Pastor's Message  

 

UNPLUG THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE

Some years ago a couple of psychiatrists conducted extensive research and published their findings in the Holmes Stress Scale.  They identified the ultimate stressor as the death of a spouse and assigned it the value 100.   Are you surprised to learn that Christmas scored 12 on the same stress scale?  Without a doubt, Christmas can generate stress overload.  The other day I heard that Albertans intend to spend $703 on average this Christmas, up $40 from last Christmas.  But pressure to overspend is only one symptom of a much larger problem.  Time and energy consumed in finding those perfect gifts, decorating the tree and house, mounting Christmas lights, cooking, baking and cleaning, writing Christmas cards, travelling, entertaining and coping with difficult relatives can be overwhelming and leave us physically and emotionally exhausted.  Not to mention all the time and energy required after Christmas to put all the decorations away, clean up and pay January credit card bills.  And the expectation that Christmas is the happiest time of year only exacerbates holiday stress for those who are grieving, lonely, afraid or depressed.             

 

How can I minimize the stress of Christmas preparation?  How can I make Christmas more spiritual and less materialistic?  How can I teach my children that Christmas is more about giving than receiving?  To answer these questions a thoughtful book and workshop was developed called Unplug the Christmas Machine.  It's a good read chocked full of practical advice about how to reclaim the wonder, joy and spirit of Christmas.  But helpful as it is, there is another manual far superior on the subject: the Bible.  It reveals the Baby Jesus who was the first Christmas present so freely given to all the world.  He was God in human flesh who grew to become a man on a mission to die for the sins of all people.  When we receive Him into our hearts and spend time with Him each day by meditating on His Word and in prayer we discover a marvelous peace as the world can never give.  You are invited to join us at Emmanuel Community Church this Christmas and throughout the rest of the year too as we grow together in the experience of God's love and discover His purpose for our lives.  I look forward to meeting you soon.

Pastor Dennis