of the door. You may have fresh clothes on for appearances sake, but the rest of you is kind of a mess!

There are a lot of people who approach CHRISTmas in this way. They put up lots of pretty and bright decorations on the inside and outside of their homes, while they do nothing of any real substance to prepare what really matters – the preparation of the heart and soul. They are not prepared to receive the truly most important gift of CHRISTmas because many don’t know who that is, and don’t believe that they have any need for Him.

We have the need to prepare for Him by being cleansed, inside and out, with confession and absolution in worship services. We need to be fed with the comforting and strengthening message of the Word of God. And we need to be prepared to go out into our world, giving a faithful and beautiful witness of the love of the Savior, who came to live among us and give His life for us, the we would live through Him.

This is the reason that we provide extra services during the season of Advent. So that before all the external and superficial preparations for CHRISTmas, that we will take the extra time to prepare in the most important way of all – in our hearts, in our souls, and in our minds, to receive the King who came to save us.

So, how are you going to get ready for CHRISTmas?

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Paul Pett