Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

The countdown is coming to an end. In two days it will be Christmas Day!  The decorating, shopping, baking, and so much more, will climax in all the celebrations and gatherings that take place on December 25. The day that we as Christians have set aside to remember our Savior’s birth is almost here. It’s almost Christmas!   For me, the month of December can feel a bit frenzied. As a pastor I’m working hard to make sure the services for the month and especially for Christmas Eve (and this year Christmas Day) will inspire our congregation to worship and help us remember why it is we celebrate Christmas in the first place. And, as a husband and father I’m busy helping decorate, get the cards in the mail, shop for gifts, and prepare our home for guests. (I don’t do any of the baking!) Admittedly, I can go a bit overboard, especially when it comes to the filling  of the Christmas stockings. Now that it’s almost Christmas, I can feel the momentum moving quickly towards tha...

As I look at the decorations that make our house feel like Christmas, I can’t help but notice how many small things have been placed around our home. From small nativity sets, some of which come from places like Peru and Israel, to the little Santa globe sitting on the kitchen window sill, I find that it’s the little things that add to that feeling of Christmas when you come into our home. It’s not just the big tree standing in the living room, but the small ornaments that hang on it; it’s not just the stockings hung on the fireplace, but the many small things that get placed within them that add to the celebration of Christmas.  On the other hand, I think we would all agree that we are just naturally attracted to big things. In spite of saying, “Good things come in small packages,” when given a choice, we tend towards the large package. We take trips to go and see the largest Christmas tree.  We want the big break, look for that big job, we like to hang out with the big shots...

From the time each of our children was born, we have given to them each year a new ornament to hang on the Christmas tree. It began with the Hallmark ornaments that noted each of their first five Christmases. It has then continued with a new ornament each year to hang on the tree and then be stored for the rest of the year in their own box. When it’s time to decorate our Christmas tree, each of them (and now their spouses alongside of them), take their box and decorate one part of the tree with their set of ornaments.  And, we continue to give to them an ornament each year; the only difference today is that, now that they are married, they get to take the new ornament to their home to hang on their own Christmas tree.   As I look at the various ornaments on our tree, many of them bring back memories of years gone by. They help me recall the times when our children were yet filled with the awe that Christmas just naturally brings a child.  As we hang the ornaments col...

I’m sure just about all of us have had the experience of going to an airport to pick someone up and waiting at the arrival gate. Although I’ve been in that situation numerous times, the most memorable was when our daughter Joanna was returning from her semester spent in Vienna, Austria. As Kim and I stood by the arrival gate, we did so anticipating that any moment Joanna would come through the gate, pulling her luggage and carrying her viola. After months of not seeing her (except a few times via Facetime), our adrenaline was pumping as the excitement began to build. Then, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, we spotted her coming towards us. Within a few moments all of our anticipation had become a reality. Joanna was home. (See picture) Of course, lots of hugs were in order! This season into which we have now entered is called, “Advent.” The word means, “the arrival.” It’s meant to be a season within the year during which we as Christians not only prepare for the celebration ...

This past Monday I had the privilege to take a missionary friend to The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. To get there, we parked on the New Jersey side at Liberty State Park and took the ferry to the island. (The only way to get there from either New Jersey or New York is by ferry). We spent the day in the museum and then, at the end of the day boarded a ferry to get back to where our car was parked. It was a beautiful, albeit chilly, ride. The sun was low on the horizon. The Statue of Liberty seemed to be glowing, as were the buildings of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City that surrounded us. Yes, it was truly beautiful…until I noticed that we were riding right by Liberty State Park and heading towards Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan! Immediately I realized, we had gotten on the wrong ferry!  I soon found out that, since this was the last ferry of the day, we couldn’t ride back to either Ellis Island or Liberty State Park via this ferry. In a very quick minute, ...

I’ve notice recently that many fast food places have longer lines at the drive-through than they do inside at the counter. Such is the case at the Dunkin’ Donuts I drive by every morning, with cars spilling out onto the road. I’ve seen the same at the local Chick-fil-a, Starbucks, and Wendy’s. It seems that many people either don’t want to make the effort to get out of their car or they are in such a hurry that they want to eat on the run. I for one, almost never go through a drive-through; I’d much rather go inside, see the counter-person face to face, and sit down to have my lunch or coffee. Even if I need to do take-out, I’d still rather go inside. I tend to think that the drive-through is somewhat a symbol of the kind of culture in which we live. People living in other places around the world would never consider eating while driving in their cars, no less pick up their food in a drive-through line. The pace of their lives is such that it allows them to actually sit and enjoy their...

This past week I took our dog Sadie to the vet for her annual check-up and vaccines. I knew it wasn’t going to go well. And it didn’t. As soon as we began to walk through the first of two sets of doors, she knew where she was, turned around and began pulling to go back out. Once we got into the examining room, she sat with her body right up against my leg with that nervous look in her eyes. When the tech and then the vet came into the room she pushed even harder against me and even went under the chair I was sitting on. No amount of coaxing or bribing with treats was going to get her to allow for an examination, no less any vaccines. We decided I’m going to need to bring her back and allow them to completely sedate her if they are going to be able to get done for her what needs to be done. (And, please no advice…we’ve tried everything! She’s too smart to be tricked!)   Obviously, Sadie is afraid of the vet.  And I can’t completely blame her. After all, she doesn’t underst...