Let Us Celebrate

Greetings in the Name of our Lord,

This Sunday at the 9:45 and 11:00 worship services, Stonebridge UMC will present its annual “Lessons and Carols of Christmas”. This year the character of the Virgin Mary will be leading our service by telling her story. I know you will want to be in worship to celebrate the sounds of the season and the story of our Lord’s birth. Please do all you can to invite your friends and neighbors. It will be a magnificent worship experience. 

It is not unusual for friends and church members to groan about the stress of this season. I have even heard my own voice question this season, “How can we celebrate, when there is so much to do?” Celebrate indeed; in the most stressful time of year? How do we celebrate?  

We celebrate by offering ourselves to those in need. Stonebridge UMC has a great tradition of providing gifts for children who will not normally get much at Christmas. We call it our Malvern Christmas Angel Tree. This year we are helping 158 children with gifts. Why do we do this? Because we want these children to know that the love of Christ flows through Stonebridge UMC.

Christmas is the “celebration” of the birth of our Lord –God in the flesh. Let us not let the excesses of our culture pervert this season. Let us focus on others instead of self. Let us celebrate the gift of Jesus. Let us celebrate what God’s love in Christ has done and is doing. The season of celebration and joy has come. Let us celebrate with gratitude for the Christ has come! Let us sing the songs of Jesus' birth, hear the story told again, and see what God can do through us as the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

See you Sunday.

Pastor John Allen