November 30, 2017 (Thursday)
The first Sunday in December will be here in three or four days. The Sundays of December are Dec 3, 10 and 17. Then comes Dec 24, Christmas Eve, and Dec 31, New Years Eve. Just like that (snap of the fingers) December will have come and gone and we’ll find ourselves in the year 2018.
I do not know specifically what my December sermons will present, but they will most surely be on the general theme of the Christmas Story as told to us in the Bible.
The Lord never gave us a specific command to commemorate his birth with special observances. Yet we devote an entire month to an emphasis upon Christmas. There are probably many reasons for this, but I’m not here today to analyze our strong emphasis upon the birth of Christ, I’m just anticipating the enjoyment of the season. The sharing of gifts with loved ones, the sharing of our means with people who are having a hard time these days, the generally good feelings of friendship and the sharing of our happiness all make Christmas a worthy emphasis.
Today on this final day of November, we look forward to December. For us Christians the main emphasis of it all is the advent of the Christ, born in a stable at Bethlehem, and laid in a manger for a bed. The announcement by an army of angels to shepherds, the visit of the rich kings from the east with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh all thrill our hearts as we once again return to the little village of Bethlehem and follow the star that declared his birth.
And so we welcome the coming of December and all it will bring to us.
