Tuesday, December 14
Romans 1:1-7 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=159340810
Called to Belong
Peter Mayer is the lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Refer band. He is also an accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist on his own. Peter spent most of his early years in India where his missionary parents served for 17 years. That faith centered upbringing is front and center in Peter’s personal recordings. If you arrive a little early for our Wednesday Night Fellowship meal you will often hear one of my favorites, Peter’s Stars and Promises Christmas CD playing over our sound system.
We are using one of the songs from Stars and Promises as the theme for our Advent devotions. “This Christmas,” reminds us the most important and precious gift we can give is the gift of ourselves: our time, attention, presence and intentional love.
As you shop for presents this Christmas, don’t forget the most important one—YOU! Spend a little time thinking about how you can give yourself this Christmas…and how you can make the giving of yourself something that continues each and every day of the year. As those who are “Called to belong,” to Jesus, what better gift could we possibly give?
Kids Challenge
Get some index cards or cut out strips of paper and write down gifts of yourself to include with the Christmas gifts you purchase for your family and friends this year. You might give hugs, smiles, poems, promises to do certain chores around the house, a live reading from one of your favorite books, pictures you’ve drawn or colored or even ten minutes of your undivided attention. Be creative. I bet you can think of lots of ways to give of yourelf, your time and talents.
Advent Blessings,
Rich
This Christmas, give the gift that only you can give,
…give yourself this Christmas! (Peter Mayer)
Here are the lyrics to "This Christmas:"
This Christmas
(Peter Mayer, Jim Mayer, Mac McAnally)
It’s Christmas time again, New year’s ‘round the bend.
There must be something more than give and take.
What it’s all about, turns you inside out.
‘Till you finally see the difference you make.
Chorus
This Christmas, this Christmas
There’s a gift that only you can give.
This Christmas, this Christmas
Give yourself, Give yourself!
To Love is in short supply, such an obvious demand,
Shouldn’t be so hard to understand.
We hang the lights for hope; look for the star to follow.
Peace on earth, for what it’s worth, is in our hands.
Chorus
Start with the best of you
Followed by the rest of you
The things you say and the things you do this Christmas.
Chorus
Lend a heart, lend a hand;
Make a start, and understand.
Lend an hour, lend a day,
Wrap yourself to give-a-way.
I like this idea of combining belonging and offering with offering being much more tied to one's self. Time, attention, and effort are at least as precious resources as anything we might buy or provide from our wallets.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Andy. Especially when our wallets are thin. The best gift one can give at this time of year is self.
ReplyDeleteOne Christmas I gave each person in my family a slip of paper with a word on it which was my wish for them in the coming year. The words were "love", "happiness", etc. I think those gifts were appreciated more than the ones bought from a store.
ReplyDelete