Rethinking Christmas

Over the past couple years, my eyes have really been opened to the "god of consumerism" being celebrated and worshipped during the Christmas season. So when I came across the following video last night, my heart agreed and rejoiced with the concept!

[Worship Fully]

[Spend Less]

[Give More]

[Love All]

Sounds great, huh? But we couldn't help but notice one major thing that seems to be missing in this movement - the gospel. If you do this without the gospel being central, then it will just turn into another humanitarian effort to solve the worlds problem. By the way, the worlds biggest problem is not a lack of clean water. It is their sin, and no amount of clean water will wash that away - only the living water of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we must proclaim the gospel. We cannot leave it out. So I am all for the concept of this video and praise God for this movement!! It is great to meet the physical needs of those less fortunate, but it is treachery to not tell them the remedy for their spiritual need. So along with the gift of clean water, let us give them Living Water! Distribute Bibles, tracts, and gospel-enriched materials this holiday season. May the gifts you give be meaningful and a reminder of God's grace to the receivers.

I called Tony around lunch today just to say hello. I mentioned to him "I'm about to make some bread and then clean the kitchen." He said, "Oh, you're going to make homemade noodles?" That would be his way of asking. ;) Haha!! I have never made pasta before, with the exception of potato gnocchis. I recalled the cookbook that Tony's mom gave me with the recipe for Great Grandma Smith's Homemade Noodles. The recipe looked easy enough, so I decided to give it a try. Result? In the words of Tony: Good!! (And a big smile)! I enjoy so much to please my husband!!

Celebrating Advent

In an effort to be more Christ-centered this Christmas season, we will begin reading through this Advent Devotional tonight.

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The pastors and staff of Park Cities Presbyterian Church have written and designed this collection of devotions for each day of Advent, December 1-24, plus a special devotion for Christmas Day as a gift to assist your preparations for the celebration of the arrival of the Infant Savior.

We hope the title of this series, “From Bethlehem to Golgotha,” will prompt your worship of this Infant who was “born in a zoo and killed on a slaughterhouse cross so that we could inherit paradise, and all on His back.”

As you see the lights on your Christmas tree and in your neighborhoods push back the darkness, consider Jesus Christ, not just as the Infant of Bethlehem, but as “a Jewish Savior, killed in humiliation but raised in glory.” The brightest of Lights came to bear the darkest night of the soul. The Light of lights came into this lost world so that those of us hiding in darkness might find ourselves hidden in Him.

The Light will return again one day in His full and radiant brilliance. Celebrate His first Advent, look forward to His second. Use these devotionals to rejoice in the Gift of gifts, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. Sing or pray to the Lord the hymns that are suggested on each page from the Trinity Hymnal. May your Christmas be bright with the light of His presence!

Your PCPC pastors and staff (All Scriptures are from the English Standard Version.)

Click here to view the daily devotionals.

Glimpse of Thanksgiving