Message from Pastor Jim 12/8/2025

Dear Friends;

If you ever feel like life is a little too ordinary, just remember the shepherds.
One moment they were minding their own business—literally watching sheep eat grass—and the next moment the sky lit up, angels burst into song, and someone probably dropped a staff in surprise. Suddenly, the last people anyone expected became the first to hear the best news ever told.

What did they do?
They ran.
They rejoiced.
They told everybody. (And honestly, who could blame them?)

Fast-forward to today, where our “angels” are more likely to be email notifications and our “sheep” are… also probably email notifications. But the message we celebrate is still the same: Christ has come, and joy is for everyone — including us.

And according to Jesus in Matthew 5, the shepherds aren’t the only ones with a job to do. We are now the ones called to shine.
“You are the light of the world,” He says — not “could be,” not “try to be,” but are.

Which means:

Your kindness in the grocery line? That’s light.

Your patience in traffic? Definitely light (and possibly miraculous).

Your generosity, your encouragement, your willingness to show up for someone  
    who needs it — that’s the kind of glow Jesus was talking about.

So as we move through this season, may we carry the shepherds’ joy and Jesus’ invitation to shine. May we notice the small moments where God breaks into our everyday routines. And may the world be just a little brighter because we showed up with the light He’s already placed in us.

Let’s go into this week like the shepherds — a little surprised, a little excited,
and ready to share the good news with anyone who needs a spark of hope.

Go tell it, go shine it, and go live it.
Joy to you, light-bearers!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jim