And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

It was perfect! I had never seen anything like it. As I walked into Lowes, I thought I had hit the Church Christmas Decorating Jackpot. Before my eyes was a giant 6 foot tall J-O-Y, lit from the inside. It was sturdy yet light and it was foldable for easy storage. This was going to be perfect! I went up to it hoping to find it on sale. But I failed to find a price tag. Guessing at the price, I sought out a sale person to verify the cost. “How much for that giant bundle of Christmas J-O-Y?", I asked. The clerk looked above his glasses at me.  ‘You don’t really want to know.’ he said. ‘I’m interested in it for a decoration for our church.’ I replied, kinda confused at that moment. ‘More than you can afford', he retorted. He continued, ‘For some reason they only sent us 2 and decided to price them at $1200.’ Wow, that is some pricey joy!

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 ESV)

Sitting in a comfortable home, around a food-filled table, surrounded by family & friends, it should be easy to be grateful. Our lists of thanks should be higher then the winning score of the backyard turkey-bowl football game. But to be honest, in our comfort we can easily become complacent, grumpy, and blind to our blessings. I think that is often because our gratitude is based more on our ego than God’s gifts. You see, no matter if we have tons or have nothing, if we have Christ we have more than we deserve.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
(Luke 2:13-14 ESV)

We see it in beautifully scripted fonts on the front of Christmas cards. We sing about it in carols. We hear it recited in pageants. Yet in a season of rushing through activities and conflicts within family, peace seems to be the last thing we feel. Where is the peace the angels sang about? How do we get it? Is it what we think it is?

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  (Acts 15:6-7 ESV)

Some church meetings are over the color of the carpet, the budget or officers. Those are the ones that tend to get a lot of the bad press, especially when things go bad. We all know about ‘that church’ that split over the color of the carpet. However, some church meetings are vitally important and come with long lasting consequences. Acts 15 describes such a gathering.

‘I hope I get that  ______ for Christmas!’ Fill-in the blank. It’s the plea of every kid and many grown-ups this time of year. We ‘hope’ for something BIG. But our hopes are mere wishes wrapped in wants. Is that all ‘hope’ is? Is it just a wish? This week we will explore where we find hope as Christians. It’s more then a wish. And it has basis that is sure. Come with us as we explore the two vistas of Hope. And see how Advent helps us to see Hope clearly.

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. (Acts 15:1-2 ESV)

Christians are good people. Christians are people that keep the 10 commandments. Christians are folks that love God and love their neighbor. Christians are people that go to church. Christians are individuals that are good citizens. Christians are Bible people. Christians are people that do the right thing. How do these descriptions sit with you? Are they accurate? Are they complete? How would you describe a Christian?