It does not seem possible that we are in the Advent/Christmas Season. But here we are. We are just a couple of short weeks away from Christmas. The stores are after your money more than ever before. The world seems louder than at any other time of the year and it is trying to take as much time as possible to take us away from the true meaning of the season. I want to pose a thought to you at this time of year: are we making room for the important things in this season, especially Jesus?
We need to use these next couple of weeks to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The main theme during this season of Advent at Alva Church of the Nazarene is “Making Room.” We have room for everything else, but do we make room for Jesus, especially during this time of the year? Christmas is all about Jesus, but the world has secularized it as much as possible to remove Him from the picture. We must get back to the true meaning of this season as it will allow us to celebrate Christmas with freshness and excitement, which has much more meaning than what the world offers us at this time of year.
Are we willing to make room for Jesus? I know many of us have watched the TV show “Hoarders.” These people have so much stuff that they have room for nothing else. Many times, they do not have room for themselves to sit or sleep. They accumulate so much stuff that many times it overflows into the yard. They end up having major interventions where they bring in multiple dumpsters to get rid of all the excess. Advent is a great time to take stock of our lives and allow us to see what stuff we can get rid of so that we can make room for Jesus. What can we throw in the dumpster that will allow more room for Jesus so that He has room to sit in our lives?
My next thought is this: Are we willing to make room for others to join us with Jesus? In the Church today, much focus has been placed on programs, attendance and “What can I get from the church?” We forget that there are so many who are looking for one thing: to experience the love and compassion of Jesus through the church. I am so blessed to be the senior pastor of a church that has this as our main drive and aim. We just want to love each other and our community. Love means no judgment and allowing you to come just as you are. I have seen churches that have denied so many the privilege to sit at the table with Jesus, and it breaks my heart. There is room for you to sit with Jesus and us at Alva Church of the Nazarene. We love and care for you all!
Lastly, we get through Advent and reach Christmas. Let us remember what Jesus did to make it possible to sit with Him. He put down His crown of glory, stepped away from His throne and became one of us. The Creator of humanity became the creation! He came as a servant to remove the barrier of sin so that we could have a relationship with God. As He lay in the manger, the shadow of the cross was in the background. He was rejected, became the target of ridicule, and eventually suffered His passion and death for us. There is no greater love than what we find in Jesus. He wants you to experience that love through the Christmas Season!
Make room for Jesus this Christmas. Make room for others to sit at the table with you and Jesus this Christmas. Spend some time away from the business and noise of the season to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. There is room for you here at the Church of the Nazarene. We will have a Christmas Eve Service at 7 p.m. I would love for you to join us to reflect on the gift of Jesus and to experience God’s love. We want you to experience Jesus unlike ever before this Christmas. I pray that this becomes a reality in your life and that this Christmas overwhelms you with His love and presence. Emmanuel: God is with us! Merry Christmas!
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