So, A Pastor Walks Into Uncle Bills...//M-Note 12.16.22

Every year I take The Gathering staff to a Catholic church in south St. Louis that has an incredible stained glass window depicting the birth of Jesus. We went last week, and per tradition, we set aside time to pray both individually and as a group. We pray for our church, our staff, our families, and all of the (12) Christmas Eve services! We pray for our friends in Mozambique and for the generosity of our church so that more people in that country can have safe water. We pray for you, for people at our church, for kids, and for all those that need hope this season. We pray for people who are hurting or grieving and finding it hard to muster up the joy the season seems to require. Finally, we pray for people who don’t normally go to church, that they might be invited, that they might say ‘yes’ to that invitation, and that they might hear good news for their lives.
 
Afterwards, we took the whole staff to Uncle Bills! As we were leaving, I found our server and thanked her for dealing with our huge crew. She not only served us incredibly fast, but seemed genuinely glad that we were there. As we were talking, she asked me who we were. I told her we worked for a church and explained what we were doing that day. She immediately knew of our church but told me that though she believes in God, she hasn’t been to any church in a while. A couple of years ago she lost her son. He would have been 14. As she shared this, I could see the grief welling up in her eyes. When she finished sharing this with us, we offered to pray for her. She wanted prayers and then asked us about our church. I told her, “If you want to try church again, I would love for you to join me this Christmas.” I gave her the details, the website, and then she thanked me profusely as we left. It clearly meant a lot to her that we stopped and talked.  
 
As I was reflecting on this later that day, it was a reminder that we never know the full stories of the people around us or what they are going through. We don’t know what they are carrying or struggling with. But I know this: a simple invitation to a person can be a little bit of light in their darkness. Noticing, caring, and making the effort to offer that invitation can itself be a sign that they don’t face life alone.
 
The news of Jesus at Christmas is good news. Christmas Eve worship starts this weekend. We have a Travelers Christmas Eve service Sunday evening at The Gathering Webster for any of you that are going out of town for the holidays. Then beginning Thursday evening, we have many more services. My hope is that this weekend, you will take notice of the people that God has placed around you, that you would pay attention to who might need to hear good news this season, and then invite them to join us for Christmas Eve. You can find all the details on our website, as well as a digital invitation that you can post to social media or text to a friend. This invitation could be the small reminder someone else needs to know that they are not alone.
 
I can’t wait to see you this Christmas Eve.
 
Peace,
Matt
 
P.S. On Christmas Day morning, all The Gathering sites will come together for one in-person worship service at the McCausland site at 10:30am. It will be casual, fun, and kids can even wear their pajamas.