The date was chosen for pragmatic reasons. It fit our schedule. I was a first year teacher coaching football and basketball in Eaton Rapids, Michigan (a small town about 20 minutes South of East Lansing). Becky was finishing her senior year at Hope. We had planned to get married in the summer after Becky graduated, but decided to move the date up to December.
The window for our wedding was small. It had to be soon after the first semester finished at Hope so our friends could attend without having to go home and then come to Chicago. It had to fit around my schedule which included teaching and coaching until December 20 and returning for basketball practice and games by December 26. It had to be on a Saturday. Thus we were married on December 22, 1973. That’s right 38 years ago! It is really hard to believe that it has been that long.
One of the things we didn’t anticipate when we chose our date was how easily our wedding anniversary could get lost in the craziness of Christmas festivities. Working in full-time ministry only added to that likelihood. There have been many years where the acknowledgement of out anniversary has been an afterthought, or a “drive-by” acknowledgement as we moved on to another event or responsibility.
This is the time of year when things can get lost. The joy of the season can be drowned out by personal pain and difficulty brought on by financial crises, struggles with illness, or a personal tragedy. The peace that is supposed to be central to Christmas can get lost in family dysfunction and turmoil. The mystery of Christmas can be distorted by all of the events, programs, and functions we have to attend that leave us more filled with weariness than wonder. The central event of Christmas, the gift of God becoming man, is often overshadowed by the demands of gift buying and present giving. It is easy for Christ to get lost in the chaos that is Christmas.
Becky and I will take time out from Christmas festivities to have a quiet dinner together to acknowledge and celebrate the gift of marriage. We will reflect on the great adventure that God designed for us with all the ups and downs that 38 years can bring. We will thank God for His provision on that adventure and ask Him to bless us with many more years of friendship and love.
Sometime later in the week we will take time to thank God for the unbelievable gift of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth is central to this season of the year. We won’t let Him get lost!
We will also thank God for the gift of ministry in a new place, with new people, who have been wonderfully warm, accepting and encouraging in our brief time at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church.
It is also easy for some of the more pragmatic aspects of ministry to get lost during the Christmas season. One of those pragmatic things is our church budget which runs through December 31. We have a receipts deficit of $200,000 that we need to receive to meet our budget for 2011. It is imperative that we meet this receipts target to put ourselves in an acceptable position relative to financing opportunities that may be available to us and that we must pursue in 2012. Please consider how you might help us achieve this year end goal.
May God bless all of you as you celebrate Christ’s birth in the many and various ways that will take place. Thank you for the gift of allowing me to be your Lead Pastor.
May God bless us, everyone!
Rev.
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