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Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2003

Grace Church of Burlington December 14, 2003 Are you “Elfing” Christmas? One of the current popular movies is Elf, a warm-hearted tale of a human baby in an orphanage who crawled into Santa’s gift sack and made the trip to the North Pole.  Raised by Papa Elf and with his human heritage kept secret from him, Buddy grows up thinking that he’s an elf just like everyone else, except for his normal size and inability to assemble toys as quickly as the rest of Santa’s elves.  He eventually learns of his true identity, however, with Santa telling him that his real father is a book publisher who lives in New York City and is on the infamous “naughty list.”  Undeterred by that, Buddy sets out on a long trek to meet the father who doesn't know that he even exists.  With the North Pole as his only point of reference, Buddy is shocked and amazed by the big city, but he's not as surprised as his real father is upon meeting his good‑natured, but childlike adult son for the first time.  As Buddy tries to fit into his new surroundings, he constantly gets in his father's way and shocks him that his reference point is that of an elf.             The humorous plot of Elf is that something that is supposed to be small is big.  Sadly, though, that happens too often at Christmas . . . but most of the time, it’s not funny.  Too many lose the spirit of Christmas by making small things big and in turn making big things small.  We minimize, or elf, the important things at Christmas.             At this time of year most are consumed with purchasing just the right gift.  The Christmas Season can make or break a retailer’s year.  Each year there is a list of the most popular toys.  We blow out of proportion finding the right gift but elf the importance of the motive behind the gift.  Some of the most precious gifts that I have ever received were homemade gifts, sometimes given by those who could not afford much more.  They, though, were gigantic gifts because they were given out of love.             Many spend tremendous hours and money purchasing gifts for individuals that they don’t even really like.  They feel “obligated” to give.  A gift should never be given out of duty or because the other person gave us something, so we must in turn give them something.  That’s not a gift.  It’s a swap of insincere courtesy.  We’ve elfed the real reason for giving.             Kitchens are filled this time of year with the aroma of delicious holiday foods.  Huge Christmas parties will be thrown.  But when we become consumed on having the food just right or the house looking like something out of Good Housekeeping, we’ve magnified the wrong thing.  While we should seek to be good hosts, the get-together is not about the house or even the food.  It’s about relationships, family and friendships.  If worrying what your guests will think is your primary focus, then you either need to change your focus or change your guest list.  (And if your friends are so shallow that they will be mortified if your home is not immaculate, you probably should look for better friends.)  Life is so short.  We have such a limited time to enjoy our family and friends.  If we stress ourselves out and exhaust ourselves preparing the party so that we look forward to it being over, we’ve maximized the nonessential and elfed that which cannot be purchased or cooked up:  relationships.             One of the most common complaints at this time of year are the huge crowds.  We become frustrated and irritated when we cannot find a parking space or if we have to wait too long in line because there are so many other people also running Christmas errands.  It easily becomes gargantuan in our minds.              We forget that on that first Christmas, the Lord Jesus, God incarnate was crowded out.  He was born in a stable, in an animal trough.  And we must be careful that we do not crowd Him out in our minds.  Jesus Christ truly is the reason for the season.  He came to be our Savior, not as a babe in a manger but as the Lamb of God on a cruel Roman cross.              When the angel told the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11), he was not referring to Christ’s birth but His death.              We elf the real meaning of Christmas if we forget about Mary’s little lamb.  He came to save us from our sin and guilt.  The fact is that we’re all on the “naughty list.”  That’s why we need a Savior to pay our penalty.   Jesus Christ is God the Father’s Christmas gift to each of us.  Have you accepted God’s Christmas gift to you?  Or are you elfing the real Christmas message?