How was your Christmas?  Did you enjoy (or at least successfully tolerate) getting together and catching up with your extended family members? Did you get the presents you hoped you’d get?    Or do you have a pile of presents that you need to return? I am no psychologist, but now that Christmas is past, I can predict that people will generally fall into three groups:
The first group of people are the ones who feel happy and blessed because they received what they really wanted for Christmas. Their joy, however, is likely to be short-lived, lasting until a newer, faster, slimmer version of the awesome gadget they are so much in love with comes out.
The second group of people are the ones who feel angry and taken advantage of because they went out of their way to treat others, yet they did not get as much in return. They realize they will be hit with a huge credit card bill next month, and they grow angrier and angrier every time they pass by the box of fruitcake no one wants to even try (no offense if the reader happens to have given a fruitcake as a gift!). 
The third group of people are the ones who suffer from what they call a “Post-Christmas syndrome.” These are the people who had such high hopes for Christmas, now that it’s over with all of the holiday hoopla gone, they experience a big let-down, even feelings of depression. These holiday blues may be due to a variety of factors.  Perhaps the holidays were not as festive or celebratory as expected, their plans fell through, or expectations simply were not met, whatever they might have expected. 
I can relate to the feelings of post-Christmas blues because I experienced it first-hand as a young girl growing up in Korea. I did not grow up in a Christian home. In fact my mother was a Buddhist and frequently visited a Buddhist temple.  As a result, I had no idea what the real meaning of Christmas was, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.  That understanding and appreciation for Christmas came much later after my family immigrated to the US and started attending church and I became a follower of Jesus Christ.
I still vividly remember feeling letdown on Christmas morning.  I cannot quite remember what kinds of presents each of us children received from our parents, but I am sure we received something. Back then no one received multiple gifts like kids do this day and age. I think we are spoiling our kids too much, but that’s for another column.  Honestly it wasn’t because I was disappointed with what I received from my parents, but a feeling of emptiness, a sense of “there must be something more than this”, was overwhelming even for a young girl.  I couldn’t understand why some people seemed genuinely so thankful and joyful around Christmas.  The happier people seemed at Christmas, the more miserable and left out I felt.   Now that I know and understand the true reason for celebrating Christmas, I wish some of my Christian school friends had shared the Gospel with me.  I would’ve not have suffered from post-Christmas blues then.
But praise God that I no longer suffer from a post-Christmas syndrome (well, except for clothes fitting a little too tight!)!  In fact, I do not have to suffer from any blues - pre, mid, or post-Christmas. In fact, with God Immanuel, the indwelling Christ, in my life, every day is Christmas.  And He is the one gift that I never want to return!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 28, 2014

As Christmas is fast approaching, everyone starts to get excited.  Whether it’s because of presents, breaks from school, spending time with family, spending time AWAY from co-workers, whatever the reason – most of us look forward to Christmas as the most anticipated holiday of the year.  Now, one way to take this column would be to say – “BUT WE FORGET JESUS!”  But I don’t think that’s true.  We talk about Jesus all year round – if you are forgetting Jesus at Christmas, I don’t think we’re doing a very good job as a church, and that’s a whole ‘nother issue.
But what I will say is – let’s not forget those who have less.  Christmas is a time meant for family, giving, and thanksgiving.  However, if all of our focus is inward, I believe we neglect the gospel message that we are meant to bring to the world.  Especially during this time when there’s so much to enjoy, can we really celebrate when we have brothers and sisters around us suffering?  This is not meant to guilt people into forgoing their Christmas dinners and giving all the food away (although if you want to, don’t let me stop you).  In Micah 6:8, the Bible says “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Are we doing that this holiday season?  Are we acting justly and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God?
Maybe all it takes is to start a new tradition.  Before opening presents, set one aside that can be donated to a local charity.  Before Christmas dinner, stop by a local food bank to serve those in need.  Perhaps it’s delivering a hot meal to a family in need.  The fact is, we don’t need to travel overseas to help people – according to the Capital Area Food Bank, there are 78,000 people in Montgomery County who are food insecure.  78,000 of our neighbors who are unable to feed their families a full meal.  Where is the justice, mercy, humility for them?
As I consider more and more what it means to be a good parent and am struggling with how to share the gospel with my kids, one thing I know I want to convey is how blessed we are – not just materially, but with the gift of salvation.  We who are rich, can we not give more to those who are lacking?  Jesus in his parable of the sheep and the goats refers to what we do for the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  We won’t forget Jesus this Christmas.  Let’s not forget the least of these as well.
P.S.  If you have a heart for serving others or feel convicted to do more for your neighbors, please consider joining the newly formed Community Service ministry led by Eugene Rhee.  We are not looking for people to commit all their free time to the causes we partner with – rather we just want people who have a heart to love our brothers and sisters on the margins.  Please consider joining as we start up next year and have more announcements!

From Pastor David’s Heart
December 21, 2014