A Message from Pastor Lynnae

Every year some cashier or casual passerby asks me, “Are you ready for Christmas?”. I would like to be snarky and say “No, because we can never be ready for the coming of our Lord” or “Yes, I want Jesus to come now!” but instead I say something conversational like “Yes, all the gifts are bought, and the food prepared” or “Gosh, no. I have so much to do”.

It is crazy how this time of year seems so busy. Baking, decorating, parties and programs, planning meals, welcoming family, and wrapping those gifts! It just all adds up to a lot of running around! For some, this is the busiest and most stressful time of the year.

In Advent, we are called to watch, prepare and to look for Jesus. It is the four weeks before Christmas where we are to get our hearts ready to welcome Jesus once again as we recall his birth and get ready for the final time that he will come.

All the rest is – adiaphora. Google says:
In Christianity, adiaphora means that something is debatable, spiritually neutral. There are essentials of the Christian faith such as the deity of Christ, monotheism, Christ’s physical resurrection, etc. But there are also topics that deal with issues that are non-essentials. So in a general sense, adiaphora means those Christian teachings which are neutral, things that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture. An example of this might be what color of carpet to have in a church, or what time of the day a service should be held.

I pray that this Advent you will find some time to slow down, pray for your family, give thanks for the food, and know what is your essential and what is your adiaphora.
So, are you ready for Christmas?

With Hope,
Pastor Lynnae I Sorensen

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