Ya'll Miss Me?

HEY!  It's me again!  Did ya'll miss me?  

(For you Northerners, if there are any of you out there who read this: "Did youse guys miss me?"  Is that how you say it?)  

Anyway, it has been almost a month since I last blogged, so I'm sure there are oodles of you (another Southern expression) out there who are just chomping at the bit, anxiously waiting for me to get back to blogging.  Sorry about that, but I've been busy doing all kinds of stuff.  Like going to committee meetings.  Presbyterians love committee meetings.  A committee meeting is when a few of us come to church, sometimes eat something, catch up on the latest news, make a few plans, then go home.  A good Presbyterian will generally feel guilty if he does not go to at least 1 committee meeting each week.  Pastors need a minimum of 3 committee meetings a week in order to avoid feelings of guilt.  I personally feel extremely not guilty - I've had lots of committee meetings.

I've also been working on the church budget.  And that reminds me - we're way behind our pledge goal for 2012, so, if you haven't made a pledge, find the little "make a pledge" button on this website somewhere, punch it, and make a pledge to our 2012 budget.  A big one, if you please.  Thank you.

I've also been traveling, eating lots of turkey, visiting with relatives, praying (lots of praying), writing sermons and newsletters and budget letters, lining up speakers for Tuesday Noon Services, reading curriculum, visiting sick folks, meeting with and praying with a wonderful staff, doing Presbytery stuff, playing in the snow(!), preparing for Advent and Christmas, and lots of other things.  It seems that blogging has just been moved down my list of priorities. Other  seemingly essential things in my life have left little time or room for the blog.   At least, that's my excuse.

It reminds me of the Advent and Christmas Seasons.  You know, this is a really busy time of year, and yet, in the midst of all our busyness, sometimes we neglect the most important things.  Like faith, and family.  It is easy for a pastor to neglect his or her family during this time of year.  I've made that mistake before, and I'm determined to work very hard to not make it again!  And then there's the faith part that sometimes gets neglected.

While the world's busyness may seem to be pointed toward Christmas, it is seldom pointed toward the coming of the Christ Child.  And yet, it should be!  Christmas is all about parties and presents, but is it also about the presence of Christ?  It better be, or you have missed the point entirely (Luke 2:10-11).  Christ is born!  The Messiah!  

I encourage you to be intentional this Advent about including time each day to remember and prepare for the coming of the Christ Child.  Read an Advent devotional (get one at the church), attend worship services, spend time working on a service project - whatever it takes.  Don't put it off like I put off blogging!  In order for this Season to be truly meaningful for you, Christ must be the center of your Christmas.  I'll pray that He is.