Receiving, Opening, and Using the Greatest Gift This is the season when we celebrate the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ, sent to be the salvation of all humanity and the entire created order! Christmas reminds us that, even during the most difficult of circumstances, God is among us to bring us healing and hope, and to show us the way forward. Through the gift of Jesus, God gathers us together as a congregation meant to worship and serve in the name and power of our Savior. Even as circumstances have required us to rethink almost every aspect of our mission and ministry, God has consistently gifted to us what we need to continue to be a faithful and vital church! We continue to offer high-quality worship in three ways – live in our sanctuary, through livestreaming and through a recorded version of the live service available on our website (www.newtownumc.com) and Facebook page. We continue to offer meaningful ministries to children and their families both online and
This post exists to help you answer the profound and pressing question (which, I’m sure, is on your mind or at least will be in a moment): What do Mary the mother of Jesus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and you all have in common? This question is so compelling, you will keep running it over and over in your mind, searching for the answer, even as you continue to read! Have you ever received a gift that really was for the benefit of the person who gave it to you? Have you ever received a waffle iron from someone in your family who likes waffles (and you are the one who makes breakfast)? Gifts like that are given for the purpose of the giver, not the receiver. In a way, many of the gifts God gives are like that. Throughout the Bible, when God gives someone something, it is usually for the fulfillment of a purpose God has in mind. Many of the gifts God gives are for God’s purposes. Often, people who receive such gifts from God are not too happy about receiving them – at