It’s less than a week before Christmas and—unless I’m mistaken—all of the church Christmas parties are finally over. Whew! In the first seventeen days of December, Sandy and I ran the gauntlet through a dozen class parties and church fellowships, all of which involved food, and the majority of which were full-blown dinners, luncheons or breakfasts. On top of that, we were invited to a number of other gatherings that we simply couldn’t find the time to wedge into our bulging—and I do mean bulging—schedule. And this doesn’t even count the mountainous meals you fed us in November!
When we attended our last fellowship—following Sunday night’s New Generation Choir concert—it was like we had finally come to the end of a seemingly endless buffet table. I felt compelled to grab a bottle of Rolaids and break out in song—either Roy Orbison’s pop ballad “It’s Over” or the Gloria Gaynor disco hit “I Will Survive”—but unfortunately I was so stuffed that I couldn’t even muster up enough wind to sing. So, I decided simply to pause and reflect on what I had learned from all of this Christmas partying:
* The people at Mount Hermon love to eat.
* The people at Mount Hermon are incredibly hospitable.
* If food is love, Sandy and I are the most loved people on earth!
* If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the people of Mount Hermon already hold a very special place in my heart.
* If I’m going to continue to be your pastor, I’ve either got to start on a diet by January 1st or immediately buy a whole new wardrobe, preferably with expandable-waist pants for future growth. (You’ve certainly got more of a pastor today than you had when I started with you the first of November.)
* Except for the calories, cholesterol and added pounds, regardless of my moans and groans, please know that I loved every minute of it!
What else have I learned from attending these various Christmas fellowships?
* I learned about a Christmas gift exchange game called “Dirty Bingo” which is quite popular with several of our groups.
* I tasted for the first time an old-fashioned dessert called hickory nut pie, sort of a cousin to the pecan pie, you might say. I love pecan pie, but now I think I might like hickory nut pie as well or better. I may have to research this further, before I start my diet.
* With all the holiday eating I did, I somehow miraculously avoided any fruit cake—my least favorite Christmas food—although someone did actually buy me one as a Christmas gift after they heard my sermon in which I told about the Norwegian Christmas tradition of fruitcake-throwing.
* I also learned a lot of useful Christmas trivia. For example, did you know there are a total of 364 gifts given in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song? And did you know that in real life only female reindeer actually retain their antlers through December, although the legendary antlered reindeer in Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas” all appear to have male names? You might want to remember that just in case you’re ever a contestant on a television game show.
All kidding aside, did you realize that an important part of being church is enjoying each other…hanging out together…having shared times of fellowship and fun?
It’s not unbiblical to share a laugh. A little bit of humor makes the burdens of life a lot easier to shoulder. And being with other people who love us and whom we love reminds that we’re not in this thing alone. We have each other. We’re family.
One of the greatest gifts God gives us is in this life is Christian friends. And one of the best ways we can experience Christ is to experience His love through another person.
The early New Testament church knew the joys of fellowship. From the very beginning, they liked hanging out with one another and eating—yes, eating!—together. And, truly, an important component of the health and vitality of the early church was its fellowship. The people frequently gathered and broke bread together in one another’s homes.
One of the most joyous parts of this Christmas for Sandy and me has been seeing how much our church family loves each other and how much they enjoy being together. You know there are some churches—sadly—where this is not so. But, as we’ve enjoyed fellowshipping with our various Sunday School classes and groups, it’s been especially wonderful for us to see how much each of you love your church, your class, your class’s teacher, your church staff, and your new pastor and his wife. How encouraging!
Soon, all of the holiday hustle and bustle will be over. And all the sumptuous food we’ve enjoyed throughout this season will be but a memory. But the sweet fellowship we have in Christ will continue on and on, for true Christian fellowship knows no season.
Now, that’s a delicious thought, isn’t it? Meditate on that for a while. And, if you don’t mind, while you’re thinking about that, save me a seat while I go back for seconds.
Pastor Danny
Important Disclaimer: Despite anything said above that implies I ate too much this Christmas, please don’t forget to invite Sandy and me to your Christmas party next year!
