Merry Christmas,
A battle is upon us again this Christmas. I am not talking about whether to say, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” The battle isn’t over letting your kids believe in Santa or not. It is a battle of expectations. Will we allow wrong expectations to overshadow the real joy of the season?
Many people will experience the “Christmas hangover.” Not from too much eggnog, but the one that hits after the stockings are empty, the presents are opened, the food is consumed, the family leaves, and the decorations come down. It is then that many are hit with, “Is that it?”
The answer is not found in foregoing all expectations. Nor is it to suppress excitement. I love this time of year. There are certain traditions that I look forward to. So, trying to distance yourself from any nostalgia or good feelings around the season is not the way to go. But a little expectation management might be required. What does that look like?
First of all, don’t project your expectations of the way you want things to be on to others. Secondly, hold on to your holiday plans loosely. Consider the Christmas story of Joseph and Mary. Little went as they expected. Did Joseph ever expect to be wrestling with the decision to divorce his wife? And what about all the unplanned detours that took them to Bethlehem then to Egypt and then back to Nazareth. Did they expect that their baby boy, this Holy child, to be born in a stable? Pause to remember that our plans may not go as we want, but our Sovereign Lord is in control!
Lastly, wrap your expectations around the celebration of that amazing moment in time when the one who knew no sin came as a baby into this world to meet our greatest need of forgiveness! Rejoice in our loving Savior whose plan for us is perfect. He is our hope. Whether this season is filled with excitement for you or a hard time as you remember your loss of a loved one, it is all exactly as God planned. He doesn’t make mistakes. We can place all our expectations into the hands of our Sovereign Lord who is lovingly directing all that happens. Let the God of hope fill you with His peace and joy this Christmas season. Even on December 26th.
Merry Christmas, Church! Spread that joy to all.
Expecting a wonderful time of worship with you this Sunday and on Christmas Eve as well.
Pastor Brian
Looking Forward
Sermon Direction
“Christ Came… Grace Appeared” John 1:1-18Last Sunday’s Sermon
Links to watch Advent videos
Christmas Eve Service
Join us Monday night, December 24th, for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service @ 6:30pm – 7:30pmOffice Hours
Pastor Brian will be out of the office December 25th-28th The office will be closed on Christmas Day, and will be open regular hours during the week: Mon, Wed, & Thu 9am-2pm.Momentum
MSM will not be meeting again until the New Year.2019 Giving Envelopes
Sign up sheet will be available at the Ministry Counter this Sunday if you are interested in beginning to use or continue to use giving envelopes. Envelopes will be available for pick up on Dec 30th.What’s Next for EBC
Coming in JanuaryPortraits of Jesus
Coming in January, an 8 week bible study on Sunday MorningsMeal Train for the Whitman Family
A meal train has been set up for Mary and Tim Whitman as they welcome home their new baby boy. You can sign up HERE.Cancellation Procedure for Sunday Mornings
In the event of bad weather that would potentially impact services, the following will be taken into consideration: the current weather in Laconia, timing of the weather event, and whether roads, walkways, parking areas will be cleared. A decision will be made by 7:30 am to cancel one or both of our services. Events in the afternoon or evening will be dealt with separately. EBC will notify of cancellation using the following:
- WMUR TV*
- Church website news feed @ www.laconiachurch.com
- Email (weekly epistle list)
- EBC public and private Facebook pages