the hub 12.24.10

12.24.10 My Christmas prayer…

For those of you who are part of the hub community, I pray this Christmas, regardless of whatever has happened this past year, that you will be overwhelmed by the love, hope, joy, and peace of Christ. I also pray that your faith will not just carry you into the New Year, but will cause you to soar!

the hub

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For those of you who are sharing the joy of Christmas with us tonight as guests, my prayer for you is the same. I pray you will be overwhelmed by God’s love, hope, joy, and peace and that your faith will also cause you to soar into the next year. I hope that you currently belong to a community of Christ where you find encouragement, support and love. If you don’t already have a place like this, I also pray God leads you to one soon. I would love for your place to be with us here at the hub.

Merry Christmas,

Jason

Every Christmas Eve, as a child, I would lie restlessly in bed thinking, “How am I supposed to sleep tonight?” I tried so hard to get to sleep, and at the same time, tried so hard to speed up time. I was too excited. Christmas morning just couldn’t come fast enough.

I haven’t changed much. Even as an adult I still get a little giddy at Christmas. I actually can’t believe how excited I am about tonight! For me there are very few nights of the year as thrilling as this one. I try to “act like an adult,” but I find myself letting down my guard and being silly. But as an adult, I’m childishly excited for a different reason. Yeah, yeah, yeah…as a child I knew we celebrated Christmas because we were celebrating the birth of Christ, and this was mildly exciting to me at the time. But, what I was really enthusiastic about were those presents under the tree (and the bigger the better). Now, as an adult, I care less about getting gifts, more about giving them, and above all, am thrilled out of my mind about celebrating the birth and love of Christ with those I love. I’m feeling like I’ve been given a shot of adrenaline, an extra a dose of the Spirit! It’s so amazingly exciting.

Be a kid again.

Be giddy.

So what makes this night so different than any other night anyway? What makes tomorrow so different from any other day? More than any other time of the year, we take time to unwrap the gift of God in Jesus Christ. And because we do so, something electrically unique and special happens.

The love of Christ overwhelms us, our family, our friends, our church, and millions more around the world. His Divine love fuels us; it compels us to give more of ourselves, our time, and our love to God and others. The result is this: a rapidly building joyful cycle of giving and receiving develops, and it all starts with Christ.

Our celebration this Christmas isn’t driven by ribbons and bows, or the number of gifts we give or receive, but by the Spirit of Christ!

Do you want fullness of joy this Christmas? In all you do tonight and tomorrow, be excited about Christ! Feel yourself consumed by His love.

Allow His love to flow through you to others. This Christmas, let down your guard. Be a kid again. Be giddy.

NEW YEAR’S EVE @ THE NELSON’S!

If you have not received an Evite, please email Jason to RSVP or for more information. jason@cumcsl.org.

Look forward to seeing you there!

SPECIAL DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DECEMBER 26 • 11:00 @ THE HUB

Bring family and friends to enjoy breakfast in a relaxed and casual worship experience with special elements for “Making Memories.”

Don’t miss it.

ALPHA STARTING JANUARY 27 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Alpha is a relaxed and fun opportunity to explore your questions and learn more about Christianity. All are invited to come explore with us. Alpha is a 10-week program, starting Thursday, January 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm; it includes dinner and topical discussions. Childcare is available. To register, visit us at www.cumcsl.org.