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Advent Identity: You ARE Special
Dear Friends,
Just the other week, I had a fascinating conversation with my oldest son, Calvin. Calvin’s a senior at the University of Georgia and a Business Major, with one of his areas of focus in Human Resources (HR). Calvin shared with me that they had been studying how being told, “You are special,” had impacted his particular generation with regard to the pressures and expectations they brought to the workplace. I look forward to hearing more from him about this when he’s home for Christmas!
The whole matter of “You are special” is definitely a topic of today’s current world. Unfortunately, the subject is often spoken of negatively and sarcastically, e.g. when a generation is dismissed as “A bunch of special Snowflakes.” But, regardless of what’s going on in our culture and irrespective of whatever adjustments or corrections we might need to make, during Advent, the inescapable message to us as human beings and individuals who struggle with self-doubt is: “You ARE special!”
This Sunday, Pastor Al LaCour will be serving here at Church of the Redeemer while I’m out of town to officiate a wedding. Al is a godly, wise, and insightful pastor. I’m sorry I won’t be here, but look forward to listening online. Al’s message will focus on the Shepherds in Luke chapter 2.Read More
Transformed by Hope
Dear Friends,
What does Advent and Christmas have to do with our identity and self-worth?
It’s natural that our identity (how we think about and see ourselves) and our self-worth (how we feel about and evaluate ourselves) are connected to what we do. We are “doing” people after all. God has given us aptitudes and gifts that we use. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about all of us as various and different parts of Christ’s body. Some of us are feet, others are hands, etc., etc. We also have tasks, jobs, and responsibilities that we do. Those activities and responsibilities impact our identity and self-worth. We are accountants, lawyers, plumbers, etc.
But this means that our identity and self-worth is also affected by what we can’t do, the things we have failed to do, and the things we have done wrong or poorly.Read More
Christmas: Traditions vs Transformation
Dear Friends,
Undeterred by the bloating of too much pie or the famous nap-inducing chemicals of Thanksgiving’s turkey, the Christmas season kicked off last week with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and, then, Giving Tuesday. Christmas is here!
I do LOVE the Christmas season. It’s a wonderful time of joy, parties, and singing. It’s a time of beautiful decorations, nostalgia, and a well-needed break from work. It’s a time for friends, family, love, generosity, and giving (there’s a reason that most babies in the USA are born in September-October!!)
The Christmas season can also be a blur. Our to-do lists grow, and our calendars can be over-full. It’s easy for Christmas to pass by us in a distracted blur as we rush to get everything done, see everyone, and do all that we feel we need to do to “have a good Christmas.”Read More
