Nothing Too Broken for God

Greetings in the Name of the Christ Child,

Christmas is a special time of year. But for some, Christmas is painful and lonely. Loss, grief, crisis, and life changes can bring bittersweet memories that make the Christmas celebration difficult. As the Psalmist sadly states, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” 

We can sing the Lord’s song because with the coming of the Christ child comes new hope and new birth. We can sing the Lord’s song because God is “making all things new." Here is the promise… God touches everyone. EVERYONE! No matter our station or ability. Whether we are full or empty… weak or strong… God makes us new and then uses us for God’s healing work.  

I have a preacher friend that makes stained glass windows. When he is done, he takes the left-over broken pieces and begins to work on another window with this prayer, “Lord, what will you have me create with these broken pieces.” Slowly and carefully, he pieces together the broken pieces into a beautiful message from God. As the light shines through the glass, it reflects and magnifies the message. 

In the same way, God takes the broken pieces of our lives and shapes them into beautiful works of art. We look at our broken lives and wonder, “How will God ever use this?” The miracle of the Christ Child is that God can take whatever we have to mold it into something to reflect and magnify the message of God’s love for us. There is nothing too broken for God. 

This is the message of Christmas. Christ comes into the world to reshape what we think is useless into something holy. God doesn’t force us to follow him. There is no coercion or threat. God comes as a humble child, a flickering light to make new what the world has used up. 

This Christmas Eve, when you come to celebrate the Light of the World, know that even the small candle we hold in our hands is a small token of the greatness of God’s love. Know that no matter what has happened in our lives, God will come again to make something new and sacred. Know as we lift our candles to the Lord of all creation, that the reflected light of our candles cannot be extinguished. Know that our words and actions can be a message of hope for someone in need. 

God has come... We are not alone... Thanks be to God! 

See you on Christmas Eve!

Holy Communion at 10:30 am service.

Candlelight services at 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00 pm. 

Come for Holy Communion and then come back to the magnificent celebration of our Lord’s birth with the lighting of candles. It is going to be glorious. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the God of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

Pastor John Allen