Greetings!
To the People of the Church in Reidland, Grace to you and Peace, Who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
{ A salutation similar to Paul’s in First Thessalonians 1:1}
It is my blessing to write to you as the pastor of Reidland United Methodist Church in this season of celebration and gratitude.
We honor a tradition in this church to make a special offering in the season of Advent as an expression of our Thankfulness for God’s blessings. The March to the Manger is an occasion in the liturgy of the worship service when every member of the community is invited to step forward individually or as a family group to express adoration for the gift God has given us in the birth of Christ.
Gift giving has taken on huge importance in the Christmas Season. For generations the Christmas catalog was a high point in the yearnings of children. I know I wore the ink off the pages of the Sears Catalog as a child. The material part of Christmas has only grown over the decades.
My prayer this season is for the spiritual gifts of God to be recognized in a deeply transformational way and for every gift to represent what Christmas means.
As the church community invites every member to be blessed by Christ present in His birth we should make our most profound responses in repentance, forgiveness and witness to our faith.
We sent by US Post a letter with an offering envelope to all the mail addresses we have on record.
I hope you will receive your mail in a day or two. If you do not get our letter in a few days please let us know. When your letter arrives, gather your family, be still for a moment with loved ones, and Pray a Prayer of Adoration for Him that Saves. And then consider if this Christmas Offering in your March to the Manger is the most significant gift you offer in this season.
We will March to the Manger after the Christmas Cantata this Sunday, December 17, the Third Sunday in Advent.
Indeed, “O come let us Adore Him.”
Yours in Christ,
Reverend Brent Porterfield
